Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-02-14
"Aias "
Jimmy
Valentine"
CHAPTER VII.

in the old days been his accomplce III
many questionable adventures. NO. ne
had concluded wrongly No; ne was
NOT vet free from all the associations
of the years past-those years "iicn
he was endeavoring to forget.
Hello, Red" he finally addressed
Flanagan. Come out from behino
the curtain. The coast is clear tor
Won. How did you know l was hereF
Red came forth. "Oh, leave II 10
me Jimmy, to keep track Of an OLD
nal He held out his hand, which
Valentine listlessly shook.
Red could not understand his 1or-
mer companion's Indifferent manner.
whats wrong?" he asked.
Nothing"
law. cut it out. Somethin's got you
guessin', an so don't try to kid me-.
The released convict looked medi-
tatively at Red. Then he spoke.
Red, did you ever do bit?
"Sure-Joliet."
And YOU have been in one of those
rotten holes and still think it's good
game?"
you've weakened-eh?" sneered
Red.
I've turned square"
You're crazy"
No; it's only the man VINO thlhks
he can beat the law who's crazy" said
Valentine.
you'd a won out if it hadn't been
for that Cotton, who blew on you be-
cause you beat him out of a dame.
Valentine turned and clutched him
by the arm.
You rat, don't you ever speak OF
her again or I'll murder you" He
threw Red roughly away from him.
Now. get out Of here and forget
you know me-"
Good God, JIMMY" exclaimed the
other, 81 wouldn't say anything 10
hurt your feelings. Why, I'd do any
thing for you; I'd done your bit II l
could have. Why, I'll go to HI Tor
you"
"will YOU turn square with me?
That's all want of you now. Let
YOU and l start now and from this
minute on go square, if we starve in
the streets. Will you do that, Red?'
Valentine spoke in intense earnest
ness.
Red hesitated. One job to get
stake and I'll go you," he said eager
ly.
Valentine appreciated the character
istic unwillingness of Red to leave his
lifelong vocation-that Of rifling strong
boxes and safes deemed by their man
ufacturers to be fire and burglar
proof." True, the flames were some
times foiled by the thicknesses Of metal
and asbestos, but rarely had Red Flan-
agan been foiled by mere inanimate
metal or time locks-rarely, indeed,
when accompanied by No. 1889, the
man who, as Warden Handler describ-
ed 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 vo-
taries, and he was not surprised when
Red hesitated to leave it for the du-
bious rewards of going straight"
No" answered Valentine; nothing
for me but work from now on-work,
honest work, hard manual labor If nee
essary. I've quit the old game for
keeps, Red"
Red, plainly nonplused at this revo-
lutionary change of heart in his for
mer pal" stood speechless 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.
He had an 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 square,"
Yes. Why not?" retorted Valentine
like a flash. 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-
tives would force him to peach" on
his old pals or any one else in the un-
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 II let you be square
if you're a stool pigeon, if you tip of
old pals No other way"
Absurd! How, for instance, could
they do me?"
Absurd, Ell? What about Kid
Steele? He turned square, but he
wouldn't squeal, and job after job they
threw him out of till he was hungry
in the street. Then copper offered to
stake him to a feed if he'd turn up
an old pal And he murdered the COP
on the spot, and now he's doing life
Turn square, eh? That means he a
stool or a bum in our game
Red raised his hands protestingly
and turned his face away from Valen-
tine.
Beat the coppers," insisted the 9TH
or. Get away where they can't FIND
you. We can do that"
Yes. we can" Red again faced his
friend. why, Doyle is in town to see
YOU now"
Doyle here?" in alarm.
Yes. l met him when he got of
the rattler.' He's going to give you
your orders, and you'll have to do as
he tells you if YOU turn square. He
knows you beat it. He was laying for
Avery when he came out and told him
to report once month. And what
about Avery? You sent him to me. and
we've been at work on something"