A Change of Heart

Summary

A paroled grifter, fresh from five stone-cold years inside, steps off the clangorous prison tread and straight into the perfumed snare of his old crew—now rebranded as the Morgan Syndicate, a gilt-edged mirage peddling imaginary oil gushers to the credulous. Under the crisp alias National Investment Company, the gang harvests dollars like wheat, until a single envelope drifts into a dowager’s rural mailbox: Helen Lewis, widowed, alone, clutching her late husband’s $5,000 life-insurance marrow. Sent to charm her at the depot, our anti-hero—nicknamed Handsome Harry for the way sin wears a tuxedo on him—finds his practiced patter faltering when the silver-haired matriarch mistakes the faded photo in his pocketwatch for saintly motherhood incarnate. One tremulous compliment—"she would have been proud"—detonates a cathedral of mirrors inside him; the con man watches his own reflection dissolve into something resembling a soul. He storms the syndicate’s mahogany lair, fists and conscience blazing, reclaims the cash in a bruising showdown, and races back to the widow’s porch to confess every filthy thread of the swindle. He rips the bogus certificates to confetti beneath the moon’s judgmental eye, mails back the last crumpled banknote she has secretly tucked into his vest, and trudges toward the city skyline on foot: penniless, purged, astonishingly free.

Synopsis

James Mason has fallen in with bad companions and becomes known to the police as "Handsome Harry." He has just finished a five-year term in prison. Though inclined to reform, he listens to the plea of his pals and consents to renew operations. Under the name of the Morgan Syndicate they carry on their "get-rich-quick" business. The police receive complaints concerning the syndicate. They decide to change the name to the National Investment Company, and offer new inducements. Thus they send out accounts of their oil properties and the large profits which may be expected. Helen Lewis, an elderly widow in the country, who has five thousand dollars, receives one. She writes the confidence men that she is interested and is coming to the city. She requests one of them to meet her at the station. Mason is delegated by his pals to meet her. The unsophisticated woman falls an easy prey to the bunco men and gives them her five thousand dollars and receives certificates of stock. She sees in Mason's watch a photograph of an elderly woman. He tells her it is a picture of his mother who died ten years before. The old lady tells Mason it is too bad that his mother is dead since she would have been proud of her boy. This penetrates the bunco man's conscience and in a flash he sees himself as he is. Going into his partners' office he begs them to give him back the money they have taken. They laugh him to scorn. He escorts Mrs. Lewis back to the station and sees her off. On the way back to his office he determines to be through with the shady business. He again demands the money and when they refuse, he takes it by force. A fight follows, in which he is the victor. He takes the next train for Mrs. Lewis' home that night. She is surprised to see him. Determined to make a clean breast of it, he asks for her stock which he tears up. He tells her the stock is worthless and that the National Investment Company is made up of a gang of crooks, of whom he is one. He goes back to the railroad station but discovers his capital is represented by a few pennies. Further search discloses the fact that Mrs. Lewis has slipped a bill of large denomination in bis vest pocket. He puts the money in an envelope, and mails it to her. Empty of pocket, but high of purpose, he sets off for the city on foot.