“I say, Pat, are you going to change your mind before we enter the office?”
“Well, Pat, what are you debating about? Come along here. Time is flying,” said the superintendent.
To the prisoner he said: “You are under arrest. You have been here accused of obtaining money under false affidavit, and I shall have to say—Pearson, I regret very much to have to read this to you, but I am sworn to do my duty, and I have done so in this case, as I would do in all others. Your trial is set for one week from to-day.
“You may take him back, Pat.”
“Your honor, I have something to say.”
“What have you to say, Pearson?”
“I will ask you if you have ever noticed Pat acting strangely, as if he was in a deep study?”
“I don’t know as I have noticed it. I have had so many things to think of in the last three or four months. I do not really know if I have been noticing Pat very much, as he is one of the guards whom I can trust among all of the prisoners. I think Pat is very reliable—a very reliable man to have here.”
“If I ever get out of this. I will never do anny more dishonest work, or even talk or think about it. I pray me poor mother may help me. Now, you never did annything for me here on earth, mother, come down from Heaven, if you are there, and help me, plase do help me keep me reputation up in this Pearson case, in the eyes of the whole world. I now realize what it means for a boy to make his first mistake. He is ruined for life, and if all of the young men knew what I do now, they would never start to commit anny crime.”