Ben Price knew Jimmy’s habits. He had learned them while investigating the Springfield case.

本·普萊斯對基米的惡習了如指掌。當他在偵查春田案件時就掌握了所有這一切。

One afternoon Jimmy Valentine and his suitcase climbed out of a train in Elmore, a little town in Arkansas. Jimmy, looking like a student who had just come home from college, walked out of the station and went toward the hotel.

一天下午，基米·范林丁帶著他的手提箱在阿肯色州的一個名叫愛爾摩的小鎮下了火車。基米看上去就像一個剛從學校回家的大學生。他出了車站，向旅館走去。 A young lady crossed the street, passed him at the corner and entered a door over which was the sigh “The Elmore Bank”. Jimmy Valentine looked into her eyes, forgot what he was, and became another man. She lowered her eyes and blushed slightly. Young men of Jimmy’s style and looks were scarce in Elmore.

這時，正好有一位年輕小姐穿過馬路，在拐角處和他擦身而過，走進了寫有“愛爾摩銀行”的大門。基米·范林丁凝視著她的眼睛，忘乎所以，像換了一個人似的。她雙眼低垂，臉色羞紅。在愛爾摩，像基米這樣風度翩翩的年輕人還是不多見的。

Jimmy called a boy that was standing on the steps of the bank as if he were one of the stockholders, and began to ask him questions about the town, giving him dimes from time to time. By and by the young lady came out, passed Jimmy again, pretending not to see him, and went on her way.

基米將站在銀行臺階上的一個男孩叫了進來，活像一個股東似的，向他了解該鎮的情況，不時給他幾個一角的銀幣。過了一會兒，那個小姐走了出來，又從基米的身邊走過，假裝沒有看見他的樣子，只顧走自己的路。

“Isn’t that young lady Miss Polly Simpson?” asked Jimmy slyly.

“這不是波麗·辛普森小姐嗎？”基米神情閃爍地問道。

“No,” said the boy. “She’s Annabel Adams. Her father owns this bank. What have you come to Elmore for? Is that a gold watch-chain? I’m going to get a bulldog. Have you got any more dimes?”

“不是，”那個男孩說，“她是安娜貝爾·亞當斯。她的父親是這家銀行的老板。你到愛爾摩來做什么？你這是金表鏈嗎？我想買一條哈巴狗。你還有銀幣嗎？”

Jimmy went to the planters’ Hotel, registered as Ralph D. Spencer, and engaged a room. He leaned on the desk and declared his intentions to the clerk. He said he had come to Elmore to start business. How was the shoe business now in the town? He had thought of the shoe business. Was it worthwhile opening a shoe-store? The clerk was impressed by the clothes and manner of Jimmy and he was ready to give the young man any information he desired.

基米來到了普蘭特旅館登記時簽的是拉爾夫·D·斯賓塞，他在那里租賃了一個房間。他靠著桌子向店員說明了來意。他說他是來愛爾摩做生意的。這鎮上鞋子生意怎么樣。他想做鞋子的生意。開一家鞋店劃得來嗎？基米的衣著和舉止使店員感到這人來頭不小，因此很樂意為這個年輕人提供他所需要的情況。