“I am very thankful to you, sir. I shall visit papa soon again. I hope that I may be allowed to see him any time when I can get away. You see, sister is making arrangements for her marriage, to take place in six weeks, and she and mother will be away from home at different times. I could then hurry and come to see papa, and please, officer, could I be admitted at any time?”

“Miss Gertie, I should like to grant you the privilege, but I fear I can not do so. I am sworn to follow prison rules.”

“Oh, how cruel! To know that I could not be allowed the pleasure—the only pleasure I have—of seeing my father!”

“I am very sorry. I would help you to do anything possible without violating the prison rules.”

“Dear child, go now. You must, as you know that we are not obeying orders, and I am very thankful for the pleasure the officer has[186] given us—to see each other. I want you to thank him and go.”

“Papa, I did thank him, and will again. Oh! if I only knew that I could return often to see you, I could go more contentedly. Good-bye, dear papa. Do not worry, papa; I shall always be your Gertie, and a dutiful daughter.

“Good-bye. I thank you, officer.”

“Mr. Pearson, you have a beautiful daughter,” said the superintendent as the girl passed out; “not only in looks, but she is good and loyal to her father. How proud I should be of a daughter like her!”

“I am proud of her. And I am ashamed to think that I have brought on her this disgrace. I feel that I shall never again be able to hold up my head, if I should get out of here.”

“Do not talk like that. We can live down disgrace and you can show the world that you are not a bad man, after all, at heart, and I don’t think you are, Pearson.”

“Well, I’m glad I made the train all right,” said Pat, “and I got the letter off. I feel better now—not so ornery. I will take me toime going back. What do I see? The dear little girl that called me name with the handle on it? And I do believe she is crying. Now, I can’t[187] stand to pass her and see her shedding tears. What could I say to comfort her? Well, if I don’t say anny more than ‘howdy,’ it will help some.

“How do you do?”

“Oh, dear! I was not looking up, and I didn’t see you.”

“I know you didn’t see me, but I saw you, and I want to spake to you, for sympathy’s sake.”

“I thank you, Mr. Pat. I am so sad to think I can not see papa often. I can not get away always on the visiting days, and would have to come when I could find the opportunity.”

“Well, I will see if you can not get in when you come.”

“Oh, no! you are very kind, but the officer in charge said that he was sworn to do his duty, and the rules of the prison are, ‘No visitors except on visiting day.’ I shall have to come when I can get away on visiting days.”

“Well, I hope to be able to break the rules.”

“You must not do so on my account, or make any attempt to do so, Mr. Pat.”

“What could I say next?” thought Pat.

[188]

“I will be looking for you if you will say when you will call to see your father again.”

“I do not know that I could come when I would plan to do so—if I could come on the days set aside for visitors.”

“Well, may I ask how I could help you?”

“I do not know now. I thank you. Oh, yes! please be kind to papa, won’t you, please, Mr. Pat?”

“That I will, indade! I will, and I will see that he has plenty to eat and drink. Now I must move on back to me job. Good-bye.”

“He has promised to look after papa, and I shall be so grateful to him for his kindness—shown to my dear, heart-broken father. I will beg my mother again, when she has relented toward me, to let me visit my dear papa on the right days. What pleasure I shall have, looking forward to the times when I may see him, if mother will only consent!”

“Pat, you back? I think it has taken you a long time to go to the train and back. Why the delay?”

“Well, your honor, I am back and ready to do annything you want me to.”

“You may see that Mr. Pearson is locked in cell 77.”

[189]

“Mr. Pearson, will you kindly come along with me? I am not doing this as a pleasure, but as my sworn duty.”

“Pat, I understand your position. I know I had to do many things I did not like to do, but I understand the prison rules, and I’ll obey orders.”

“You will please step in here, Mr. Pearson. I am going to see that you have plenty to eat and drink. That I promised your daughter.”

“You promised my daughter? When did you have the opportunity to talk to her? I have been in her presence each time and all of the time when she was here, and she has visited me only twice.”

“Faith, and did you not hear the officer ask me why the delay? Well, as I was coming back from the train I met your daughter, and she was feeling bad, and I felt sorry for her and tried to comfort her the best I could, and I bade the time of day to her.”

“Was that all of the conversation you had?”

“No, sir; I asked the poor, heart-broken girl if I could do annything for her, and the only thing I could do to help her I couldn’t do, but I offered to try, but she shook her head and[190] said, ‘No, indade.’ She don’t take after you for honesty.”

“Pat, what was the help you offered her?”

“You understand the same as meself that the rules here don’t allow visiting only on visiting days, and the girl said she couldn’t always get away on visiting days.”

“What could you help her to do, Pat?”

“I thought, perhaps, I could change the rule.”

“Pat, you are a ............