Summary

In “The Bootlegger,” a wealthy couple from New York City, Tommy and Mary Harkness, begin attending orchestral performances at Carnegie Hall at Tommy’s prompting. One night, while they are in attendance of a performance, Tommy notices that the elderly man seated next to him is making a recording of the performance. He confides in Mary later that he is outraged at this occurrence and that he has every intention of reporting the man to the authorities. The next time the couple attends a show, Tommy indeed informs on the old man, but the situation goes awry when Tommy is unable to reenter the hall until the intermission. Upon being caught, the old man, Arthur Fein, confesses to the bouncers and policemen that he has only been making the recordings since his wife fell ill so that she can continue...