Thursday, November 1, 2012

What details suggest that Valentine may be cracking safes in "A Retrieved Reformation" by O. Henri?

After Valentine is released, there is a series of safe-crackings with his signature.


When Jimmy Valentine gets out of jail, he looks lovingly at his expensive safe-cracking tools.  Perhaps he is not quite reformed.  Even though he has been in prison, Valentine is very good at not getting caught.  Soon, there is a string of safe-crackings done by a real expert.



A week after the release of Valentine, 9762, there was a neat job of safe-burglary done in Richmond, Indiana, with no clue to the author. A scant eight hundred dollars 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 fifteen hundred dollars, currency; securities and silver untouched.



There is a detective on Valentine’s trail.  He is convinced that Valentine has “resumed business.”  He also wants to make sure that when he is caught, he does not get out of jail early.  He got out before when he was “Pardoned by Governor.”



Ben Price knew Jimmy's habits. He had learned them while working up the Springfield case. Long jumps, quick get-aways, no confederates, and a taste for good society these ways bad helped Mr. Valentine to become noted as a successful dodger of retribution. 



Price follows Valentine, but an interesting thing happens.  Valentine settles down and opens a shoe shop, and falls in love with a local girl, Annabel.  When Annabel's father, the banker, gets a new safe, her sister's little girl gets locked into it accidentally.  Knowing he is risking prison, Valentine cracks the safe.  It is that or let the little girl die.


Ben Price witnessed this.  He was surprised that Valentine would do such a thing, and decides not to tell anyone.  As far as he is concerned, these actions show that Valentine is reformed.  How ironic, to be the one person in town who can save the little girl, but if you do you risk going back to jail!

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