CHAPTER VII.
IKE RESORTS TO A VERY CUNNING TRICK AND USES HIS GREAT GIFT IN A VERY REMARKABLE MANNER--HIS JOKE IS FOLLOWED BY STARTLING RESULTS.
The man's face beamed. He believed he was on to a big thing. We have notattempted to go into the full details and describe just how Ike got downto his deception. We have just outlined the conversation, but for thepurpose he had in view our hero talked straight to the point and hisproposition was not an unreasonable one; it was just the dodge to hook afellow of the stripe of the "snide." Our hero knew just how to work histrick and adapted his plan to his man.
Ike had his fish well hooked, and then he became very confidential. Hetold his man to go to the rear room and play off so as not to attractattention. The man obeyed and a little later Ike joined him, and then,after looking around furtively, still maintaining his play, he said:
"In the rear room upstairs are the fellows who robbed the old miser.They are discussing a division of the swag. Now, if you want proof I'llgo up the stairs with you and you can overhear their talk and get allthe points--get your men located."
The detective's eyes bulged. He, of course, recognized the possibilitythat Ike was giving him a "steer," and then again it was possible he wasgiving him the real facts.
"You needn't take my word," said Ike. "All you have to do is listen atthe door. They are not looking for eavesdroppers. Make sure of yourpoints, then away with your information, get your aids and capture thewhole gang. I'll teach those fellows to give it to me in the neck,"concluded our wily hero.
The "snide" and Ike stepped into the hall and noiselessly moved up thestairs, and as they approached the door of the room where thepoliticians were the "snide" heard the murmur of voices. Noventriloquistic trick was ever played better in imitating the murmur ofseveral voices behind a closed door, and as the "snide" drew close tothe door a voice was heard to exclaim:
"Hold on! that is not a square deal."
"What do you want--the earth?" came the retort.
"No, but I want my share of the negotiable bonds," came the answer. "Youfellows are taking all the easy things and giving me the registeredones. They're no good, you know, and I want you fellows to remember Ifell to that old miser and it was I who put up the job. We made a goodhaul without any blood-letting. I want a square deal, I do. Everythingis hunky; we've given the police a dead steer away and we're all right.Don't you fellows try to rob me, do you hear?"
The "snide" heard and his face became radiant. He stepped away from thedoor and said to Ike:
"You go away. It's dangerous to be around here."
Little did the speaker know how dangerous it really was. He was destinedto experience the full force of the danger in a most remarkable manner afew moments later, for Ike managed to perform a second marvelousventriloquistic trick--one of the most wonderful of all. He managed tomake, seemingly, a woman scream in a shrill tone:
"Look out, in that room! There's a sneak peeping at the door."
The words had hardly left the woman's lips, as it appeared, when thedoor opened. The "snide" was actually caught with his ear to thekeyhole, so suddenly had the door opened. Well, a scene followed. Thepoliticians were really discussing a very important political matter.They looked upon the "snide" as a sneak who was merely seeking forinformation to steal it, and they were mad. Indeed, there was dangeraround there just at that moment.
As intimated, the politicians were mad; they believed this "wardheeler," as they mistook the "snide" to be, had gotten on to their wholelittle affair. They did not stand on ceremony--they just broke loose.They were all really toughs, and the way they went for Mister Snide waslovely to behold, especially had any one been present who reallyrecognized what a mean sneak the "snide" was.
"Let me get at him," cried one politician. No one interfered. He waspermitted to get at him and the first blow knocked the "snide" to thelanding of the stairs. The second blow was a terrific kick which senthim headlong down the steps. He, fortunately for himself, did not breakhis neck in his descent, and gained his feet and made a rush into thebar on his way to the door to the street, but he did not get therebefore one of the politicians was at his heels. He received a kick thatlifted him clear off the floor, then another man took a rap at him, andat each kick up he leaped involuntarily; so, with kicks and raps, he wasknocked clear out to the street, and there stood the two ventriloquiststo see him come forth. Ike expected him, and the young fellow'sexpectations were not disappointed; a worse laying out no sneak everreceived. The man fell helpless on the sidewalk, and when a policemanran to his aid he told his tale and yelled: "Arrest those men. They arethe robbers of the old miser."
The policeman believed the man drunk or crazy, and rapped forassistance, and when his mate joined him they toted him off to thestation. All the way the man protested, and when he arrived at thestation he told his tale to the sergeant. The latter was bound to givethe story his attention. He led the man back to the resort and up tothe room. The politicians had reassembled. The sergeant knocked foradmission and was let in. Well, a scene followed.
The sergeant knew every man present in the room, knew that none of themwere crooks, and he was confirmed in the impression that the man wasdrunk or crazy. The "snide" was led back to the station house and put ina cell. He yelled and protested, and no wonder. He foamed at the mouthin his excitement. The most partial observer would have counted himcrazy.
Ike and Jack, however, had accomplished their purpose. Our hero said:
"The road is clear now; that fellow was hanging around the old miser'shouse all the time. Now I reckon I can make an entrance and interviewthe old man."
The two ventriloquists proceeded down to the old house and arrived justin time to meet another embarrassment. A policeman entered the housejust as they arrived in sight.
"Hello, Ike," said Jack; "what's that?"
"A disagreeable discovery."
"That fellow is probably going to remain in the house over night."
"It looks so, and yet the papers said the old man had a guard and haddeclined to go to other quarters."
"We must get rid of that fellow."
"It is possible he will not remain there."
The hour was about eleven o'clock and Jack, after looking at histimepiece, said:
"Possibly he has just entered to see that everything is all right withthe old man."
The lads waited around for about an hour, when to our hero's delight hesaw the policeman come from the house. The two young men had made athorough search around the neighborhood and were convinced that therewas no one on the watch. After the policeman had been gone some littletime Ike bade Jack remain on the watch.
The daring young man then leaped the gate of the old alleyway and passedaround to the rear of the house. He saw the glimmer of a light shootingforth from the windows of the room on the second floor. He remained amoment studying the rear of the house, then descended the areaway and ina few moments managed to gain an entrance, although the door was boltedon the inside; but the woodwork had rotted and he easily gained anentrance, as stated. All was cold and damp. As he stepped inside thehallway he drew his mask lantern and glanced around. It was a drearysight that met his view.
"I reckon," he muttered, "the old man never comes down here and it is awonder he is alive, living over all this filth and decay."
On tiptoe Ike ascended to the parlor floor. He entered the front parlor,and as he flashed his light around he experienced a shock of surprise.There were articles of great value lying around; marble statues hadrolled from their pedestals and had fallen to the floor, and on thewalls were very valuable paintings, their frames moldy and the picturesapparently ruined. There was one picture that had been covered, and at aglance our hero discerned that it had been cared for--the only articlein the room which had evidently ever been dusted or cleaned.
"A picture of the old fellow's wife," thought Ike, and after a moment headded: "I will have a glance at it."
The young man was doing a nervy piece of busines
s, and yet he was ascool and deliberate as though in his own house. He moved about withgreat care and in a noiseless manner, and he advanced to the picture,removed the cloth, flashed his light upon it and recoiled as thoughgazing at an apparition. It was the one great surprise of his life.
There he stood, as he supposed gazing upon a portrait of Sara Sidney,the beautiful girl whom he had served in such a signal manner. He stoodgazing in rapt attention, and so engrossed was he that he did notobserve a counter-light in the room, nor become aware of the presence ofanother until he was startled almost to a condition of terror when avoice demanded:
"Who are you, and what do you want here?"
Ike turned and beheld a strange-looking old man standing within a fewfeet of him. In his hand the old man held a light, and his deep, sunkeneyes were illuminated with a strange gleam as their glance rested on theventriloquist.
"Are you Mr. Ward?"
"I am Mr. Ward," came the answer. "Who are you?"
"Your friend."
The old man chuckled and said:
"You are here to rob me, I suppose; but, Mr. Burglar, there is nothingleft for you. The scoundrels who came here before took everything--yes,everything."
"I did not come here to rob--I came here to aid you."
"To aid me?"
"Yes."
"I don't need aid; if I do there is aid at hand."
"You don't understand me."
"Well, let me understand you."
"I came here as your friend."
The old man chuckled again, and said:
"I need no friends. I've lived many years independent of all friendship.But what do you think of that picture?"
There came an eager light in the old man's eyes as he asked thequestion.
"That picture is a mystery to me."
"A mystery?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I hardly dare tell you."
"Do you know anything about that picture?"
"Shall I speak right out?"
"Certainly."
"I know the original of that picture."
"Young man, you lie, and you need not come here with any such wildstory. Hark you, I have but to give an alarm--touch a button--and I willhave a whole platoon of police here."
"You do not need the police."
"How do I know?"
"I will convince you."
"You will convince me?"
"I will."
"Do so."
"I repeat, I know the original of that picture."
"Are you a maniac or a rogue?"
"I am neither."
"Let me look in your face."
Ike stood with his face turned toward the strange old man. The latterthrust his light forward and carefully studied the ventriloquist'sfeatures.
"You do not look like a rogue or a maniac."
"I am neither."
"Then why did you force yourself into my house?"
"I came here as your friend."
"I need no friends."
"Yes, you need me."
"I do?"
"Yes."
"How is it I need you?"
"I am going to do you a great service."
"You are?"
"I am."
"How?"
"I will recover your bonds and all the property stolen from you."
The old man again laughed in a strange, weird manner, and said:
"That is what they all told me. I have not yet seen my bonds andjewels."
"We will talk about that later on. What I desire to know is, who is thelady whose portrait I see here?"
"What business is it of yours who the lady is?"
"I tell you I know the original."
"Then why do you ask me who she is?"
The question was a cute one.
"There is a mystery here."
"Is there?"
"There is."
The old man appeared to be a clear-headed, nervy individual, although hemight be a miser.
"What is the mystery?"
"I said I knew the original of that picture."
"You did."
"I will say I know one for whom that picture might be taken as aportrait."
"You do?"
"I do."
"Who is the person?"
The old man was again all eagerness and attention.
"I will not say yet, but I would like to know who the real original ofthe picture is."
"I would first like to know who you are and how you dared force anentrance into my house."
"You shall know all about me later on."
"Oh, yes, that is what you said, but it is not satisfactory. You say youknow one for whom that picture might be accepted as the portrait?"
"I do."
"The picture is mine."
"I will not dispute that, but I tell you there is a mystery. I can seenow that the party I know is not the original of the portrait, but thelikeness is very remarkable--yes, wonderful. The party I know could be atwin sister."
"Say, young man, what is it you are trying to accomplish?"
"On my honor, sir, I am telling the truth. Is your real name Ward?"
The old man showed signs of great excitement as he demanded:
"What business is it of yours who I am?"
"Is your real name Sidney?"
The old man uttered a cry, and advancing toward Ike seized his arm anddemanded: "What do you mean? Who are you?"
"We had better settle right down to full confidences, Mr. Sidney. I tellyou I am your friend."
"Will you explain your words?"
"I will."
"Do so."
"I asked you if your name was Sidney."
"You did."
"I know a young lady named Sidney who could be taken for the original ofthat picture. I concluded she must be a family connection; indeed, I amin the habit of putting little bits of evidence together and I arrivedat a conclusion, following a suspicion aroused by the strangeresemblance; that's all. I am telling you the truth."
"You look like an honest youth. Come upstairs with me. We will talk thismatter over. My name is Ward; yes, my name is Ward, but I once knew aman named Sidney. He was the friend of my boyhood. I have not seen orheard from him for many, many years."
"Did he go to California?"
"Yes, he went to California. Yes, yes, I remember he did; but comeupstairs. I wish to talk to you."
The old man led the way to the room on the second floor, and,remembering what he had seen in the lower part of the house, Ike wassurprised to behold the air of comfort and neatness presented in thisapartment.
"Sit down," said the old man.
Ike obeyed and the old miser continued in an eager tone:
"Now tell me about this girl who you say is the daughter of my oldfriend Sidney."