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About Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1903-1919 | View Entire Issue (April 10, 1911)
I i"Alias Jimmy I Valentine" Novelized by I FREDERICK R. TOOMBS f From the Great Play by PAUL. AKmaiKUNli I Copyright, 1910, by American Pru Aiioatttion T CnAITER V. S bis secretary left the room to f procure Valentine Warden fK Handler glowered darkly at 1 k tlie door that closed behind fcim ami through which No. 12S0 was to be unwillingly brought. He would g'jow tills uinu who hud dared to talk to the lieutenant governor that Billy Handler was the boss of Slug Sing prisou mid uo one else, even lieutenant fiivpriuirs to the contrary. Discipline must lie preserved. Yes, that was it the old explanation that always held jihiiI when a prisoner who offended the warden In any way was meted out the vengeance that the warden would not he denied. Once there was a thin chested, cough racked little election Inspector "doing three" for crooked work at the polls who had hail his frout teeth kicked down his tlirnnt because lie would not shine the warden's shoes. As for this slick Mr. Valentine, he was altogether too Inde pendent, too, and the warden would give him the lesson of his life. He would The door opened, and in came Smith, holding Jimmy Valentine by the arm. The warden stood at his desk. "Bring him over here!" he cried honrsely, pointing to the space in front of his desk. , The secretary slipped his hand up behind the prisoner's neck nnd with a violent heave Bung Valentine forward so that lie wns barely able to prevent himself from falling flat on his face, tirltting his teeth, No. 1289 straighten ed himself and flnnlly succeeded In suppressing the impulse that surged within hlin to spring at his cowardly assailant's throat. Trobnbly it was the realization of the fact that he knew himself to be more than an equal for Smith In n band to hand conflict that enabled hlra to restrain blinself-tho contempt of a strong, confident man for an Ignoble inferior. Smith was larger and heavier, yes, but the man who had hip locked the burglar Cottou aud had thrown him headlong to his death from the win dow of a rushing railway train was not one to be trilled with. Besides, no less a personage than George Bothner, the world's lightweight wrestling cham pion, had taught Valentine the mys teries of the "grapevine," the "cross buttock," the "Cornwall heave," the "flying mare," the "buck heel," the rib crushing "scissors," the waist and crotch holds and even the tortures of the deadly strangle holds, front and rear. Handler bent over his desk, resting both his hands upon it, and sneered at Valentine. "Why didn't you smash him when he lilt you, you coward?" he asked the helpless prisoner in purposely ag gravating tones. "You're losing your nerve In this little boarding house of mine; that's what's the matter with you. You haven't any manhood left in you. And, say, Valentine, when we hove had you here as our guest two years more you'll be whining around like a puppy with the pink eye; that's what you're coming to. It's bound to get you-this life Just like it gets all the rest of you thin skinned guys. Only a bum can live this life and keep his mind and his manhood." 1'he cruel words of the warden sank deeply into Valentine's soul, as Han dler well knew they would. But the prisoner wns determined that he would show no signs of weakening before the two men who hated him. "I didn't hit him because I'll square myself when I get out," answered Val entine defiantly, "nnd there are a few little things that I will square with Jin. too, Mr. Warden Handler. You know you have me in your power, and so do I. But. Handler, you're going to like me better from now on because, realizing my position, I have dared go apalnst you." Cut Valentine had mistaken his man. The respect that one fighting man has for another who fights, him sijunrely found no place in the craven beart of Billy Handler. Valentine had yet something to learn of the psy chology of jail wardens. Handler's face took on a mallgnnnt expression. "Oh," he sneered, "so I'm going to Me you, am I? Well, just wnteli me. I'll burke you, you" Handler lunged around the corner of his desk at the prisoner. "Don't burke me!" cried Valentine desperately. Eyes gleaming with his vengeful n. with hands outstretched, the harden came headlong at Valentine, who braced himself to withstand the shook of the oncoming body. Crouch toff, the prisoner primed himself to c'utch one of the warden's thumbs, which was carelessly extended out ward from his hand-a trick Bothner d shown him. Once securing this thumb. It could be pulled back or twlel to the breaking point if nec essery to cause an opponent to yield. w by drawing the outstretched arm fjw his noulder. wheeling his back bis foe as be did so. Valentine wid bend sharply forward and throw assailant helplessly over bis bead Sd on to the .floor in a heap with the (Dtooucertiuk "djiui; mare." I Hut midway in hi rush the warden topped short. He had caught hini wlf JttJt In time. About to throw 'ilioaelf blindly at his Intended victim, i thought (an Inspiration be after ward considered It to be) flashed hM!th iib brain. The warden halt ed, much to the amazement of his vretary. Smith, who had been watch I 3 the .ieediugs with unconcern '"n of experience in like happenings Then Huin.lcr turned away, rested one 'nnd ou his desk nnd with the other trv.!:cd liis b.-uvy; square chin re flee ttrely. "God" be tendered "Suppose th .ifuuniiii gui-ernor should get on to hose deals la the contracts for sup plies? Ho might, nnd then I'd need Mm to be my friend " Handler reaclipj out. picked up a box from the desk and exton;ld It to the i.ow thoroughly thunderstruck convict, who was slowly recovering from th. mental strain of the insl few moments "Have a cigar." smiled the warden gra clmisly. with a sweeping bow. "A 1st permit me to offer you a chair, Mr Valcutlne. "By the way," he went on easily "are you perfectly comfortable in youi cell? If not, I want to know what I can do for you. I'm roIiih to have Smith go to see you every day to il: for you anything that you want, pro vided the rules of the prison permit, and mnybe some things they don't." Valentine, hardly believing what his eyes and ears told him actually to be occurring, dropped bewllderedly into the proffered chair and. taking a gilt banded Havana from the box, Btuck It eagerly between his lips. "Have a light," said the warden, striking a match and extending it to the end of Valentine's cigar. The secretary stood across the room near a door, eyes staring In his wonder as No. 128!) leaned back luxuriously in his chair, crossed one striped leg over the other and sent fragrant clouds of blue smoke toward the celling. "This'll be n regular Y. XI. C. A. be fore we get through," he gasped. "I think I'll apply for a Job as worsted holder for some old maids' sewing so ciety. This prison is getting altogether too genteel to suit me." When a young lad of good parentage and of sound training and education begins to chafe under the restraint of parental discipline It Is time for the parents to exercise the wisdom got only from the lessons taught in the grent school of the wide, wide world. Theories and principles expounded ever so convincingly will not keep the growing boy at home after 7 o'clock In the evening when there i.i a chance to escape into the streets to Meet the "bunch," the nllurlng, versatile bunch whose plans so often Include the anni hilation of the Sioux warriors of the Dakota plains who have laid down the tomahawk to take up the agency cUy pipe and store clothes. v That Is to say, theories and prlncS pies merely will not suffice to restrain the Impulsive, Imaginative, action craving youths unless the parent com bines with them euough knowledge of the world to convince the half formed, half trained youthful mind that the mentor bus the best interests of the Ind in mind, that he has been through it all himself aud knows full well the joys and disappointments, the fears and hopes of early days. And It is the habitually stern, opti mistic, unyielding nnd academic par ent who convinces the young lad that he knows nothing of the fascinating temptations of boyhood. The spirit of compromise is allowed to perish by such u parent; the spirit of rebellion grows in the son's heart; a spirit nour ished ou the decay of the respect and love thrust aside by the father who would not understand. A certain lad of sixteen years found life in his New England home fur more circumscribed than was that of his companions of the same age and same comfortable position. He was not allowed to' go swimming In the lake because his young friend Tommy Clark had narrowly escaped drowning. The fuct that Tommy Clark could not swim and was "taking a dare" on that memorable occasion when he verged -4 HI 0 "HAVE A CIOAB." on death near the county line road bridge and the fact that the lud we are considering could swim very well made no difference to the father as well as to the mother. The sou must keep away from the water. That was tlnnl. The further fact that this boy ns pired to be a mining engineer mnd no difference to this father or to this another. It bad already been decided tor him that lie must study for the ululstry. Three years passed. The lad wns in i-ollepe. The study of theology did not suit his temperament or his de ires, ne wanted, above all thing. :o go out Into the world of action, to battle with the might of the stronc nan be was becoming agalast big, ft ml DAtLY CAPITAL tang! bTT.odTLY; out In" tB5 open air tin der the open heavens, down In the bowels of the earth or wherever there were mines to be dug and equipped and operated. He wanted to study the problems that faced the men who decoyed the glistening ores from se cretive Mother Earth, and he thrilled with the Idea that be could succeed In this profession. He sat in his room in tbe college dormitory one sunny spring morning and wrote bis father that be coula not continue his study for the minis try; that he wanted above all other things In life to enter the school of mlct at the university. ne waited Ave days. The answer cable. The same night there were a vacant room and a vacant bed in the dormitory. Next morning came a search. Under a table was found a crumpled note that the tears of the lad had blurred as he read. The letter was taken to the president of the col lege. When this gray haired gentle man adjusted his spectacles he pressed the paper Out on his desk and read: "If you do not continue your course In theology I will cease to pay your bills at college. Should you discon- jimmy VAirnaya's father, who biioee TU octiuOMlOY'H HKAHT. tinue them you wtist return home, where 1 will secure "v.i a position us bookkeeper at your uncle's store." Signed to this eloquent, brief epistle was the name of the young muu 3 fa ther. Several years have passed since that crumpled letter was picked up from the floor of the college student's room. Several years have passed since an aged couple, soon to eke out their meed of existence in a small country town, have heard news from the son who would not become a minister. Several years have passed since a young college student appeared pennl less and discouraged In a middle west era city and vainly walked the streets for days, subsisting as best he might, in search of any kind of work that strong hands and arms could perform So there should be tempered Judg ment shown, say I, in dwelling on the present fate of Jimmy Valentine when it is considered that he wus the ambitious lad who left the crumpled note lying ou the floor In bis bedroom and set out to flght the world single handed. That Jimmy should have lost in his first grapple with life should afford no reasonable person ground for re proach. Those of us who have not lost as yet quite humanly perhaps in cline toward comparisons which favor our own acknowledged virtues, but at the same time the environment of our fellow beings at critical periods In their lives should always be remem bered when the final estimate is made, It is human to have human emotions. It is human to have Inhuman Ideas concerning some of our fellow men at various times: but, after all. why not adopt the optimistic philosophy of Jim my Valentine himself? For was It not he who at the time "Frisco Eddie" bungled the "inside job" of a safe looting expedition In Omaha sought to soothe the hitter's feelings by saying sympathetically: "Nobody Is a failure until ho admits It himself. You will never admit you're a failure, Eddie, so cheer up. You. therefore, can never be one." Consequently Jimmy Valentine must be given a chance. His doctrine Is the doctrine of hope. Give him a chance to apply It to himself and await un condeninlugly and dispassionately the result. If he succeeds in making a mun of himself, a man such ns his Creator in twided him to be, who is there to say that his past has anything in it to concern a critical world? Or who Is there to deny to Jimmy Valentine his birthright if he should miraculously redeem it? But should lie fall in the grent test well, perhaps no word should Just now be sent regarding him to the old home In the little town, to the father and the mother who would not under stand. CHATTER VI. THE weeks dragged slowly on for Jimmy Valentine after the momentous day when Roie Lane and Meutennnt Governor Fay visited tbe prison weeks of won der, weeks of bone, weeks of despair. A A x'5 ill LuL iOVOSAh, lAiiEM. OBKGOY, MOXDAT, APRIL 10, 1811. He concluded mat tue girl nuu- for gotten him; that ber interest In him bad been but the evanescent manifes tation of a fleeting Impulst. Probably "7.xy" Snedden was right after all. zr.y. doing a bit of four for bur glory, secnicd to know u great deal about women, and he had as.nm! Valentine thai "u girl don't knon what it nicuns to keep In r word, no that she don't men 11 to. Inn she jti-i uiit'erully talks so l:u b that s!: can't rememlKT half what she says.' The lieiiteniint governor, too. hn apparently fnrgpttpu r.bout the ts Istence of No. YJSX and Vnl.iilim b gnn dieply to wish that his hope hei never been aroused. Far belter neve to have risen to the hi I; !:ts of cj peotani y 11 1 all than on attaining tlier to be thus rudely cast from them. But Valentine had uct realised hcv. slowly move the executive wheels : tlu government of a great and bu j stute. A governor Is heli to 11 stiic accountability for his olllclal actions uu1 lu the Important matter of t!)1 pardon of a man convicted to stntr prison for a felony haste Is entire!; out of the question. And It wns nr day when Jimmy Valentine hud lo every vestige of conddeu: e in INvir Lane and her uncle and In the lawyer whom he had retained that hurried footsteps resounded down the cell cor ridor. A paper, a glorious paper bear ing the seal of the Empire State, wus flashed before his eyes. "You are pardoned!" came the wel come announcement. "The governor has released you!" In one of the parlors of the Ton Eyck hotel, in Albany, within two short blocks of the capital, 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 a nice respecta ble place like this, do you?" asked prim little Mrs. Moore of her cowork er in the Gate of Hope society. "No," was the positive response. "That young man wouldn't feel un comfortable or embarrassed any where'in the world. This is the first victory for the Gate of Hope, Mrs. Moore, and I trust your report will be such as to encourage others to Join us." "It will be exact, Mrs. Webster, of that you may rest assured. By the way, do you not think we should have had a few reporters here to give pub lic 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 governor's executive chamber, notified the ladles 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 ladles, 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 zanine floor, Rose and her father re mained in the parlor, while the two ladles departed. Rose had not seen her father for months, and on his arrival in the east she persuaded him to accompany her to Albnny to assure the governor that if he pardoned Valentine he would guarantee him a good business posi tion. It Is more than probable that this attitude on the part of a man of Mr. Lane's standing In the financial world had something to do with the final determination of the executive tn sign the release papers. It tended to confirm In the governor his belief la the prisoner's Innocence. Mr. Lane md his daughter had waited overnight In Albany nfter the granting of the pardon to meet tbe released prisoner, who was coming to the capital for the purpose already mentioned. Rose, absolutely positive of her one time rescuer's Innocence, had made a proposal to her father regarding tbe future of Jimmy Valentine. Her fa ther, tall, well built, with beard and brown hair streaked with outcropplngs of gray, smiled indulgently upon her. He had ngreed on her account to place Valentine In a good salaried position, but as yet he bad doubts as to wheth er he dared to secure for the ex-conrii:t exactly the employment the girl de manded for him. "Now, sit down and listen, dad," the girl said, crossing to a sofa. "But, Rose, this is a most desperate thing to do pick up an ex-convlct and put hlra in a bank," Mr. Lane pro tested. "Is he nn ex-convlct if he was con victed unjustly?" argued the girl. "Didn't L'tuie George say he was In nocent?" "Not exactly, ne said there wns a chance that he might be." "But the governor pnrdened him." "Guilty men have been pa:deiied." The fiii would not be pilnsnld. "Rut I want you to give this man n chnnco, dad n good Imnre. He risked his life once to save me from Insult." She pattei her fnth. r's shoulder plead ingly and affectionately. "I know: I know." declared Mr. Lone. "And you must see him." Rose wac becoming fearful of the end. "Oh. I'll see him, of course, but t put hlni to work In the bank why. Hose, It seems like flying In the face of Providence." "Dad, doesn't it mean anything to you that I want it done?" Tears be gan to gather In the girl's eyes. "Why, of course." relented the fa ther. "Your mother left you 40 per cent of the bank stock, and that alone would make me listen did you see lit to even ask it, but who knows about him, and suppose it became known who he was and what be bad done?" "I've thought of all that, and I want you to risk It, and my 40 per cent wants you to risk it." "And jour Jbeart. JBose?".The fa. "THIS IS THE FIKST VICTORY FOB TBI GATE OV BOFB." tber's keen eyes-BearclTed the young girl's beautiful face. Rose returned bis glance calmly. "Yes," she cried, rising and meeting her father's eyes unflinchingly with her own; "I've known men who thought they were heroes all my life, who talked of themselves and bored me to death. And one day from a clear sky, when I was struggling in the arms of a blear eyed brute who beat me If I dared move a hand, tills man came. "There was no blare of bugles or anything but utter courage. He made the ruffian leave me. His voice was low. I could scarcely hear what he said, but there was a note of com mand and a threat of death In It, nnd the brute disregarded It, and he mas tered him, a beast twice his size. He fought silently and killed him. And all my life that man owns me." Mr. Lnne was only hnlf startled at the open declaration of his daughter of her admiration and gratitude for and sentimental interest in the ex convict Jimmy Valentine. His train ed intuition had already told him that she was more than casually concern ed In the fute of this mystifying young man, whose record was appar ently so bad and whose personality and ambitions were certainly impres sive in their good qualities. Truth to tell, Mr. Lane was considerably disturbed ot the situation, but he de termined to accept it philosophically for the present and to watch careful ly the future development. "Rose!" the father exclaimed as the girl concluded her statement. While he had realized her attraction toward the released prisoner, lie had not guessed of the depth of her feeling for him. "It's no good to be shocked, dad," answered the girl. "It's true. And then he went to prison on the death rattle of a beast like that, and I'm going to make it good to him If he's n ninn. And lie is; every drop of my blood tells mo so." "And you don't even know his name?" "Yes, I do." "Ho guve you one, I know, but even thnt"- "Well, what of it? Does a name mean anything to real men and wom en? No. The one conies the one in all the world and, well that's all there Is to love." A pause ensued. The futher was first to speak. "Do you think he knows how you feel?" he asked sympathetically. "No, nor he never will unless you some day believe him worthy of me." "You promise that? rellevedly. "I promise, dad." "Will you wait until I see the gov ernor, Rose? Let us go to see him and ask bis opinion of the matter." "Gladly, and he will believe in him, I kuow," said the girl enthusiastical ly. She heard a step behind ber, and she turned. There, with his bat In bis hand, well groomed and wearing a well cut suit of brown clothes light brown, the fashionable color there stood Jimmy Valentine. "Mr. Valentine!" exclaimed the girl. "Miss Lane, how do you do?" step ping quickly forward, extending his hand. "This Is my father." She presented Valentine to Mr. Lnne, who welcomed him pleasantly. Further conversation by the three was Interrupted by the entrance of Mrs. Moore and Mrs. Webster, return ing from the ten room. Mr. Lnne and Rose departed to go to the governor's chamber, and the two members of the Gate of Hope society nnd Jimmy Val entine seated themselves. "And now, Mr. Valentine, concern ing your future," began Mrs. Web ster, "what do you contemplate do ing?" "Get a position." "We have already arranged that for you, Mr. Valentine," announced Mrs. Moore complacently. "That Is very thoughtful, ladles, bnf- "Mrs. Moore did not exactly coory (To be continued.) Prompt relief In all cases of throat and lung trouble If you use Chamber Iain's Cough Remedy. Pleasant to take, soothing and healing in efflect Sold by all dealers. Borne men prefer to marry widows because they don't like anything amateurish. tor nn ln.ni.-1i.ito as-ent o'clock Vn vnmns find miffk'tcntly cikjI ed tor tile uit-nit nJ Simon wns read) Ho clunonl h.io th seat. &av tho aijnnl (or BMrtln? I1I1 motor and within 1,-n than a minute theimCtrr was off. And Kuih an Mir climb as It wni Directly for tli itOMUifm-most (lug on top ot the gnimlntan Ing aviator climbed, ho. Jin tho while at nn angle, w fall very ur nhort 0(4 trees. 1'iiO ntnd, which bad sprang, slightly u the soufliwcst whipped steel structure, pulling the plum- and aerllons ma. Iiioo in a way that oeir biui uown lj.uou spines. was bucking like a when ho cleared th disappeared view of the hind tho sh ing worse v irse y sour a' to tno so Cettifv Bef outo com pi Dlrd pecullu tllng- do enougn thrills, wl ing, long toward t); Billion v harp a sharp fir'' again iie crowd sh Datlon ot th J mlncntly in si apparently at I He had telt 0 Say before and1 llarity. Ana breathlessly o ITrenchman, wor above its head, r craft, flopped It n that, end In every tory-" over tho ca beneath lilm. He c over the lnrHd, c spiral glide. sloweOt tinned almost to tl rise each time and 1 outdo his prucedlnir t It uaa an exhibition Ion It, and the crowd hoy' j-. nnd nenln. WheKiiniHiii Tu PlKOtVI I T.I rsett led fioitt nil l!Mdg.'s' nouiv.fO I I nli'in'i Ins hv ittftt' lie had Mmitc. of tno ' A. 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An anVunco t of a tcphone :iiff aboiA 4 It e crowd tit C tllne Itself against y at the conclualorr limb, therefore, U9 in lumped to the e Ohk Cliff man' lieen successful, anit object afur off tu Compere in his bi oplanea were foreot- belng and all .neckl . tl W V ho fa for I jr n n-altTO and all eyes averted to bag which was en tho fa he western heavenst F os trvv watchel fiij w lied. "h. Isn't it Just to If vely ivij thing'" ;o-1'.n vet youi) r In tit front g of and her wiJ.-h.ul the uiand tU-red wcort. wit'i an eye mnri !nul M the materliMstic. anwercqJ.aAJi t & Trust Co. Gold Dust Hour Made by tbe SIDNEY POWER COMPANY, Sydaejr, Oregom. Made fcr Family Use. Aak you grocer for It. Bra a Khortj always a hui P. B. WALLACE, Agt. Flat mum linn 1 iwii mill m Branch Offices! Xuclruy and Creswell, Oret. I 1 ?