Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1911-02-17

THE weeks dragged slowly on
for Jimmy Valentine after the
mrmenlous day when Rose
Lame and Lieutenant Governor
Fay visited the prison weeks Of won
der, weeks ot hope. weeks of despair.
He concluded that the girl had for
gotten him: that her interest in him
had been hut the cvaneScent NANTES
tation of tlecting impulse. Probably
"Izzy" Snedden was right after all
IZZy, doing a bit of four for bur
Slary, seemed to know great deal
about women. and he had assured
Valentine that "a girl don't know
what it means to- keep her word. not
that she don't mean TO, but she just
materially talks so much that she
can't remember half what she says"
The lieutenant governor, too, had
apparently forgotten about the ex-
istcnce Of No. 1889. and Valentine be-
gan deeply to wish that his hopes had
never been aroused. Far better never
to have risen to the heights Of ex-
pectancy at all than on attaining them
to be thus rudely cast from them.
But Valentine had not realized how
slowly move the executive wheels Of
the government Of Il great and busy
state. \ governor Is held to Il strict
accountability for his official actions,
and in the important matter Of the
pardon Of a man convicted to state
prison for felony haste is entirely
out of the question. And it was one
day when Jimmy Valentine had lost
every vestige Of confidence in Rose
Lane and her uncle and in the lawyer
whom he had retained that hurried
footsteps resounded down the cell cor
ridor. A paper, glorious paper bear
ing the seal of the Empire State. was
flashed before his eyes.
You are pardoned" came the vel
come announcement THE governor
has released you!"
In one Of the parlors of the Ten
Eycll hotel. in Albany. vain two
short blocks of the capitol. Mrs. Web
ster and Mrs. Moore sat patiently
waiting.
You don't suppose Mr.. Valentine
would feel uncomfortable in coming
to meet our party in nice respecta
BILE place like this. do you?' asked
prim little Mrs. Moore of her S"Urk'
er in the Gate Of Hope society.
mo" was the positive response.
"That young man wouldn't feel I'M.
comfortable or embarrassed any.
where in the world. This Is the first
victory for the Gate of Hope. Mrs.
Moore, and trust your report will be
such as to encourage others to join
u.s."
at will be exact, Mrs. Webster, OF
that you may rest assured. By the
way, do you not think we should have
had Il few reporters here to give pub
lie notice of our first triumph?
"Your report. my dear-we will send
that to all papers," and Mrs. Webster
smiled proudly as she spoke.
A messenger boy came In with a
note from Valentine. who had come to
Albany to thank the governor for his
release and to meet the people who
had worked to secure him his pardon.
The note, written from the governors
executive chamber. notified the ladies
that he would be with them in fifteen
minutes.
Rose Lane and her father, William
Lane, an Illinois banker. came into the
parlor and greeted the two ladies, who
informed the newcomers that Mr..
Valentine would shortly arrive. De-
clining the invitation of Mrs. Moore
and Mrs. Webster to join In light re-
freshments in the tea room on the mez-
canine floor. Rose and her father re-
NAMED in the parlor. while the two
ladies departed.
Rose had not seen her father for
months. and on his arrival in the east
she persuaded him to accompany her
to Albany to assure the governor that
if he pardoned Valentine he would
guarantee him a good business posi-
ton. 1t is more than probable that
this attitude on the part of a man OF
Mr. Lanes standing In the financial