JACK AND IKE PLAY A TRICK ON A BAD MAN AND VERIFY IKE'S SUSPICION
THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING UP--THE BAD MAN TAKES A SWIM INSTEAD OF
THE VEILED GIRL.
The girl removed her veil a moment and gazed into the waters of the lake
and her beautiful face was revealed. The man who had been shadowing her
had a chance to observe her beauty. Ike had his eye upon the man and
arrived at a conclusion. He concluded from the expression on the
fellow's face that he was a villain and meant the beautiful girl no
good. He was very handsomely dressed, wore diamonds of the biggest sort
and altogether appeared like an individual whom a young girl would have
good reason to fear.
"Jack," said our hero, "that fellow is a bad one. He means the girl no
good."
We write girl, for the veiled lady was but a mere girl, as revealed when
her veil was removed. She had only removed her face covering for a
moment. The man advanced toward her and the lads stepped closer, hiding
in the shrubbery to the rear of the rustic seat where the girl had
placed herself. As the man approached he said:
"Why, Miss Galt, good-morning."
"I beg your pardon, sir," said the lady; "you have made a mistake."
It was the old trick--merely a pretense to speak to the girl.
"Is it possible I have made a mistake?" said the man.
"You have certainly made a mistake."
If the man had been a gentleman he would have apologized and have moved
on, but he said:
"It's so strange. You are a perfect picture of the lady I know as Miss
Galt."
"I am not Miss Galt, sir, and you will please not address me further."
"It's a beautiful day," said the man.
The girl betrayed her surprise from under her veil, but made no reply,
evidently believing the man would move on; but instead he approached
nearer to her. The girl rose as though to walk away, when the man said:
"Excuse me, but are you sure you are not playing me a little trick? Are
you really not Miss Galt?"
The girl started to move away, when the man looked around furtively and
then boldly approached. The girl was terrified. She attempted to scream,
when the man actually grasped her arm. She was paralyzed with fear; she
could not scream. Her eyes expressed her terror, her face became deathly
pale, and no one can tell what might have occurred if at that critical
moment Ike and Jack had not darted forth, and Ike exclaimed:
"Hold on there! you scoundrel, what are you doing?"
The man was large and apparently powerful. He glared at the two slender
youths, and evidently concluded that with but little effort he could
toss them both into the lake if so inclined. He said:
"You two young rascals, how dare you address me?"
He had released his hold upon the arm of the lady and the latter,
woman-like, remained, hoping even in her weakness to be of some service
to the two handsome youths who had interfered in her behalf. In a few
moments, however, she learned that they did not need any assistance.
These two young wonders were perfectly capable of taking care of the big
insulter of womanhood.
In reply to his words to them, the two ventriloquists gave him a laugh.
He became enraged. He felt mean anyhow, as he had been caught in a
contemptible act. He was prepared to become enraged very readily.
"You laugh at me, you young rascals?"
"Certainly we do, you mean scoundrel."
"You call me a scoundrel?"
"That's what we call you."
"You two rascals, get away from here or I'll hurt you."
"You will?"
"Yes."
"You can't hurt any one. You're a big fraud."
The man moved toward the speaker, when a dog barked savagely at his
heels. He leaped in the air and turned quickly, but there was no dog
there. He supposed the fierce animal had skipped away, and with an oath
he advanced another step toward the laughing and jeering lads, when
again the dog barked savagely at his heels, and again he leaped in the
air, but there was no dog visible.
The man was confused, and Ike said:
"You are a villain. You should be lynched or ducked."
"Let's duck him," said Jack.
"It's a go," answered Ike.
The man gazed in amazement at their audacity, and he was about to make a
rush, when seemingly there came a gruff voice behind him, preceded by a
shrill whistle.
"Hold on there! what are you about?"
The man thought that indeed a park policeman was at hand. He turned. He
was standing near the edge of the water, for the ventriloquists had
purposely changed their own position so as to draw him down in that
direction. As he turned Ike ran forward head first and made a clear dive
straight at the small of the man's back. Over he went, face forward,
paralyzed by the blow, and then the two lads jumped on him. Over and
over they rolled him toward the water. At this instant the lady
interfered, but her protest came too late. The man was rolled into the
water about waist deep, and the water restored his strength, and there
followed a mighty floundering as he struggled toward the shore. The boys
roared with laughter. The man crawled out and made a rush for them, when
again the dog barked at his heels, and he made a leap in the air; and as
he turned and saw no dog, terror seized him, and a sudden impulse, for
away he ran like a deer, all wet and dripping as he was. Then Ike
advanced toward the veiled girl and said:
"Excuse us, miss, but he got just what he deserved. We saw him seize you
and we made up our minds to scare him out. We will bid you good-morning.
He will not molest you again."
The girl stood and gazed in silence a moment and then said:
"I thank you," and involuntarily she added: "Oh, what shall I do?"
"Are you in trouble, miss?" asked Ike.
The girl had betrayed herself to a certain extent, and she answered:
"Yes, I am in great trouble."
"Possibly we can aid you."
"No, no, you cannot aid me as readily and manfully as you did just now."
"But possibly we can."
The girl looked the two handsome lads over, and again she murmured, as
though unable to control her emotions:
"Oh, what shall I do?"
"We can help you."
"No, you cannot help me."
"Yes, we can."
"No, no; I wish you could. No one can help me; I am ruined."
"Come, we will walk away from here and you shall tell us your trouble.
We can aid you. You will find out that we can."
They were both bright-faced youths. They had just given an exhibition of
their nerve and courage.
"Come, do not be afraid. We can aid you, no matter what your trouble."
"It's so strange," murmured the girl.
"What is so strange?"
"That you should offer to aid me."
"Well, we can aid you. That's our mission in life."
The girl did not understand the remark, but she was charmed with the two
bright-faced, honest-looking lads. She said:
"I am half inclined to tell you my trouble. I am a stranger in New York;
I have no one to confide in. Yes, I will tell you my trouble, but you
cannot aid me."
"I reckon we can aid you, no matter what the trouble may be."
The girl walked away with the two ventriloquists, but occasionally she
glanced back at the lake and both the youths were convinced that she had
really intended suicide.
When some distance away from the lake and in a retired part of the park,
the girl said:
"Mine is a very strange story. I do not know as you will believe it."
"We will believe anything you tell us," said Ike gallantly.
"A week ago I came on from San Francisco. My father died a year ago; my
mother has been dead for a long time. My father knew he was to die, as
he had an incurable disease, and he gave me all his savings, converted
everything he had into cash and placed it in my hands, and when it came
near the last he told me after his death to come on here to New York.
He said he once had a brother whom he had not seen or heard from for
thirty years. 'My brother may still be living; if so he will be your
friend and protector, and you will not be dependent upon him, as you
will have five thousand dollars.'
"After my father's death I remained in San Francisco a year to complete
my education, and then I started for New York. The money I had changed
into non-registered bonds, and I put them in my trunk. I arrived in New
York a week ago and went to a place to board that had been recommended
to me by a friend in San Francisco. Last night I opened my trunk to look
at the bonds and discovered to my horror that they were gone. I at once
informed the landlady, who told me she could do nothing, that she knew
nothing about my bonds. She evidently did not believe my story. She
looks upon me as a swindler. I saw in this morning's paper the name of a
lawyer. I called upon him to consult him, but first I went to the
captain of police in my district. He evidently did not believe my story,
and then, as I said, I went to the lawyer. I told my tale to him. He
said he could do nothing for me--I must depend upon the police. He also,
I think, did not believe my story. They look upon me as an adventuress.
I have no proofs. I have no way to prove that I ever had the bonds. They
have been stolen, and in claiming them I am losing my reputation. I am
looked upon as a swindler myself. I tell you the truth. I did have the
bonds and they have been stolen from me. I am ruined. No one will
believe me. You do not believe my story."
"Yes, I do believe your story," said Ike, "and we will recover your
bonds."
"You will recover them?" exclaimed the girl.
"Yes, we will recover them."
"No, no; never," she said in a despairing tone.
"We will see about that. When did you last see your bonds?"
"The night after my arrival in New York."
"Where?"
"In my trunk."
"After you had arrived at your present boarding-house?"
"Yes."
"Is there any one in the house whom you suspect?"
"I know not whom to suspect, but they were stolen after my arrival in
that house. The landlady refuses to believe my story; the captain of
police refuses to believe my story, and the lawyer to whom I went and
offered one thousand dollars as a fee refuses to believe my story."
"And my friend and I do believe your story, and we are the only ones who
can aid you in recovering them. One would have to know you to believe
your tale. It is indeed a strange one."
"And you do not know me."
"Well, we have other reasons for believing your story. I tell you we
will recover your bonds. You can rely upon my word."
"How can you do it?"
"We have our own method for going about it."
"The landlady has hinted that she would like to have me leave the house.
I have no money to go anywhere else, for all my money I had placed in my
trunk and that is gone also."
"How much money did you have?"
"I had over two hundred dollars."
"And it has been stolen?"
"Yes; whoever took the bonds took my money also, and my jewelry--for all
my valuables were in my trunk."
Jack looked at Ike in a dubious sort of way, for the story was becoming
quite odd. Ike, however, believed the tale. He said:
"It's hard luck to lose all that way, but you shall have it returned to
you."
"I don't know what I shall do."
"Did you tell any one else in the house about your loss save the
landlady?"
"No, I have not said one word to any one else, and the landlady told me
not to do so."
Ike was thoughtful a moment and then said:
"I will find your bonds. In the meantime I believe it well for you
temporarily to find another boarding-place."
"I do not know where to go."
"I can recommend you to a very nice, motherly lady who will see to your
comfort."
There came a look of sudden suspicion to the girl's eyes and she said:
"I have no money. I do not know what to do."
Ike, as our readers know, possessed wonderfully quick and observant
eyes, and he could discern in a most remarkable manner.
"You need not bother about the money part of it. I know this lady well;
she is a very reputable person, the widow of a man who was a great
detective. She will be willing to wait for her pay until you recover
your money and bonds."
"But I may never recover them."
"Yes, you will recover them; on that point you can make your mind easy.
When I and my friend here set out to accomplish a thing we never fail,
and you shall satisfy yourself that the lady will really become your
friend before you take up your home with her."
Ike had organized a great scheme. He was satisfied in his own mind that
the money had been stolen either by the landlady or one of her boarders.
He had a way of bringing people to a betrayal that was all his own. He
held some further talk with the girl, and then asked:
"What is your name?"
The girl hesitated.
"You need not fear to tell me your name. I will go with you if you
choose to the captain of police and he shall vouch for my honor and
loyalty."
"It is not necessary," said the girl, who was really bright and
self-reliant. "My name is Sara Sidney."
"Miss Sidney," said our hero, "we will go to the home of the lady where
I propose that you shall board while I am conducting the hunt for your
missing bonds. You can satisfy yourself of her respectability before you
remove to her home."
The girl hesitated.
"You need not hesitate. I will not only find your bonds, but I will find
your uncle for you if he still be living, or his sons or daughters in
case any of your cousins may be living."
"Why should you take all this trouble on my behalf?"
"I will confide to you a secret: I am a sort of detective. It is my duty
to look out for you."
"I will go with you," said the girl.
Ike arranged to meet Jack later on and proceeded with Sara to the house
of the lady where he proposed she should remain. The moment Sara was
introduced to the lady the latter won the girl's confidence, and our
hero left his charge with his friend, and the latter arranged to go with
Sara and have her trunk removed. Meantime Ike met his comrade Jack, and
the latter said:
"Well, Ike, I yield the palm to you. Yes, sir, you are the most
observant and quickest person I ever met. I thought I was great, but you
are the greatest fellow on earth, in my opinion."
"Well, it is strange how we chanced to fall to this girl, so beautiful
and so helpless."
"Yes, she is beautiful, and I will say that there are thousands of
undeveloped romances in New York at this very moment."
"Yes, that is true; if a man desires to get into an adventure of a
strange character he can easily do it here in this great metropolis."
"Say, Ike, she is a beautiful girl."
"She is indeed. Have you fallen in love with her?"
"I don't know."
"I wish you'd find out," said Ike, with a very meaning smile on his
face.
"Hello! is that the case, Ike?"
"Is what the case?"
"Are you dead gone so soon?"
"I don't know how I am, but she is a lovely girl and her case is a
peculiar one."
"And you have promised to recover her bonds?"
"I have."
"You have undertaken a big job."
"You think so?"
"I do."
"I'll get them."
"You will?"
"Yes."
"Have you a plan?"
"I have."
"Will you tell me your plan?"
Ike revealed his plan to Jack, and the latter said:
"Well, I'll be shot if you haven't a head for a detective, and it's
right here where our gifts come in."
"Yes, sir."
"And you want me to aid you?"
"Sure."
"When will you start in?"
"At once."
The same afternoon that the incidents occurred which we have related,
Ike, gotten up in good shape and furnished with a letter of
introduction, called at the house where Sara Sidney had been robbed, and
he succeeded in engaging board. He pretended to be an art student, and
the first night he appeared at the dinner table he glanced around to
take in the general appearance of his fellow boarders. He was just the
lad to measure human faces. He had questioned Sara very particularly
about her fellow boarders in the house, and he was well posted when he
sat down to the table, after the usual introduction in a general way.
The people he found to be the usual representative class that one finds
in a city boarding-house. There was the doctor who occupied the rear
parlor, a lawyer, two lady typewriters, one a creature who knew it all
from A to Z. There were in all about twenty people in the house. Ike
went over them all. He studied in his quiet, cute way every face, and
did not see one person whom he was led to suspect, and the sequel will
prove how unerring was his facial study of those people. When the meal
was about half through there came bouncing into the room a young man. He
was a bold-faced, bumptious sort of a chap, and as he took his seat he
ran his eyes over the people assembled and then asked:
"Where is Miss Sidney?"
The landlady said:
"She has left us."
The young man was thoughtful a moment, and then asked:
"When did she go?"
"This afternoon."
"What reason did she give for going?"
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."