“good morning, sir,” said the doctor when he entered. “i was told that you wished to see me.”

“if it is the rule of this hospital to be discharged by the doctor, then i want to see you. outside of that i do not need you.”

“are you preparing to leave here?”

“i am. why should i remain here? i am not sick.”

“you are not able to leave. i see that you are in a very dangerous condition.”

“tell me why you say and think so.”

“i am going to say to you that i have seen many such cases as yours—delirious. they do not feel ill and know not what is wrong, and think they are in the very best of health. i will take your temperature.”

“one moment, please—”

“temperature 104. you are a very sick man. you must remain in this ward.”

“i must save the accused prisoner. he did[63] not hurt me. i distinctly remember that i was saying to him, ‘be careful!’ and he was not even looking toward me.”

“well, sir, i fear that you do not understand. i have been attending some of our officials who have been hurt very badly by the same prisoner, and we have him in the mad-house, very dangerously injured by the officer who found them a few minutes after the act had been committed, just as you were found, and he pleaded innocent, just as he did in your case.”

“i will say to you, and i must say to all men, that he did not harm me. i am not ill. i must be discharged from this place.”

“very well; i will see about it.”

going to another part of the hospital, where the other patients who had fallen to the floor had been taken, the doctor, turning to the superintendent, said:

“good morning. you are feeling much better this morning?”

“i am, sir. i do not feel ill. i am not ill, and shall leave for the office at once. why am i here? i have not been ill. as i awakened this morning i could not for a moment realize where i was and what had happened.”

[64]

“have you no recollection of any trouble?”

“i do not remember of any. oh, yes! the mysterious ghost is all the trouble i have had for some time. but how is the guard the prisoner hurt? is he dead? what have they done with him? did i not order him to be brought in, so that the superior officers might see what could be done? oh, i do remember, now! it was not clear in my mind until now; now it has begun to clear up so that i can remember. pray tell me why you brought me here? i do not remember of coming. who is in charge of the office?”

“an officer is taking care of the office. it is well cared for.

“i have some mail here. shall i leave it at the office, or here?”

“the officer is able to read.”

“you are not to make me sick by saying these things. i am not sick.

“what have i here? a letter from the murderer of the mysterious woman ghost! what does this mean? listen:

“‘i want to confess. i did the murdering, and not the prisoner you have there. he is innocent.’

“well, well! he does not give his name[65] and i wonder how he knows of a mysterious ghost, as i have guarded very carefully about the mystery. i have avoided gossip about the matter, preferring that it should not get out. but i should be glad to free the ghost and let her out. i should be entirely willing if she would go. when i go to the office, i shall send for the prisoner whose name i hear called so much. and i shall show him this letter and notice if any change comes over him.

“now i shall leave for the office, and you, guard, may bring the prisoner numbered 78 there.”

soon a guard appeared at my side, saying: “you are wanted at the office. get up there.”

“i am not able to go. i have been badly hurt, and i am heart-sick. i know that i can not live this life any longer.”

“you will not have to, perhaps, if you knew what i know. you would make an effort to get up and come along with me,” said the guard.

“the right murderer will be in your place soon, and you will be out; so collect your strength, my son, and go. i will help you. i have the strength to help you and i will do so.”

“i hear someone talking, but i do not see anyone. did you hear anyone?”

[66]

“yes, i did. i heard the voice say, ‘son, get strength.’ i heard that and more.”

“‘you will be out soon’—did you hear that?”

“i did.”

once more to “the carpet”—this time with more hope than before, that the truth would come out.

on entering i saw that the officer looked pale. he seemed to be very much worried.

“good morning, sir. i have a very mysterious letter here. can you tell me anything about it? you may read it.”

i saw the words, “i am the real murderer of the mysterious woman ghost.” i cried out:

“i prayed to god that the real murderer would come and acknowledge that he did the crime, for i knew that i did not, and i know who did.”

“the name, sir?”

as he wrote it down i could hear a hearty laugh, and so did he.

“do not laugh, sir. you are not proved innocent.”

“i beg your pardon. i did not laugh.”

“who did, then?”

“i am not able to say.”

“officer, take him back. i feel that i must[67] see if this is a letter written by some crank, or was it written as a real confession. it is a mystery. i must say that i think this man is innocent, and i propose to look into this affair thoroughly at once. if he is innocent, he must be released. if not, he must work. i shall write to the authorities at the place where this letter was posted and have them make an investigation. i am of the opinion that this man is not guilty. as i sit here i know that i am hearing the words: ‘my son is innocent and you must release him from this prison.’ yet i know that the one whose voice i hear is invisible.”

a week passed. there had been no answer from the ones who had been written to in regard to the prisoner. the superintendent grew weary of waiting. he felt that there should have been some reply. he had sent a copy of the anonymous letter of confession.

a guard appeared, and said: “you have a very sick man in 78. i have not been able to arouse him, and i have been working over him for some time.”

telling the story afterward, the superintendent said:

“i looked at the guard, and at that moment[68] i saw a lady standing beside him. i arose and asked her: ‘what can i do for you, madam?’

“the guard turned to look as she vanished, and said: ‘you are mistaken. i brought no lady here with me.’

“i was so astonished at the remark that i spoke harshly and demanded the guard to tell me who the lady was and how she got in, if he had not admitted her.

“he replied: ‘i am not able to say. i did not see anyone. i came directly to you and did not see anyone here, nor did i notice anyone near as i entered this office.’

“‘well, what is wrong, now?’

“‘i came to tell you that no. 78 is a very sick man.’

“‘i suppose he thinks that he will get his freedom after the reading of the mysterious letter, but i feel that there is a mystery in connection with the entire matter. there is not enough proof to entitle him to his freedom. proof of that kind would not go in court—at least, not in this day and age. if he needs a doctor, call one.’

“‘i am at a loss to know what to do with him.’

[69]

“as the guard turned to call a doctor for the prisoner i heard a voice say:

“‘he is not sick—only resting. he will soon be out of here.’

“i once more looked to see whence came the voice. but could gain no information as to where or from whom the voice came.

“‘i must get away from this place. i am losing my mind,’ i thought. ‘perhaps i really have lost it, for i can not explain these strange things. i must get away for a day or so. i will leave the office. pearson can take care of this case while i am at rest and thinking this matter over. i can think it over away from here.’

“the guard returned in a few minutes, smiling, and with the news that the prisoner was sitting up when he arrived with the doctor. he also said that the prisoner had denied that anything was the matter with him.

“‘so he has been feigning, has he? well, he shall get no more sympathy from this place. i have decided to rest a few days, and in my place mr. pearson will give orders. but i want you to cease at once showing mercy on prisoner no. 78. you may go for mr. pearson. i shall[70] leave directions for him to find a place for the prisoner and see that he works.’

“‘i am not sure, but i think that i saw mr. pearson talking with the man very recently.’

“‘well, bring him here. i want to talk with him.’

“i was all a-tremble—just on the verge of nervous breakdown. all on account of this mysterious voice and seeing and not seeing.

“‘good morning, mr. pearson,’ i said. ‘i am leaving for a few days’ rest, and i want you to take charge of this office and see that a convict here, no. 78, is put to work. he is very much averse to doing any work, and we have no pets in this place, so he can not be made one. the guard will report to you from time to time in regard to him.’

“as i was leaving, in an undertone i said: ‘yes, and if you do not get reports from some others, as well as the guard, i shall be very much disappointed. i hope that you will. i pray that you may, and perhaps i shall have help to find out what all this means. i hope that he will be able to explain all the mysterious actions by the time i return to work.’

“oh, what a relief it was to know that i was away from that strain for a while, at least!”

[71]

the acting superintendent thought: “i am going to see what the trouble is with no. 78. i wonder if that is the fellow who has caused so many mysterious things to happen around here. by george! i believe it is. i will ask the guard. here he comes.”

“guard, if that 78 prisoner hasn’t any aptitude for the position he has to occupy, you may bring him in. i will try to find out what vocation he has followed, and see if we can accommodate him.”

as the guard left he shook his head, as if to say: “you can not have any luck in getting that fellow to work.”

but the official in his own mind decided: “my dear old dad has often told me that kind words will do far more than harsh ones or harsh treatment. i am going to treat this prisoner with kindness and gentleness.”

then the acting superintendent looked up to see if he had a hard criminal to deal with, as no. 78 entered the door with his guard. he sank into his chair, gasping:

“what do i see? my brother! do my very eyes deceive me, or is it really he? a convict in this place!”