“I do not understand, Pat, what made Pearson confess so meekly. He could at least have pleaded innocent until his trial. You know sometimes things look dark, and then a criminal can get out of it.”

“Perhaps he thinks he can get out of here.”

“Well, we will not have his trial here and now, without judge or jury; so, Pat, you may go and see if all is right among your fellow-men.”

“I wonder if he understood what I meant to tell him all the time—what I was going to do—when he said he could forgive once and twice, and the old adage. I just as good as told him it would be twice, two of us, and the third time not here, and that was the daughter; she is not here to help get away, so there is the whole thing in a nut-shell. And the blockhead did not get it.”

“I think Pat thinks he will make his get-away with his prisoner, and be a gentleman. I’m sorry for Pat. Now I have a problem to solve within myself. Shall I let him go ahead[197] and make his plans, or shall I stop him before he gets started, and save the poor Irishman from occupying cell No. 76? I believe I can gain some knowledge by being deaf to it all. He is surely a clever Irishman, and I will see what plans he will make to escape with his prisoner, and I may be gaining knowledge, but I could not do so by sitting on Pat’s seat of knowledge, so I think I will not leave this office.”

“I hope that I shall receive a reply in regard to the real murderer, and that he will be brought here. That will help to open the way to a clear discovery of all this plot.

“What! A knock? I do hope that I shall not find a lady there.”

“Good morning, officer.”

“Good morning, Mr. McHenry.” The visitor was Mr. McHenry, junior. “What can I do for you?”

“I should like to talk with you in regard to your new prisoner, Mr. Pearson. My father brought me the news, and I am not doubting him, but I truly would be better satisfied if I heard it through someone else also. Father was in such a rage that I could not calm him enough[198] to understand the circumstances. I should appreciate your explaining it all to me.”

“My boy, I am very sorry to say that I have to do my duty and the rules here we must comply with. We are not allowed to give out any information in regard to our prisoners, except to the officials.”

“I ask for only enough to understand. Do you not see that I am in trouble? Can not you help me? Do tell me that he is innocent. It means so much to me.”

“My young friend, I understand the circumstances. I learned them through your father. I am sorry for you and for the daughter of this man, but I am powerless to do anything.”

“Could I talk with him?”

“No; I am not allowed to permit any information to be obtained inside of these prison walls.”

“I am sure that it would never be known. I would never divulge the secret.”

“I have confidence in you, but I should not be obeying rules here, and I could not allow you the privilege under any circumstances.”

“I shall have to go, as I am unable to learn anything. Oh! could I not see him, just for one short conversation?”

[199]

“I am sorry. I must repeat that I can not allow you your wish, so please do not insist. It makes me feel bad to know, as I do, your predicament, and to hear you plead. I can not help you. There, I would not do that! The guard is coming. It is not necessary to let him see you shedding tears, and I would rather you would go before he comes in.”

“I will go. I thank you for your sympathy, and I am certain you would have granted my request if it had been in your power to do so.”

“I would, certainly. Good-bye.”

“Good day, sir.”

“Well, now I am getting in deeper. Even the poor young man’s heart is broken. Engaged to the belle of the city, and not allowed to marry on account of the misdeeds of her father. Poor boy! My heart did ache for him when he broke down and cried.”

“Well, I am after coming back. Do you need me?”

“I don’t think I do, Pat. I am looking for some very important news. Outside of that, I would let you take charge of the office and I would take a stroll through the prison. I get very tired, sitting here from morning until night,[200] and I like to take a walk around the inside walls, now and then, for exercise.”

“You may do so. I will watch the place. I will see that no one comes in.”

“Will you see that no one goes out, Pat? That is what I am here for. Very few want to break in and many would like to break out.”

“You are not thinking of any one in particular, are you?”

“Oh, no! Almost any one of the prisoners would walk out if he had the chance.”

“If they did, I surely would walk out with them.”

“We are not looking for trouble, Pat. It probably will come soon enough. Open the door. I thought I heard a rap.”

“So you did, and so did I.”

It was a messenger-boy. The communication read:

“We have a prisoner here, a confessed murderer. Will leave for your place in the morning.”

“All right, no answer,” the superintendent called to the waiting messenger.

“I am so glad to receive this.”

“Is that the looked-for message?”

“It is, and the self-confessed murderer will be here to-morrow evening. With him they[201] will bring the papers releasing No. 78, Clarence Pearson, an innocent man. Do you know anything about this, Pat? You sit there and do not look alarmed or excited over anything I am telling you. I usually act so when I understand it all.”

“Well, I have nothing to say. If I did, I would say it without you asking me to. If I am not wanted, I’ll stroll around; or do you want me to keep house and you stroll around? It is nearly bed-time.”

“No; I think I shall retire, as I have been somewhat worried to-day. I shall lock up at once, and try to get around early in the morning, Pat. We shall have a new man to take care of to-morrow.”

“I’ll do that, sir.”

“Now Pat is gone, and he will no doubt go at once to 77 cell and tell Pearson all he has learned. I wanted him to know that the man is coming and the brother would be a free man. I think I had best get some more information, so I’ll just drop around and rest a while in 76 cell and see what the plot will be, as Pearson must know that he will have his trial soon. I feel certain that the officials have been prolonging matters through pity for the family.[202] Mr. McHenry was probably slow to take action because his son was engaged to Pearson’s daughter. Of course he would try to avoid scandal as much as possible. I’ll probably find Pat busy with his prisoner, fixing up their plot, so I’ll lock up here and step around. What? I see Pat’s going in now. I must hurry to get the first of the plot.”

“I’m here, me friend.”

“I’m glad to see you, Pat. We must decide to-night upon some way to make our get-away from here.”

“Yes, and if we are not careful, the brother will bate us out.”

“Have you heard anything?”

“Have I? Well, I heard it all. The real murderer will be here to-morrow, and then what will they hold him for?”

“My brother?”

“Yes, your brother.”

“We must be out of here before to-morrow comes. What can we do? Now, Pat, make your wits work fast.”

“I am thinking, and the main thing I’m thinking about is the money to make the gentleman out of me. Where is the money?”

[203]

“Don’t let that worry you, Pat. I have plenty.”

“Well, if you have plenty, if you give your brother back his money, you would be out of here as soon as he would, and save all scandal, and he a poor man freed from here, wouldn’t he keep his mouth shut if he could be made a gentleman out of?”

“Pat, you do not understand.”

“Well, then, explain it to me so I can understand. Can you do it?”

“I have told you that you would never have to work any more and you could be wearing fine clothes all the rest of your life, have I not?”

“That you have, but does that make it so? I’d like to see a pile of greenbacks in front of me before I explain anny further.”

“You see I am here tied up and can not get away. How can I show you the money?”

“Well, me friend, what is better than a clear conscience? Do you think money and a gentleman could show you a better time?”

“Oh, yes! I would not let a conscientious mind prevent me from having a good time the rest of my life.”

“Me friend, your money is not showing you a good time, and the rest of your life your conscience[204] will hurt you, and the pity and shame you have brought on your family—and those beautiful daughters—their lives are ruined, all by yourself, your greediness for money. No, me friend, I think I would rather be a hard-working Irishman all the rest of me life and have a clear conscience.

“Pat, you are a coward. I thought you would help me out of here.”

“I did not help you in here, and why should I help you out?”

“Do you mean to go back on all the arrangements we have talked over?”

“That is what I do. Now I’ll be telling you.”

“Tell me what made you change your mind and talk this way?”

“Because I heard someone talk the other way.”

“You heard someone talk the other way?”

“Yes, I fully intended to be a gentleman and help you out of this prison, and I thought I would walk around and think it over and see how bad I wanted to be a gentleman, and I got tired and sit meself down in the comfortable chair in the hospital, and there I was thinking it over and I was trying to think if I wanted to[205] be a gentleman all the rest of me life, and when I asked meself the question I heard the answer, and, faith, I never had me mind made up yet—I was going to think about it a while—and I listened, as if I was hearing someone talking, and behold! I did, and I looked around, and not a soul was in sight, and I asked another question, and I got the answer again, and I thought: ‘If you know so much and can answer all of my questions, I’ll be giving you a job.’ And I had a regular conversation with them, and in the conversation I asked them how much money you had, and they told me not enough to get out of the trouble you was in, so I th............