Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1911-02-24

AVA S1Ss
Warden Handler Of Sing Sing prison
and Detective George Doyle endeavor to
prevail on Bill Avery. a released prisoner,
to search out information against for
mer pal" a young convict known as
Jimmy Valentine Avery refuses, and
Doyle and Handler threaten to attack
him. Valentine had a trick Of opening
safes solely by the sense of touch
Avery goes Lieutenant Governor Fay,
his beautiful niece, Rose Lane, and two
women workers in a rescue mission visit
the prison.
Warden Handler hears Rose Lane tell
how she was rescued from thief on
train, and he is amazed at cotncIdence.
Convict Jimmy Valentine. No. 1883. is
brought into the wardens office 70 open
a safe as an object lesson to the visitors.
and Rose recognizes him as the man who
saved her from the thief Cotton
Valentine says he can't open the safe.
engaging Handler. The lieutenant COVER
nor and Rose talk with Valentine. Rose
pleads with Fay to aid the young prison.
er, who is handsome even in Sing Sing
garb.
Fay promises for Roses sake to ask the
governor 10 pardon Valentine. stormy
Interview occurs between Handler and
Valentine
Valentine waits patiently in prison for
news Finally he is pardoned and goes to
Albany to thank the governor. Lieutenant
Governor Fay and Rose.
Valentine refuses positions offered by
the rescue mission workers. To his amaze
ment. he meets Bill Avery and former
COW orker. Red Flanagan.
Red and Avery try to dissuade Jimmy
from going square," Detective Doyle APP
pears and Red and Avery hide. Doyle
wants Valentine to tell him where Avery
Is for he wants to rearrest him. Valen-
tine rafIlSaS
Valentine. who had deprecated their
advances because of their evident mis-
trust of him in spite Of his pardon, as
shown by the nature Of the positions
they had offered him. resolved on
course of action that would, he
thought. dispose of them and at the
same time afford him a long craved
amusement
NO; please do not say that" he
protested deliberately. mo, no. re-
fuse the positions you offer me be-
cause | fear the world would misun-
derstand.''
What do you mean?" asked one Of
the ladies.
"Oh, you see" went on Valentine
whimsically. IF l accepted help from
you ladies the world might say that
you-er-you were in love with me-"
"Oh-h-hw calculated the astonished
ladies.
Let the world say what it dare"
proclaimed the pedantic little Mrs.
Moore. lifting her chin defantly.
And so Goodby, my dear ladies'"
said Valentine. bowling almost to the
floor.
With anger in their glance and their
walk, chins and noses pointing almost
toward the ceiling, the two members
of the Gate of Hope society stalked
out Of the hotel parlor.
Jimmy Valentine, chuckling in his
amusement, sank into a chair to await
the return of Miss Lane and her father,
Miss Lane-Rose Lane-the girl who
had saved him from the horrors or
that bit of ten" at Sing Sing. How
beautiful she was, he murmured. She
had heart. And she cared something
for No. 1880; that was apparent. Just
how much did she care? Just what did
she care? If a man lived straight he
might in time win such a girl for his
own. Yes; that was life. And Jimmy
Valentine now had his chance to 'go
straight" he reasoned. Stranger things
had happened. The girl had revealed
already, had she not, that she knew a
prison sentence could not kill the good
in man if a single germ Of it yet
fingered in him? The old life was be-
hind him now. The future cleaned
bright and beckoned him on. Never
again would he
Jimmy! JIMMY A harsh whisper
Kissed its way into his ears.
Jimmy Valentine started up in
amaze That voice, that whisper! He
had not heard 1t since the night the
Hartford bulls" had broken up that
midnight surprise party in the vaults
of the Fifth National bank.
Hardly believing his ears, hardly
daring to turn, yet he did turn, and he
saw, crouching half behind one Of the
red velvet portieres Of one of the hotel
parlor entrances, the figure Of Red-the
face and the brick red hair Of Red
Flanagan, his old time coworker.