As the two entered the office the superintendent exclaimed: “You are slow about getting here. I believe Mr. Pearson is dead.”

“I hope not,” replied the doctor; “but I will see in a moment.” Then: “Pulsation very weak. Did he complain of feeling ill before he collapsed?”

“No, doctor; only some excitement and—”

“He seems to have been affected very deeply from it. I am alarmed.”

“Do you think that we should send for more help?”

“I am not of the opinion that they could do any more than I am doing.”

“You are going to need the stretcher.”

“To the 78 cell, doctor! And a stretcher to carry out the dead live ones!”

“Pat, step inside and see what is the matter with No. 78. I hear a noise.”

“I am going to have the club ready. I am not feeling very good, and I don’t think it would take much to get me—bated.”

[120]

“Now, doctor, I have a secret to tell you. I have been mistrusting a convict’s relationship to an employee of this office, and I have asked him for a complete explanation of the affair. I understand that he has shown some favors to the convict in my absence. And I can not, for the life of me, explain what the voices are that we hear in this office, at times, pertaining to this officer. He and I were here talking the matter over, and I asked him if he did not know this man was his brother. He said that he did not. At that moment we heard a voice, ‘I will show you!’ and a terrible scream came from him, and as he looked up he called his mother three times for help, and fell as you see him.”

“I have witnessed many fainting spells, but never did I find the pulse in such a condition.”

“Officer,” came the voice of Pat, “I am having a picnic, hearing the prisoner talk in his sleep, and with his eyes open. Would you mind coming in and getting some of the news?”

“You may go,” said the doctor; “I will take care of the patient. There is nothing that you can do.”

“Very well, I will see what is wrong.

[121]

“Well, Pat, you seem to be having a free entertainment.”

“You will have to name it. I call it a treat to see a fellow talk asleep and standing, with his eyes open all the time he is sleeping.”

“What is he talking about?”

“Listen, for yourself. He is going on so fast I can’t run and keep up.”

“I am telling you I am innocent. I did not murder, and I am not guilty, and my brother who was in a faint is all right now, and I am the spirit of the mother of those two boys—my sons, and I have been the mysterious one whose voice you have heard here trying to tell you and help my son out of this trouble. I have to explain this by inspiring my son, as I am doing now, and I can do so, as you see. And I have brought the woman who was murdered with me, and she is here to say that she was strangled to death by her husband, not by my son. My son is not guilty of that crime, and I want you to take this name and address which she will give me, and send for the real murderer. His name is Robert Devenart, and Mrs. Devenart is here to tell you all about the crime, and I will repeat the words after her:

“‘I was strangled to death, not by this man here, but by my husband. I will tell all. I was[122] having trouble with him and as he threatened me I screamed, and the door opened, and this man, whom I knew slightly, entered and asked if he could be of any assistance. I tried to be brave, and told him that I did not need any assistance. He left, with an apology for intruding. Then my husband clutched me by the throat and choked me to death. Turn this man out and bring the real murderer in. Your officer is all right. I will go now.’”

“Very well, doctor.”

“Do you feel all right, Pearson?”

“I am all right. I’ll just step out for some fresh air.”

“I am not satisfied to think that he was in a faint, officer. I have never come in contact with anything like it in my whole experience as a physician. You had hardly left the room until he opened his eyes and looked around.”

“Had it not been for the fact that I might have missed some of the words that were being spoken, I should have called you, doctor. I stepped into the room, and there he—the prisoner, I mean—was standing, talking, his eyes open a............