THE KING’S BUSINESS
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and the question,, “How much?” he took $100 as a loan, to get him to New York. Arriving in New York, his old friend received him cordially, told him to make himself at home and he would see what could be done to get him on the “force.” After about two weeks his cousin told him that he had pulled all the strings he could but was unable to get him a place as a policeman. He told him, however, that he had a better plan than that for both of them. “I am getting old,” he said, “and tired
this Burke’s cousin treated hirti coolly and Burke soon returned to St. Louis, where the only friends of the “new man” that now existed in Burke’s heart were living. GHOST AT HIS HEELS Finally, despairing of finding for him honest work, his two wealthy fellow church members made up a purse of $100 to take him to Socorro, N. M., where he had worked for a brief period as a super intendent in the silver mines. As soon as he arrived at Socorro he was recognized as the noted burglar, and when he arrived
VALENTINE BURKE Several Years After Conversion
of walking the streets. There is a bank on my beat. You get your tools ready and we will have a vessel in the harbor and we will help ourselves to all we’ll need for the rest of our lives and sail to some country where extradition treaties do not exist and we’ll take it easy the rest of our lives.” Expecting a quick and glad acceptance of his proposal, great was his surprise and disgust to hear Burke say: “I am done with all that forever and intend to be an honest man the rest of my days.” After
at the mines he was told that no crooks need apply: Disheartened and weary, he turned again to the scene of his new birth and got as far as Kansas City, where his funds gave out, and he called at the Y. M. C. A., of which the writer of this article was then secretary. Having known Burke in St. Louis and being fully persuaded of his sincerity, I took him to my own home without hesitation and never had reason to regret it. On the contrary, I have seldom had such sweet Christian fellowship as
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