Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-02-14

In at q SVEN care, JlHLuS ing III
I breakfast of the millionaire?" sang out
Red
with the coin in your kick?' added
Avery.
! And reading the papers and laugh
/ ting our heads of at what suckers we
/ made of the coppers-you amt going
to lose that, JIMMY" Red pleaded,
with every ounce of effort he could
control.
Indecision had begun to show in Val
sntines face. and now his surrender
was complete
You got to me, Red he announced.
then added eagerly: Where is this
! layout you got? Can we get to it to-
night?"
..Sure. 1t amt two hours from
/ here"
IT'S a cinch," commented Avery de-
! hghtedly.
Jimmy Valentine had surrendered
( indeed. His two one-time accomplices
! had cunningly played on his weakness
1 5or the thrills of the crooked game"
| The thrills of it to him were more
/ precious than the rewards. They were
| MS rewards. Besides, the girl had
/ not returned. She had paid the debt
/ she owed to her rescuer, and that was
/ all Well, let her go. reasoned Valen-
tine Never again would he commit
/ the folly of placing faith in a straight
| girl!
'Waitr' he cried. MY hands are
2retty tough. 1 couldn't feel the tick
! 4 grandfather's clock the way they
are now, but 1 can beat that l can
| sandpaper them down till 1 can feel
the pulse in a dead mans wrist.
Where's the
I'VE got him." whispered Bill Avery
! exultantIy TO Red. I'VE got him, an
| he'll stick
Hardly had Jimmy Valentine made
| his declaration to again join interests
with Red Flanagan and Bill Avery
than a bellboy entered the parlOr, pag-
ing the name of Mr.. Valentine"
Jimmy stepped forward hastily, seized
an envelope bearing his name which
the boy carried and excitedly tore it
open. He found a brief note written
in feminine penmanship. He read
these words, and the color surged to
his cheeks:
Rle3Se OOn I leaNe Ill return l IN
close you a note Mrs. Webster asked me
10 give you. We saw her at the depot,
where we went to reserve sleepers for
tonight ROSE LANE.
What is it?' asked Avery. drawing
near. Something from Doyle. III
bet"
Yes. what is it," questioned Red.
1T is the return of hope" answered
Valentine his emotion causing his
voice TO shake.
You've weakened again?" sneered
Red
NO; I'm strong again"
You mean that's from the grip"
she is coming back. Red. and
there's nothing on this earth or in hi
that can make me so wrong. You
said a minute ago that if you thought
had Il chance you'd stick"
Il said it
Then l hold you to that"
Good Cod exclaimed Avery.
You're not goin' to turn square. too.
Red?"
I'm going with Jimmy. If I'd do
a bit for him | got 10 go if he asks
it.'s
What am l soin' TO do?" asked Az
cry plaintively.
Valentine drew close to him.
I've got you a job. Bill, a good
one" he announced.
Me job. Where?"
Valentine read from a note Mrs.
Moore had left With him.
Listen" he said This will in
troduce the man you promised the po-
sition as Waterman of one of your
grain elevators. The wages at $3.50
day are satisfactory to him"
Intense disgust spread over Bill Az
erv's face.
''Two-ffty a day" he sneered. -
man can't live on that"
Valentine laughed.
1T costs 81 cents a day TO keep a
man in Sing Sing" he reminded the
thief.
Il don't want a job snarled Az
cry. Only the suckers work for a
living"
Yes. you do want one" returned
Valentine, land this is just your kind,
Avery And let me tell you something
that you think l don't know. You're
tired of being a crook-tired to death
knew that when we were inside. |
But you are afraid of what a lot of |
old pals will say. Well. let them say. |
What they got? Did you ever see |
a crook with anything? What do they |
amount to? They haven't the stand |
ing of house dog. You're tired of |
it, Bill, and ashamed Of the years |
you've lost. and / know It Now I.
here's your chance, your day Of sal /
walton. There's the letter and here's 4
the coin to get there" He handed I
Avery some bills. ITS way out west
where no one knows you, and you've
got a chance. Just think. back 10 a
mother and then ahead to-
The hardened look began to fade
from the thief's face.
Give it TO me-" he clutehed the
money in his hand I'm try, by God.
III try" Tears trickled down Az
ery's prison paled cheeks.
..sThat's the tslk-that's the heart"