The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1911-03-01


"No: it's only the man who thinks
he can beat the law who's crazy" said
Valentine.
"You'd won out IL 1t hadn't been
for that Cotton. who blew on you be
cause you beat him ont of dame"
Valentine turned and clutched him
by tho ARA,
;'You RAT, don't YOU ever speak of
hor again or Ill murder you" He
throw Red roughly away from him.
Now. get out Of, here and forget
you know ue.", 8,,,
Good Gcd, JIMMY exclaimed the
other, Il wouldn't say anything to
hurt your feelings Why, I'd do any.
thing for you; Id done your bit il 1
could have. WHY, I'd go TO hi for
you" 8 .
'tSYilE you turn square with me?
That's all want Of you now. Let's
you and start now and from this
minute on go square. five starve in
the streets. Will you do that, Red?"
Valentine spoke in intense earnest.
ness.
Red hesitated. zone job to get n
stake and I'll so you" he said eager
".
Valentine appreciated the character
istic unwillingness of Red to leave his
lifelong vocation-that of riding strong
boxes and safes deemed by their man
ufacturers to be tire and burglar
proof" True. the flames were some
times foilcd by the thicknesses of met
al and asbestos, but rarely had Red
Flanagan been foiled by mere mani.
mate metal or time locks-rarely, in
deed, when accompanied by No. 1889,
the man who, as Warden handler de.
scribed him, opened safes solely by
the sense Of touch. Valentine knew
the hold that the unlawful life he,
too, had followed invariably secured
on its votaries, and he was not sur
prised when Red hesitated to leave 1t
for the dubious rewards of going
straight"
NO" answered Valentine; nothing
for me but work from now on-work,
honest work, hard manual labor If
necessary. I've quit the old game for
keeps, Red"
Red. plainly nonplused at this rcvo-
luionary change of heart In his for
mer pal" stood specifies for mo-
ment. Jimmy Valentine. the best man
in the country in his line, had turned
square" Merciful saints! Was the
world coming to an end? At last he
recovered his ability to talk.
BE had IN inspiration that he
thought might win Valentine over,
might make him come to his senses.
What about the coppers?' suggest
ed Red. Are you dippy enough to
think they'd let you turn squareY"
Yes. Why notT retorted Valentine
IKE a fash. What have they got TO
do with honest men?"
Again did Red find cause to actually
doubt the sanity Of his ex-confederate,
for here he was overlooking entirely
in his childish reasoning the remorse.
less, dismal certainty that the detec-
tSes would force him to peach on
his old pals or any one else In the I'm.
derwOrld of whom he could obtain in
formation desired by the police. In
short. Valentine had overlooked the
stool pigeon game" the despair Of
every crook who had ever tried to go
straight
Jaw, don't kid yourself" warned
Red. "The copper n let you be square
IL you're a stool pigeon, IL you tip of
old pals. No other way"
Absurd! How, for Instance, could
they do meY'
absurd, Seh? What about Kid
Steele? BE turned square. but he
wouldn't squeal, and job after Job they
threw him out Of TIL lie was .1ungrs
IN the street Then a COPPER offered
Q stake him to feed Il he'd tuta
p an cldrH. And he murdered the