OLD PAL:

I want you to be at Sullivan's place, in Little Rock, next
Wednesday night, at nine o'clock. I want you to wind up
some little matters for me. And, also, I want to make you
a present of my kit of tools. I know you'll be glad to get
them--you couldn't duplicate the lot for a thousand dollars.
Say, Billy, I've quit the old business--a year ago. I've got
a nice store. I'm making an honest living, and I'm going
to marry the finest girl on earth two weeks from now. It's
the only life, Billy--the straight one. I wouldn't touch a
dollar of another man's money now for a million. After I get
married I'm going to sell out and go West, where there won't
be so much danger of having old scores brought up against
me. I tell you, Billy, she's an angel. She believes in me;
and I wouldn't do another crooked thing for the whole world.
Be sure to be at Sully's, for I must see you. I'll bring
along the tools with me.

Your old friend,

JIMMY.

On the Monday night after Jimmy wrote this letter, Ben Price jogged
unobtrusively into Elmore in a livery buggy. He lounged about town
in his quiet way until he found out what he wanted to know. From the
drug-store across the street from Spencer's shoe-store he got a good
look at Ralph D. Spencer.

"Going to marry the banker's daughter are you, Jimmy?" said Ben to
himself, softly. "Well, I don't know!"

The next morning Jimmy took breakfast at the Adamses. He was going
to Little Rock that day to order his wedding-suit and buy something
nice for Annabel. That would be the first time he had left town
since he came to Elmore. It had been more than a year now since
those last professional "jobs," and he thought he could safely
venture out.

After breakfast quite a family party went downtown together--Mr.
Adams, Annabel, Jimmy, and Annabel's married sister with her two
little girls, aged five and nine. They came by the hotel where Jimmy
still boarded, and he ran up to his room and brought along his
suit-case. Then they went on to the bank. There stood Jimmy's horse
and buggy and Dolph Gibson, who was going to drive him over to the
railroad station.

All went inside the high, carved oak railings into the
banking-room--Jimmy included, for Mr. Adams's future son-in-law
was welcome anywhere. The clerks were pleased to be greeted by
the good-looking, agreeable young man who was going to marry Miss
Annabel. Jimmy set his suit-case