The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1916-02-05
they make such thir IS for the profes.

they make such thiI IS for the profes.
sion.
In half an hour Jimmy Went down.
stairs and through the cafe. He was
now dressed in tasteful and well lit
ting clothes and carried his busted and
cleaned suit case in his hand.
Got anything on?" asked Mike Do
Ian genially.
Me- said Jimmy, in Il puzzled tO.e.
81 don't understand. I'm representing
the New York -Amalgamated Short
Snap Biscuit Cracker and Frazzled
Wheat company"
This statement delighted Nike to
such an extent that Jimmy had to take
a settler and milk ON the spot. lie new
er touched hard drinks.
A week after the release of Valen-
tine, 1892, there was a neat job OF
safe burglary done in Richmond, Ind,
with no clew to the author. a scant
$500 was all that was secured. Two
weeks after that a patented, improved,
burglar proof safe in Logansport was
opened like a cheese to the tune of
$1,000 currency; securities and silver
untouched. That began to interest the
rogue catchers. Then an old fashioned
bank safe in Jefferson City became
active and threw out of it's crater an
eruption of banknotes amounting to
$1,000. The losses were now high
enough to bring the matter up into
Ben Prices class of work. By compar-
ing notes a remarkable similarity in
the methods of the burglaries was no
ticed. Ben Price investigated the
scenes of the robberies and was heard
to remark:
THAT'S Dandy Jim Valentines auto
graph. He's resumed business. Look
at that combination knob-jerked out
as easy as pulling up a radish in wet
weather. He's got the only clamps
that can do it. And look how clean
those tumblers were punched out!
Jimmy never has to drill but one hole.
Yes, l guess | want Mr.. Valentine.
He'll do his bit next time without any
short time or clemency foolishness."
Ben Price knew Jimmy's habits. He
had learned them while working up
the Springfield case. Long jumps.
quick getaways. no confederates and
a taste for good s~ociety-these way
had helped Mr.. Valentine to become
noted as a successful dodger of retri-
button. 1t was given out that Ben
Price had taken up the trail of the
elusive craftsman, and other people
with burglar proof safes felt more at
ease.
One afternoon Jimmy Valentine and
his suit case climbed out of the mail
hack in Gilmore, a little town five miles
off the railroad down in the blackjack
country of Arkansas. Jimmy, looking
like an athletic young senior just home
from college. went down the board
sidewalk toward the hotel.
A young lady crossed the street.
passed him at the corner and entered
a door over which was the sign THE
Gilmore Bank" Jimmy Valentine look
ed into her eyes, forgot what he was
and became another man. She lower
ed her eyes and colored slightly.
Young men of Jimmy's style and looks
were scarce in Gilmore.
Jimmy collared a boy that was loaf
ing on the steps of the bank as if he
were one of the stockholders and began
to ask him questions about the town,
feeding him dimes at intervals. By
and by the young lady came out. look
ing royalty unconscious of the young
man with the suit case and went her
way.
isn't that young lady Miss Polly
Simpson," asked Jimmy, with specious
guile.
"Naw," said the boy; 'she's Annabel
Adams. Her pa owns this bank.
What'd you come to Gilmore for? Is
that a gold watch chain? I'm going
to get a bulldog. Got any more
dimes?"
Jimmy went to the Planters hotel,
registered as Ralph D. Spencer and en-
gagged a room. He leaned on the desk
and declared his platform to the clerk.
He said he had come to Gilmore to look
for a location to so into business. How
was the shoe business now in the
town? He had thought of the shoe
business. Was there an opening?
The clerk was impressed with the
clothes and manner of Jimmy. He
himself was something of a pattern of
fashion to the thinly gilded youth of
Gilmore, but he now perceived his
shortcomings. While trying to figure
out Jimmy's manner of tying his four
INLAND he cordially gave information.
Yes, there ought to be a good open
ing in the shoe line. There wasn't an
exclusive shoe store in the place. The
dry goods and general stores handled
them. Business in all lines was fairly
good. Hoped Mr.. Spencer would de-
eide to locate in Gilmore. He would
find it a ~pleasars town to live in and
the people very sociable.
Mr.. Spencer thought he would stop
over in the town a few days and look
over the situation. No, the clerk