"A Retrieved Reformation" is a short story by O. Henry (real name William Sydney Porter), which describes the events which lead up to the reformation of an ex-convict. It was adapted into the film, Alias Jimmy Valentine in 1928, MGM's first all-talking film, which is the latest of three films that have been adapted. It is a popular story and is often used in English language classes and writing courses .

Story

Safe cracker Jimmy Valentine is released from prison after 10 months; he was originally sentenced to four years, but men with as many friends as Jimmy Valentine usually didn't stay locked up for long. He goes to his old apartment, packs up his tools, and leaves. In the following weeks, a few cash robberies are committed, and the detective who landed Valentine in jail in the first place, Ben Price, is called to work on the new case. He realizes that the robberies are committed in Jimmy's style.

Valentine shows up sometime later in Elmore, Arkansas. He goes to the town bank with the intention of checking it over before robbing it. However, as he walks to the hotel, he catches the eye of the banker's beautiful daughter, Annabel Adams. He falls in love with her immediately, and Valentine decides to give up his criminal career. He moves into the town, taking up the identity of Ralph D. Spencer, a shoemaker.

At the end of the year, Jimmy has risen socially and business-wise and has become engaged to Annabel. Two weeks before the wedding, he writes a letter to a friend, telling the friend to pick up the safe-cracker's tools that Valentine won't need anymore.

By this time, however, Price has tracked him down and shows up at the bank while Jimmy and Annabel's family are inside. Carrying the tool case, Jimmy watches as Annabel's father shows them the bank's new safe. Annabel's nieces are fascinated by it, and as they are playing, one accidentally shuts the other inside and locks the door, without the time lock's clock having been wound nor any combination set. Everyone panics, and Annabel begs Jimmy to do something. Jimmy, knowing that it will reveal his true identity, uses his case of tools to open the door and save the child. Unbeknownst to Valentine at that time, Price has witnessed the whole incident.

Valentine starts to leave the bank afterwards, and he sees Price standing by the door and realizes he had witnessed the whole incident. Sheepishly, he gives himself up, but much to his surprise, Price pretends not to recognize him and walks away.

External links

• Full text on Wikisource