Murder -- Investigation -- Fiction; United States -- Social life and customs -- 20th century -- Fiction
“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 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 you placed in a position
where you can make your get-away, and I will give you money to go on.
Would you go if that opportunity presented itself?”
“Oliver, what do you mean? Are you trying to get me here for the rest of
my life? I would not be here at all if you would do for me what a brother
should do.”
“I am trying to help you, Clarence, and you won’t let me.”
“I don’t want your help, if I have to get it in that way. Why don’t you
do unto me as you would have me do to you?”
“I have a family and they are in society, and I am not so free to go as
you are, and if this comes out, I may have to remain here, but not by
choice.”
“Can’t you see the trouble I’m in?”
“I can see if you would get out of here and they could not find you, then
they would drop it all, and you would be a free man and so would I.”
“If I were to do as you want me to, where could I go and what could I do?
I have no money.”
“Did I not say that I would help you? You can leave the city and I will
send you money under an assumed name. I can take care of you.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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