Conscience in Art
"Conscience in Art" is a short story by O. Henry (real name William Sydney Porter). It was first published in the 1907 collection The Gentle Grafter and has been reprinted several times, including in the 2007 collection 41 Stories. The story is about two con men who travel to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and meet a millionaire art collector. According to author David P. Demarest, it is "a comic short story that builds on (and perhaps helped perpetuate) Pittsburgh's turn-of-the-century reputation as a raucous rags-to-riches world full of captains of industry notable for wealth". Carnegie Magazine wrote that it is "a pleasant reminder of the inventiveness and cleverness of that unique artist O. Henry, who can be (and often has been) imitated but has never been equalled". Plot "Conscience in Art" is a story told to the author by the character Jeff Peters. In it, Peters recalls one of his adventures with his friend, Andy Tucker. The two men, both swindlers of sorts, are of different mindsets when it comes to their profession. Peters would prefer not to take anything from anyone unless he gives something back in return; Tucker, on the other hand, has no such qualms. One summer, the two