“you are taking your time, pat. we are waiting for you.”

when court had been opened and the preliminaries had been gone through, mr. pearson was examined.

“you are registered under your correct name, are you not?”

“i am.”

“mr. pearson, how long has your mother been dead?”

“twenty-one years.”

“did she leave a will?”

“yes, sir.”

“did you know that you were the only heir?”

“no, sir—well, i thought so.”

“but you did not know for sure?”

“no, sir.”

“mr. pearson, did you take oath that you knew your brother was dead?”

“i did; yes, sir. i thought he was. we had never heard from him.”

[235]

“did you look for him, or try to find him?”

“well, no.”

“did you acknowledge him as a brother when you did find him?”

“i did.”

“not until you had to.”

“well, i tried to do for him after i found him.”

“in what way?”

“i told him i would help him.”

“out of prison, or financially?”

“well, i don’t know,”

“you don’t know what you were going to do, but you were going to do something for him?”

“i felt that i should.”

“will you tell the court what you were going to do, or thought of doing? now, mr. pearson, you have been holding a position of authority, have you not?”

“yes, sir.”

“have you done an officer’s duty?”

“i have tried to.”

“you tried to, but did you?”

“i don’t know.”

“you are excused.”

pat was called to the stand.

[236]

“your name?”

“me name is pat dugan.”

“well, pat, what do you know about this officer pearson?”

“your honor, i wish i had never seen the man.”

“that is not answering my question.”

“well, i don’t know what he did all the time, but i know i wish i did not know what he did anny of the time.”

“answer the question.”

“plase repeat it, i am after forgetting the question.”

“tell what you know in regard to this case. did officer pearson fill his position as an officer should?”

“now, me friend, i don’t think that is the same question at all.”

“well, answer it, if you do or don’t think the question was worded just the same.”

“i did not hear the last question. i was thinking of how to answer the first one. now, me friend, i will ask you to repate the last once more, and i might answer them both.”

“i suppose we must have patience with you, for i don’t think you were ever in court before, and i know it is hard for you. now, once more,[237] i ask you about officer pearson’s conduct as an officer. that is a short question and you should be able to answer it without hesitation.”

“i will say that i think the job is a hard one for me, and i will give you my club and quit at once.”

“sit down, pat! sit down there and answer these questions the attorney is asking you, or i shall fine you for contempt of court.”

“could i get off—out of that fine for contempt of court—as aisy if i told the truth?”

“i am asking you a question now, and i wish you would answer.”

“faith, and you have been asking me some questions i didn’t know how to answer, and i am only a ignorant irishman, and you are one of the know-alls, or should be. i’ve always thought that if annything ever came up with a business consideration, ‘i will ask me lowyer about that.’ this is the first time i have ever been smart enough to talk to one of them lowyers.”

“well, you are taking your time to talk. you must like our company.”

“i like to hear a smart man talk, indade i do.”

[238]

“well, the court would like to know if this is a trial, or a complimentary case.”

“your honor, i am trying to get the witness to answer my questions.”

“put the question to him again.”

“now pay attention, pat, and we will soon be through with you.”

“couldn’t you turn me loose now? i am feeling sick, me man. i am sick.”

“get him a drink.

“here is water. take this, pat. drink some water. you are all right now.”

“you know everything in the books, but you don’t know how a fellow feels inside, and plase don’t talk to me—plase don’t. i wonder, if i would pray, would i feel better? i am going to pray, gentlemen. i belave me toime has come right now.

“o father in heaven, if you ever send blessings to the irish, send this one irishman some now. i need it. o me god, i did not do annything. i changed me mind before i let him go, and he is here, and you can do as you plase with him. i am through with him. i think you will know what he needs, and give it to him. have mercy on me, and him too, if he is deserving of it. i don’t think he is,[239] but your judgment is best, and use it, and be sure you use good judgment in my case, and help me out of this terrible perdicament, and if i never get in another, i won’t pray anny more. you will see i am in earnest and don’t delay the job. i am awfully sick, but i think i feel better now, and if the court will have mercy on me, and you do likewise, i know i will be well in a few minutes. help your wandering one all alone in this country. me poor mother has been with you a long time, and if i was there too, i would not be here, in this fix. and now i have prayed for the first time in all me life, and if you don’t answer, i shall say my prayers were all in vain; but if you will let me know that they were heard, i will let you hear them again, if i get in trouble. amen.”

“the judge spoke: ‘stand up, pat. you are good on praying, and you have a nice way of doing it, if you did convict yourself. go. i don’t think your crime is punishable, and i want to give you some orders. you had better learn to pray now, and do some of it. don’t wait until you are in trouble and then ask the lord to help you. serve him all the time, and you will then be guided, so you will not have to ask for help in time of trouble. too many wayward boys[240] like you, pat, get in trouble before they ever think of praying. i hope that the father to whom you prayed has heard your prayers. i feel that he did, and that is why i am going to turn you loose; so you may say your prayers were not in vain, but go from this court-room with prayers on your lips, and pray often. it will do you good. now you may go, and may god bless you.’

“well, if i ever get me another job, i will never get it in a prison—i may not get out so aisy next time; but the poor man, he is there yet, and i never told a word of his trying to give me all his money and fine clothes.

“well, i’ll be willing to work, now, for all i get. and i’ll say to meself: ‘didn’t the man who was boss of the job make a fine spache to me?’ he must know nearly as much as the lowyer did, and i felt sorry for him when he felt sorry for me and told me to pray. faith, and i will pray, and i will kape it up as long as i live, and after i am dead i will come back and scare some of the poor devils and make them pray like the new man. oh, how he did pray when he thought he saw the dead woman! and it was that very thing got me started to[241] praying, and only for that i belave they would of hanged me this very day of me life.”

“well, here i am back to the office, and i have me clothes all here, and i want to bid me old friend good-bye before i go. i can’t kape the tears back. i guess i am feeling pretty bad again. i belave i’ll just step in here and pray to meself now, while i’m waiting for me old friend that thought so much of me.”

in the court-room the trial proceeded. at length the judge arose, saying:

“i am not of the opinion that a crime of as long standing as this one is punishable in the eyes of the law. twenty-one years would outlaw it. if the prisoner will give his penniless brother a home for life, i will set him free.

“what have you to say to that, pearson? are you willing to share your home with your brother?”

“i thank your honor. i am more than willing, and i will see that he shares my home as a brother should, without feeling under obligations.”

“pearson, i feel that you mean all right, and i will ask you to let me hear from you as soon as you find your unfortunate brother who was freed several days ago. i want you to help him to[242] live down the disgrace of his long imprisonment, and live as brothers should. we have all learned to pray through this unfortunate affair, or we should have learned, and that not waiting until we are in trouble, and then expect our prayers to be heard, but we have learned to pray at all times—not as pat did, if we get help, say we won’t pray any more until the next time we are in trouble.”

later, when pearson appeared at the office, he said: “officer, i am discharged from all, including my position, am i?”

“well, pearson, we have been holding consultation in the side room—the officials and i, and we have decided to reinstate you, and pat also. we have decided that this lesson will make honest men out of you and pat, and trusty. you did not betray pat and he did not betray you. it was a good principle that you both showed this morning, and we feel that you will work hand in hand together in the future. i wonder if pat has gone. we will step over to his room and see.”

“i hope that pat will feel kindly toward me. i have forgotten all, and will always remember that trial—how poor pat feigned sickness to[243] avoid answering those questions. poor old pat! he is a good irishman.”

“i do believe that he is gone. this is his room, is it not?”

“yes. here he has left a note. he has written: ‘good-bye to all the poor fellows in here. i have served me term and am ready to go, but with tears. i am thinking i am all alone, save god. he is ever near me. good-bye to all fellow-men!’”