ItwasSunday，and，accordingtohiscustomonthatday，McTeaguetookhisdinnerattwointheafternoonatthecarconductors’coffee-jointonPolkStreet。Hehadathickgraysoup；heavy，underdonemeat，veryhot，onacoldplate；

twokindsofvegetables；andasortofsuetpudding，fullofstrongbutterandsugar。Onhiswaybacktohisoffice，oneblockabove，hestoppedatJoeFrenna’ssaloonandboughtapitcherofsteambeer。Itwashishabittoleavethepitcherthereonhiswaytodinner。

Onceinhisoffice，or，ashecalleditonhissignboard，“DentalParlors，“hetookoffhiscoatandshoes，unbuttonedhisvest，and，havingcrammedhislittlestovefullofcoke，laybackinhisoperatingchairatthebaywindow，readingthepaper，drinkinghisbeer，andsmokinghishugeporcelainpipewhilehisfooddigested；crop-full，stupid，andwarm。

Byandby，gorgedwithsteambeer，andovercomebytheheatoftheroom，thecheaptobacco，andtheeffectsofhisheavymeal，hedroppedofftosleep。Lateintheafternoonhiscanarybird，initsgiltcagejustoverhishead，begantosing。Hewokeslowly，finishedtherestofhisbeer——veryflatandstalebythistime——andtakingdownhisconcertinafromthebookcase，whereinweekdaysitkeptthecompanyofsevenvolumesof“Allen’sPracticalDentist，“playeduponitsomehalf-dozenverymournfulairs。

McTeaguelookedforwardtotheseSundayafternoonsasaperiodofrelaxationandenjoyment。Heinvariablyspenttheminthesamefashion。Thesewerehisonlypleasures——toeat，tosmoke，tosleep，andtoplayuponhisconcertina。

Thesixlugubriousairsthatheknew，alwayscarriedhimbacktothetimewhenhewasacar-boyattheBigDipperMineinPlacerCounty，tenyearsbefore。Herememberedtheyearshehadspenttheretrundlingtheheavycarsoforeinandoutofthetunnelunderthedirectionofhisfather。

Forthirteendaysofeachfortnighthisfatherwasasteady，hard-workingshift-bossofthemine。EveryotherSundayhebecameanirresponsibleanimal，abeast，abrute，crazywithalcohol。

McTeaguerememberedhismother，too，who，withthehelpoftheChinaman，cookedforfortyminers。Shewasanoverworkeddrudge，fieryandenergeticforallthat，filledwiththeoneideaofhavinghersonriseinlifeandenteraprofession。Thechancehadcomeatlastwhenthefatherdied，corrodedwithalcohol，collapsinginafewhours。Twoorthreeyearslateratravellingdentistvisitedthemineandputuphistentnearthebunk-house。Hewasmoreorlessofacharlatan，buthefiredMrs。McTeague’sambition，andyoungMcTeaguewentawaywithhimtolearnhisprofession。Hehadlearntitafterafashion，mostlybywatchingthecharlatanoperate。Hehadreadmanyofthenecessarybooks，buthewastoohopelesslystupidtogetmuchbenefitfromthem。

ThenonedayatSanFranciscohadcomethenewsofhismother’sdeath；shehadlefthimsomemoney——notmuch，butenoughtosethimupinbusiness；sohehadcutloosefromthecharlatanandhadopenedhis“DentalParlors“onPolkStreet，an“accommodationstreet“ofsmallshopsintheresidencequarterofthetown。Herehehadslowlycollectedaclienteleofbutcherboys，shopgirls，drugclerks，andcarconductors。Hemadebutfewacquaintances。PolkStreetcalledhimthe“Doctor“andspokeofhisenormousstrength。

ForMcTeaguewasayounggiant，carryinghishugeshockofblondhairsixfeetthreeinchesfromtheground；movinghisimmenselimbs，heavywithropesofmuscle，slowly，ponderously。Hishandswereenormous，red，andcoveredwithafellofstiffyellowhair；theywerehardaswoodenmallets，strongasvises，thehandsoftheold-timecar-boy。

Oftenhedispensedwithforcepsandextractedarefractorytoothwithhisthumbandfinger。Hisheadwassquare-cut，angular；thejawsalient，likethatofthecarnivora。

McTeague’smindwasashisbody，heavy，slowtoact，sluggish。Yettherewasnothingviciousabouttheman。

Altogetherhesuggestedthedraughthorse，immenselystrong，stupid，docile，obedient。

Whenheopenedhis“DentalParlors，“hefeltthathislifewasasuccess，thathecouldhopefornothingbetter。Inspiteofthename，therewasbutoneroom。Itwasacornerroomonthesecondflooroverthebranchpost-office，andfacedthestreet。McTeaguemadeitdoforabedroomaswell，sleepingonthebigbed-loungeagainstthewalloppositethewindow。Therewasawashstandbehindthescreeninthecornerwherehemanufacturedhismoulds。Intheroundbaywindowwerehisoperatingchair，hisdentalengine，andthemovablerackonwhichhelaidouthisinstruments。Threechairs，abargainatthesecond-handstore，rangedthemselvesagainstthewallwithmilitaryprecisionunderneathasteelengravingofthecourtofLorenzode’

Medici，whichhehadboughtbecausetherewereagreatmanyfiguresinitforthemoney。Overthebed-loungehungariflemanufacturer’sadvertisementcalendarwhichheneverused。Theotherornamentswereasmallmarble-toppedcentretablecoveredwithbacknumbersof“TheAmericanSystemofDentistry，“astonepugdogsittingbeforethelittlestove，andathermometer。Astandofshelvesoccupiedonecorner，filledwiththesevenvolumesof“Allen’sPracticalDentist。“OnthetopshelfMcTeaguekepthisconcertinaandabagofbirdseedforthecanary。Thewholeplaceexhaledamingledodorofbedding，creosote，andether。

Butforonething，McTeaguewouldhavebeenperfectlycontented。Justoutsidehiswindowwashissignboard——amodestaffair——thatread：“DoctorMcTeague。DentalParlors。

GasGiven“；butthatwasall。Itwashisambition，hisdream，tohaveprojectingfromthatcornerwindowahugegildedtooth，amolarwithenormousprongs，somethinggorgeousandattractive。Hewouldhaveitsomeday，onthathewasresolved；butasyetsuchathingwasfarbeyondhismeans。

Whenhehadfinishedthelastofhisbeer，McTeagueslowlywipedhislipsandhugeyellowmustachewiththesideofhishand。Bull-like，heheavedhimselflaboriouslyup，and，goingtothewindow，stoodlookingdownintothestreet。

Thestreetneverfailedtointeresthim。ItwasoneofthosecrossstreetspeculiartoWesterncities，situatedintheheartoftheresidencequarter，butoccupiedbysmalltradespeoplewholivedintheroomsabovetheirshops。

Therewerecornerdrugstoreswithhugejarsofred，yellow，andgreenliquidsintheirwindows，verybraveandgay；

stationers’stores，whereillustratedweekliesweretackeduponbulletinboards；barbershopswithcigarstandsintheirvestibules；sad-lookingplumbers’offices；cheaprestaurants，inwhosewindowsonesawpilesofunopenedoystersweighteddownbycubesofice，andchinapigsandcowskneedeepinlayersofwhitebeans。AtoneendofthestreetMcTeaguecouldseethehugepower-houseofthecableline。Immediatelyoppositehimwasagreatmarket；whilefartheron，overthechimneystacksoftheinterveninghouses，theglassroofofsomehugepublicbathsglitteredlikecrystalintheafternoonsun。Underneathhimthebranchpost-officewasopeningitsdoors，aswasitscustombetweentwoandthreeo’clockonSundayafternoons。Anacridodorofinkroseupwardtohim。Occasionallyacablecarpassed，trundlingheavily，withastridentwhirringofjostledglasswindows。

Onweekdaysthestreetwasverylively。Itwoketoitsworkaboutseveno’clock，atthetimewhenthenewsboysmadetheirappearancetogetherwiththedaylaborers。Thelaborerswenttrudgingpastinastragglingfile——plumbers’

apprentices，theirpocketsstuffedwithsectionsofleadpipe，tweezers，andpliers；carpenters，carryingnothingbuttheirlittlepasteboardlunchbasketspaintedtoimitateleather；gangsofstreetworkers，theiroverallssoiledwithyellowclay，theirpicksandlong-handledshovelsovertheirshoulders；plasterers，spottedwithlimefromheadtofoot。

Thislittlearmyofworkers，trampingsteadilyinonedirection，metandmingledwithothertoilersofadifferentdescription——conductorsand“swingmen“ofthecablecompanygoingonduty；heavy-eyednightclerksfromthedrugstoresontheirwayhometosleep；roundsmenreturningtotheprecinctpolicestationtomaketheirnightreport，andChinesemarketgardenersteeteringpastundertheirheavybaskets。Thecablecarsbegantofillup；allalongthestreetcouldbeseentheshopkeeperstakingdowntheirshutters。

Betweensevenandeightthestreetbreakfasted。Nowandthenawaiterfromoneofthecheaprestaurantscrossedfromonesidewalktotheother，balancingononepalmatraycoveredwithanapkin。Everywherewasthesmellofcoffeeandoffryingsteaks。Alittlelater，followinginthepathofthedaylaborers，cametheclerksandshopgirls，dressedwithacertaincheapsmartness，alwaysinahurry，glancingapprehensivelyatthepower-houseclock。Theiremployersfollowedanhourorsolater——onthecablecarsforthemostpartwhiskeredgentlemenwithhugestomachs，readingthemorningpaperswithgreatgravity；bankcashiersandinsuranceclerkswithflowersintheirbuttonholes。

Atthesametimetheschoolchildreninvadedthestreet，fillingtheairwithaclamorofshrillvoices，stoppingatthestationers’shops，oridlingamomentinthedoorwaysofthecandystores。Foroverhalfanhourtheyheldpossessionofthesidewalks，thensuddenlydisappeared，leavingbehindoneortwostragglerswhohurriedalongwithgreatstridesoftheirlittlethinlegs，veryanxiousandpreoccupied。

Towardseleveno’clocktheladiesfromthegreatavenueablockabovePolkStreetmadetheirappearance，promenadingthesidewalksleisurely，deliberately。Theywereattheirmorning’smarketing。Theywerehandsomewomen，beautifullydressed。Theyknewbynametheirbutchersandgrocersandvegetablemen。FromhiswindowMcTeaguesawtheminfrontofthestalls，glovedandveiledanddaintilyshod，thesubservientprovisionmenattheirelbows，scribblinghastilyintheorderbooks。Theyallseemedtoknowoneanother，thesegrandladiesfromthefashionableavenue。

Meetingstookplacehereandthere；aconversationwasbegun；othersarrived；groupswereformed；littleimpromptureceptionswereheldbeforethechoppingblocksofbutchers’

stalls，oronthesidewalk，aroundboxesofberriesandfruit。

Fromnoontoeveningthepopulationofthestreetwasofamixedcharacter。Thestreetwasbusiestatthattime；

avastandprolongedmurmurarose——themingledshufflingoffeet，therattleofwheels，theheavytrundlingofcablecars。Atfouro’clocktheschoolchildrenoncemoreswarmedthesidewalks，againdisappearingwithsurprisingsuddenness。Atsixthegreathomewardmarchcommenced；thecarswerecrowded，thelaborersthrongedthesidewalks，thenewsboyschantedtheeveningpapers。Thenallatoncethestreetfellquiet；hardlyasoulwasinsight；thesidewalksweredeserted。Itwassupperhour。Eveningbegan；andonebyoneamultitudeoflights，fromthedemoniacglareofthedruggists’windowstothedazzlingbluewhitenessoftheelectricglobes，grewthickfromstreetcornertostreetcorner。Oncemorethestreetwascrowded。Nowtherewasnothoughtbutforamusement。Thecablecarswereloadedwiththeatre-goers——meninhighhatsandyounggirlsinfurredoperacloaks。Onthesidewalksweregroupsandcouples——theplumbers’apprentices，thegirlsoftheribboncounters，thelittlefamiliesthatlivedonthesecondstoriesovertheirshops，thedressmakers，thesmalldoctors，theharness-

makers——allthevariousinhabitantsofthestreetwereabroad，strollingidlyfromshopwindowtoshopwindow，takingtheairaftertheday’swork。Groupsofgirlscollectedonthecorners，talkingandlaughingveryloud，makingremarksupontheyoungmenthatpassedthem。Thetamalemenappeared。AbandofSalvationistsbegantosingbeforeasaloon。

Then，littlebylittle，PolkStreetdroppedbacktosolitude。Eleveno’clockstruckfromthepower-houseclock。

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