As the superintendent entered the office on his return he said to Pearson: “I am back. I have been looking up some of your history in the past.”

“I do not understand you, officer.”

“You will, however.”

“Why are you looking up my reputation?”

“I have every cause to do so. I see that you have the same name as the convict, or he has the same name as you have. Of course that is nothing unusual, for two men often have the same family name, and even Christian name; but you are favoring this prisoner in many ways, which looks suspicious. I have never noticed that you favored other prisoners, and I do not believe that you would do so without some secret reason, in this case.”

“I have only tried to treat him humanely.”

“I see the humane part of it, Pearson.”

“I think I will walk around and see how the fellow is looking after he has spent this five-thousand-dollar bribe and got the poor convict[144] to deny his own name. I wonder what he will take for a name if he denies the one he has got. For the love of Mike, I hope it won’t be Pat! Indade, I don’t want to have a name like annyone of the prisoners in here, and, thank God! the place has no Pats. An Irishman is too slick to come here against his own free will.”

Pat was approaching the office.

“Well, officer, you back?”

“I am back, Pat.

“You may go, Pearson. I will send for you when I need you.”

“And if you knew all I know, you would need him now, before he went.”

“Well, Pat, have you done anything with Prisoner 78?”

“I? No, sirree; he is a ‘fellow’—a pet around here, he is.”

“What do you mean, Pat—a ‘fellow,’ ‘pet’?”

“Well, your honor, I never was a tell-tale, and I don’t want to begin now.”

“Do you know anything, Pat, that I should know?”

“I think if you knew all I do, you would have another prisoner in here to feed.”

“I have always trusted you, Pat. Can not you now trust me?”

[145]

“Sure I can trust you, but what about the other fellow. Can I trust him?”

“I will take care of that part of it if you will tell me what you know, Pat.”

“I am going to think it over myself a while. I don’t like to report too many times, for fear I don’t get it the same each time.”

“You may not have to repeat, Pat.”

“I hope not, for I feel sorry for the poor man, to think he has no feeling.”

“You would just as well tell all you know. I am investigating, as it is, and I think along those lines, and ‘murder will out,’ you know.”

“And some things will out themselves, as well as murder.”

“Pat, in justice to yourself, you will have to tell me what you know. Here comes Pearson. I will hear what you have to say later. You may go.”

“I am going to remain on guard to-night, officer, and I shall not be in the office. I speak of this so that you will not keep late hours for me.”

“Very well, Pearson.”

“I wonder what he is up to now,” thought the superintendent. “I must be on guard myself to-night, and I must remain where I can[146] watch cell No. 78. It is now ten-thirty o’clock—a good hour to lock up the office. I’ll walk quietly to cell 77—it is empty to-night—and I may know more in the morning than I do to-night. Here comes Pat. I will tell him to keep watch on the office to-night, for emergency calls. He can hear the bells ringing, and if—well, by George! I’d rather Pat would not know where I am. I’ll have to take the chances of the bells ringing. I may hear them if they do. It is not a great distance to the office.”

“Your honor, I’m thinking of going to my bed. I am top-heavy, and would like to lay me down for a while. I think it would do me good. Too much to carry around, and too good to let it get away.”

“All right, Pat; you may go.”

To himself: “Now I shall learn something for myself. I’d better disguise myself, for fear of meeting Pearson. I’ll put on this slouch hat. He would not recognize me in that; a hat changes one’s looks sometimes so that even close friends could not be recognized.

“Hark! I hear voices! I believe it is Pearson’s voice in cell 78. I must be very quiet. Sure enough! Now I shall find out for myself.”

“I will try, Clarence, to favor you in having[147] you placed in a position where you can make your get-away, and I will give you money to go on. Wou............