Question

a retrieved reformation
short story by o. henry
reading comprehension problem
read text carefully!
1 a guard came to the prison shoe - shop, where jimmy valentine was industriously stitching uppers, and escorted him to the front office. there the warden handed jimmy his pardon, which had been signed that morning by the governor. jimmy took it in a tired kind of way. he had served nearly ten months of a four - year sentence. he had expected to stay only about three months, at the longest. when a man with as many friends on the outside as jimmy valentine had is received in the “joint” it is
choose the correct answer
read the excerpt. what does the warden tell jimmy?
youre not a bad fellow. stop cracking safes and live straight.
if there is anything you need at all, just let me know.
next time well catch you for good, and you wont get away.

Explanation:

To solve this, we recall the plot of "A Retrieved Reformation". In the story, when Jimmy is released, the warden advises him to stop his criminal activities (safe - cracking) and live an honest life.

The first option "You're not a bad fellow. Stop cracking safes and live straight." matches this advice. The second option is more of an offer of help, and the third is a threat, which is not what the warden tells Jimmy in the relevant excerpt.

The question is about the content of a short story ("A Retrieved Reformation"). By recalling the story's plot, we know the warden's advice to Jimmy is to stop safe - cracking and live honestly, which matches the first option. The other options don't align with the warden's message to Jimmy.

Answer:

A. You're not a bad fellow. Stop cracking safes and live straight.