The Twin Ventriloquists: or, Nimble Ike and Jack the Juggler

There was an interested look in the young fellow's eyes as he asked the question.

"She gave no reason."

"Where has she gone?"

"I do not know."

"I must find out," said the youth. "I was greatly taken with Miss Sidney; she was a very charming young lady. We shall miss her."

At that instant there came the announcement:

"Miss Sidney left the house because she was robbed."

Every one started. No one appeared to know who had spoken, but the young man gave a start, turned pale and asked in a voice that trembled perceptibly:

"Who says she was robbed?"

At that moment the landlady returned to the room. She saw that something had gone wrong.

"What is the matter?" she asked.

No one answered, and there followed a moment's awkward silence, broken at length by the bumptious young man, who said:

"Some one stated that Miss Sidney left here because she had been robbed."

The landlady's face flushed scarlet as she said:

"Who made the statement?"

No one answered.

"It's false," said the landlady, "and I should like to know who said she had been robbed."

"I said so."

The voice appeared to come from the old maid typewriter, and the landlady at once exclaimed:

"Miss Gaynor, did you state that Miss Sidney left here because she was robbed?"

"I did not," declared Miss Gaynor, indignantly.

"I said so," came a voice from the far end of the table.

The landlady looked in the direction indicated. An old man sat there and the voice was that of an old man.

"Did you say so, Mr. Smith?"

"I did not, madam," declared the elderly gentleman in an angry tone.

Again there followed a silence, when the landlady remarked:

"It's very strange; if any one makes such a charge, I wish they would come out and do so openly."

"Mr. Goodlove made the statement," came a voice.

Mr. Goodlove was the bumptious young man. He at once rose to his feet and in an indignant tone declared:

"It's a lie, I did not make the statement. Who says I did?"

"I do," came the answer, and it appeared to come from the young lady typewriter number two, who was a pretty, delicate-looking young girl, quiet, modest, and least likely to speak out boldly.

The man Goodlove looked at her and demanded:

"Do you dare say I made the statement?"

"I said nothing," she answered timidly, adding, "I did not speak at all."

"What is all this ado about, anyhow?" came a voice. "Mr. Goodlove knows better than any one else that Miss Sidney was robbed; why does he pretend ignorance as to the cause of her leaving?"

The young man turned ghastly.

"Who spoke then?" he asked.

"Oh, it's no use asking who spoke; you know all about the robbery."

"Whoever says that is a liar."

The landlady was becoming greatly excited. She said:

"Miss Sidney did claim that she was robbed, but I have proof that she is an adventuress and a blackmailer. She told me she had been robbed and she really wanted to work upon my sympathies. She did not possess anything to be robbed of, and I told her she had better go away."

"You did right," said Mr. Goodlove. "I did not wish to tell you, madam, but I suspected all along that the minx was an adventuress."

A voice came, saying: "You've changed your mind; you said she was a lovely girl and that you were very much taken with her. Well, I reckon you did take."

"Who spoke?" demanded Goodlove.

"Oh, you know who spoke, and you know more about this whole affair than any one else. The police are after you."

The man wilted as he asked:

"Did Miss Sidney hint that I was the robber?"

As Goodlove spoke his eyes wandered around to learn who it was who had addressed him.

"No, she didn't accuse any one; you have accused yourself. You were seen, however, to deposit a whole lot of gold."

"She didn't have any gold," came the excited declaration.

Ike had struck his man at last.

It was a strange scene in that room at that moment, and the great mystery was who did the talking. No one appeared to know and there was great confusion, and it was because of the confusion that no one appeared to recognize, as stated, who was doing the talking.

There came a voice demanding, when Goodlove said she had no gold:

"How do you know? Were you rummaging in her trunk?"

The man became confused; indeed, he looked as though about going into collapse.

The most mysterious part of it all was the fact that no one knew who was doing the talking. The people looked into each other's faces and could not discern, and yet the voice sounded distinct and clear. Some one was talking. Who was it?

During all this time Ike was as mute as an owl after dawn. He looked around with an inquiring and surprised look upon his face, seemingly as greatly mystified as any one, and the voice pitilessly continued:

"Better be careful, Mister Man. The detectives have their eyes on you."

Goodlove turned to the landlady and almost yelled:

"Madam, send for an officer. This is going too far."

"I will not have an officer in my house; no need."

"But, madam, who is it insulting me?"

"I do not know."

The landlady was as much dazed and mystified as any one.

The voice, however, ceased – became hushed; but a strange feeling pervaded those who had been witnesses and listeners during the strange scene. One after the other they rose and left the table and the room. Goodlove and Ike remained. The fellow looked over at Ike sharply and said:

"Say, my friend, did you notice who used the insulting language?"

The voice was again heard. It appeared to come from the hall and the words were:

"That young man does not know anything about it. Don't question him, you thief."

Goodlove rushed out to the hall. There was not a soul there. He ran up the stairs, but saw no one. Each one of the boarders had either retired to his room or had gone out. Ike left the table and passed Goodlove in the hall. He did not speak to the man, but went to the hatrack, secured his hat and stepped out to the street. Goodlove meantime entered the parlor and commenced pacing the floor. The landlady joined him.

"Madam," he said, "this is a most extraordinary occurrence."

"It is, sir."

"You were present. You know who made those insulting remarks."

"I do not."

"I will know, madam."

"I hope you will be able to learn, for the occurrence will do me great injury unless the mystery is explained."

"There is no mystery about it. You have an impudent rascal in your house. Who is your new boarder?"

"He came to me highly recommended."

"It's all very strange, madam."

"Can it be possible," asked the landlady, "that the new boarder is a detective?"

Goodlove's face became ghastly. He walked more rapidly, and finally, seizing his hat from the hatrack, stepped out to the street. He had gone but a few steps, however, when a hand was laid on his shoulder – a heavy hand. The man would have shrieked if he had not been actually paralyzed with terror.

"Hello, Goodlove," said the man who had seized him. "Where are you going?"

The man trembled, but could not answer.

"Well, we've got you, mister. But let me ask you, is this your first offense? If it is it's all the better for you, that's all. We may let up on you, but we've got you dead to rights."

The man managed to gasp:

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, come off! We've got you all right. We didn't close in on you until we had all the proof. Where are the bonds you stole from Miss Sidney's trunk, and the money?"

The detective talked in such a matter-of-fact tone, with such absolute assurance, that the culprit was all "broke up." He just wilted.

"Who says I stole the bonds?"

"Oh, come off! don't attempt that. Old man, see here; do you want to be locked up? Turn over the stolen property, and if this is your first offense I'll let you go; but if you attempt to deny or play 'possum I'll lock you up and you will go to Sing Sing Prison; that's all."

"How strange!" muttered the prisoner.

"Strange that you were found out?"

"Yes."

"Why, you fool, we knew all the time that you stole the bonds. Thieves always get found out, but it depends upon how smart they are in getting away. Crime never pays; criminals always come to a bad end. This is your first offense. You have learned a lesson that will last you all your life. It always pays to be honest; it's always a losing game to be dishonest. Now what is your decision? Will you go to jail or surrender the stolen property?"

"If I surrender it will you let me off?"

"As this is your first offense I will let you off, and as I do not wish to spoil your future chances I will say nothing about your guilt. But let me tell you, if you ever steal again you will surely be caught and will pay the full penalty."

"I will surrender the property."

CHAPTER VI

IKE RECOVERS THE BONDS THROUGH HIS FRIEND, DETECTIVE DU FLORE, AND HE AND HIS FELLOW VENTRILOQUIST FALL INTO NEW ADVENTURES.

The property was surrendered – the bonds, all the jewelry and all the money to a cent – and placed in the hands of Ike, who, when he met his "side partner" at their home, said:

"Well, Jack, I didn't need you. I caught my fish easy."

"Yes, 'dead easy,' as the two robbers said."

"They missed, I won."

"You did."

"So much for this adventure. To-morrow I will return the stolen property to the owner, and then – "

"What then?"

"We will lie around for a new adventure. We're having a heap of fun."

"We are, and doing a heap of good even if I say it myself."

On the day following the incidents we have related Ike and Jack in company called upon the young lady for whom they had done so great a service. She received them in the little parlor, but she appeared very anxious and careworn, and she said after the usual greetings:

"I am very unhappy."

"You are?"

"I am."

"Why?"

"I cannot remain here with this good lady when I am unable to pay for my board."

"What will you do?" asked Ike, a pleasant brightness in his eyes.

"I do not know what I will do. I am already in her debt."

"You are?"

"Yes; she paid my board bill at the last place when she went with me to get my trunk."

"And you think you will not be able to pay her?"

"I do not know what I will do."

"You can pay her when you recover your stolen property."

"I will never recover that."

"Did I not promise that I would recover it for you?"

"Yes, in the goodness of your heart you did; but the lady here, with whom I am staying, says the chances are very much against my ever recovering my property."

"And has she intimated that you had better find another home?"

"On the contrary, she has told me I can remain here as long as I please – until I find my uncle or secure a position that will enable me to earn my living."

"You can set your mind at rest; when I promise a thing I usually keep my promise. I will not keep you in suspense. Here is your property restored to you."

The girl almost fainted, so great was her excitement. She could not speak for a full minute, but when she did find voice she exclaimed:

"And you really have recovered all my property?"

"You can recognize your own property; here it is."

"This is wonderful."

"It's jolly good, that's all. I said I would recover it and I've kept my word; and now you are independent."

"Oh, I am so grateful! How did you do it?"

"Well, we did it."

"Who was the thief?"

"One of the boarders in that house."

"Who was the guilty party?"

"Whom would you suspect?"

"No one; they all seemed good people."

"And you had no suspicion?"

"I did not suspect any one particular person."

"A young man named Goodlove was the thief."

The girl stared.

"He was the thief?"

"Yes."

"I never would have suspected him, he was so kind to me. He was the only one to whom I told anything about myself."

"Yes, and he took advantage of your confidence in him to rob you."

"I did not tell him I had any money."

"He evidently suspected you did have, but all's well that ends well; and now you will remember I made you another promise."

"You said you would find my uncle."

"I said I would find him if he were living."

"And can you succeed as you have in recovering this property?"

"I can and will, if he is alive. And now can I advise you?"

"Yes."

"Make your home here for the present, until such time as we report as concerns the whereabouts of your uncle."

"Now that I can pay my board I will gladly remain here. I propose to take music lessons and become a teacher. I shall be self-supporting. I am pretty well advanced in music already."

"That is good. Can we call and see you occasionally?"

"I shall always be delighted to have you call upon me; you have proved yourselves my real friends. But will you tell me how you managed to recover my bonds?"

"Not to-day; some day we will tell you all about it."

"And Goodlove – is he in jail?"

"No, it was his first offense and we let him off. He will leave New York, however, and start afresh. I think he has learned a lesson and will become honest."

On the day following Ike and Jack were at breakfast in a restaurant when they overheard the proprietor of the place and a customer discussing a great robbery that had taken place under the most startling circumstances. Ike, after the meal, secured a paper and read the account. The robbery was indeed a very startling one. An old miser had lived in a tumble-down house for twenty-odd years. No one knew that he possessed one cent; indeed, his neighbors were not aware that he was the owner of the old tumble-down house in which he resided. He was seldom seen on the streets, then only at night. He never begged alms, lived in the most frugal manner, as was supposed, as no one could tell where he did procure his food. He occupied the little old house alone, and, as stated, had gone on for years, never attracting any attention until one morning through the police the startling announcement was made that the old man was really a possible millionaire. Thieves had broken into his old house, chloroformed him and ransacked his apartments, and according to the old man's statement had carried off gold, bills, silver bonds, and securities to an amount which under all the circumstances appeared incredible. Indeed, as it appeared, the police had been in possession of the facts of the robbery for several days, but they had doubted the old man's story, doubted that he had ever possessed any property at all, but later revelations established the truthfulness of the old man's statement beyond all question. As it also appeared, the old man had gone to South America when a very young man. He had returned to New York twenty years previous to the time of the robbery, and had then purchased the old house where, for reasons of his own, he had lived seemingly the life of a miser. The papers spoke of him in contemptuous tones as an old miser, and said by intimation that it served him right to be robbed. It was a just retribution visited upon a man who for the pure love of possession had denied himself the comforts of life just to accumulate his hoards, which were useless to him and the thousands of needy people whom he might have aided. The robbery had been a very mysterious one. No one had been seen by any one lurking in the vicinity of the house, but some time between midnight and morning three men, as the old miser declared, had entered his house, had chloroformed him and then had deliberately gone all through his apartments and had taken everything of value they could lay their hands on. After the robbery, as it appeared, the old man had refused to take any one into his house as a guard. He did not relish the visits of the police, but declared that everything portable of any value had been taken. He had been very methodical and had the numbers of most of his bonds, and the usual notifications were sent to dealers; but it was well known that quite a number of the securities were unregistered and negotiable. Indeed, as it proved later, the old man was mistaken; the bulk of them were negotiable. Besides the securities, jewels of great value and hoards of gold and silver were taken.

Ike and Jack read over the account and later met their friend, Detective Du Flore, who knew all about the case, and he said:

"I was coming to see you. I wonder if we can get in on this job with any hope of success?"

"I don't know about the hope of success," said Ike, "but we can get in on the job."

"I will tell you something privately: there is an immense reward offered. It will be the job of our lives if we can run down those plunderers."

"We can try."

"Ike, you are a wonder, and hoping to have your aid I have had myself specially assigned to the case. My reputation for life will be made, and we will all receive a big sum of money. I owe my present reputation to you. The capture of those two burglars has set me away up, and if I can solve this mystery and run down the robbers I am a great man."

"We will see what we can do."

"It's a great case and some of the oldest men on the force are on it. I would like to prove a winner."

"We will do the best we can."

"You have a great head, Ike."

"Thank you; I'll do the best I can."

"What is your plan for a starter?"

"I must have a chance to think the matter over. It will take me two or three days to make up my mind, but let me tell you, Du Flore, I have an idea that we can solve this mystery and get on the thieves."

"We are just made for life if we can. When will you see me again?"

"In a few days or in a few hours possibly," said Ike.

The detective and the ventriloquist separated, and as Ike and Jack walked away the former said:

"Jack, we've got a big job on hand. Let's walk down and take a look at the old miser's house, for to-night we may wish to play burglar."

"What do you mean?"

"I am going to take great chances. I am going to get into that house."

"Sneak in?"

"Yes."

"You will get into a scrape, I fear."

"Eh, Jack, do you fear? I did not think you knew what fear meant."

Jack laughed and said:

"Don't take me so quick, Ike. All I intended to convey was that we should be cautious. That house will be under surveillance. It might prove awkward if you were caught sneaking into the old man's place."

"Would you sneak in if you had a plan?"

"To own up square, I would."

"All right; we won't be caught, and if we do, with your brave aid we'll get out of the scrape. I've an idea – a very funny one. I won't tell it to you now, or even you might call me a crank. But I tell you, I am going to take big chances and get into the old man's house on the sly, in spite of the police, detectives and every one else. I've a scheme."

The two lads arrived in the vicinity of the house and scanned the surroundings very carefully, and as they walked away Ike said:

"We have a chance for a joke on hand, Jack."

"Yes, I am on to it."

"What are you on to?"

"We have been spotted and a detective is on our track."

"Yes, a snide. We'll give him a lesson."

"When?"

"Oh, we'll shake him now, but to-night we'll show up again and have our fun, and with our fun we'll do some business."

The ventriloquists were right. They had been spotted and a "snide" detective was on their track, and the youths did succeed in giving him the "shake," and they just kept under cover until night, when, having fully arranged for their adventures, they issued forth and proceeded again down to the old miser's house, and just as they suspected the "snide" detective got on to their track again, and the second time he started in to follow them he was satisfied he had struck something. As Ike and Jack walked away the former said:

"Now the fun commences. We will give that fellow a great steer."

Ike and Jack were both well posted all over the city of New York, and they proceeded to a public-house which had been for years under the surveillance of the police. It was a regular thieves' resort and many a bad fellow had been trailed from that very house. Once in the house they sat down at a table and called for their beer, and, as both suspected, in a few moments the "snide" entered. He pretended to be looking at everything else but the two youths, when in reality he was watching every movement. Ike had been revolving in his mind how to give the fellow a layout. He knew the man well. He was a real "snide" – a detective beat – in fact, not a genuine detective, but the agent of a detective agency. He thought himself, however, very smart. Ike, as stated, knew the house well, and knew that a number of very prominent politicians were in the habit of gathering in a back room on the second floor, where they indulged a little game of cards for fun only, and discussed their political plans. They were men away up politically, not thieves in the general sense of the word; at least, they were not liable to arrest, and they were very bold and resolute and had a very high idea of themselves. Even while Ike sat there he saw two of these men enter the place and pass through a rear side door to the hall.

Ike knew these men well. He was aware, as stated, that they met in this room to discuss their political plans. They were in session, and after a little while the "snide" who had been watching the two ventriloquists crossed over to the table where they were sitting and pretended to have met one of them before.

"See here, mister," said Ike, "you are barking up the wrong tree."

The man gazed in astonishment.

"We are not under glances now, but there's bigger game in this house."

The "snide" recognized at once that the two young fellows were "on to him," as the saying goes.

"Who are you fellows anyhow?" he demanded.

"Oh, we're just out, we are. You have no use for us, nor we for you."

"You say there's bigger game in this house?"

"Yes, there is."

"Give me the points."

"Oh, you can't work it alone."

"I can't?"

"No."

"You give me the points and we will see if I can."

"Go and get your pard. It will take two of you, and I'll let you on to a big call. I want to get square; that's how I stand."

"You put me on to a big lay and I'll make it worth your while."

"You will?"

"I will. You know me, don't you?"

"I only know you are a cop, that's all."

"Did I ever have any dealings with you?"

"Never; but I want to get square. There are a couple of men in this house who swore us away once."

Our readers will bear in mind that both the ventriloquists were under a disguise that permitted them to play the role they were working at that moment.

"What is the lay?"

"Oh, it's the old miser business. I knew the moment that thing came out who did that job."

"It may be you did," said the detective wisely.

"Do you think we were in it?"

"You may have been."

"Then take us, and we'll have the laugh on you and the real game will skip. I say I can set you on to a dead sure game to prove your arrest."

"You can?"

"I can."

"How?"

"When I agree I can do it easy enough, but you had better get a pard. These villains are wild fellows; they might do you up."

"I'll take chances."

"You will?"

"I will."

"All right; I'll give you the points."

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 not attempted to go into the full details and describe just how Ike got down to his deception. We have just outlined the conversation, but for the purpose he had in view our hero talked straight to the point and his proposition was not an unreasonable one; it was just the dodge to hook a fellow of the stripe of the "snide." Our hero knew just how to work his trick and adapted his plan to his man.

Ike had his fish well hooked, and then he became very confidential. He told his man to go to the rear room and play off so as not to attract attention. The man obeyed and a little later Ike joined him, and then, after looking around furtively, still maintaining his play, he said: