"What will the old lady think of you?" said Harry.
"She will have a very bad opinion till she puts on her specs and read
the bill. That will explain all. I shouldn't be surprised to see her at
my entertainment."
"I wonder if she'll recognize me," said Harry.
"No doubt; as soon as she learns with whom she rode, she'll be very
curious to come and see me perform."
"How old were you when you began to be a ventriloquist?"
"I was eighteen. I accidentally made the discovery, and devoted
considerable time to perfecting myself in it before acquainting anyone
with it. That idea came later. You see when I was twenty-one, with a
little property which I inherited from my uncle, I went into business
for myself; but I was young and inexperienced in management, and the
consequence was, that in about two years I failed. I found it difficult
to get employment as a clerk, business being very dull at the
time. While uncertain what to do, one of my friends, to whom I had
communicated my power, induced me to give me a public entertainment,
combining with it a few tricks of magic, which I had been able to pick
up from books. I succeeded so well my vocation in life became Professor
Henderson."
"It must be great fun to be a ventriloquist."
"So I regarded it at first. It may not be a very high vocation but I
make the people laugh and so I regard myself as a public benefactor.
Indeed, I once did an essential service to a young man by means of my
ventriloquism."
"I should like very much to hear the story."
"I will tell you. One day, a young man, a stranger, came to me and
introduced himself under the name of Paul Dabney. He said that I
might, if I would, do him a great service. His father had died the year
previous, leaving a farm and other property to the value of fifteen
thousand dollars. Of course, being as only son, he expected that this
would be left to himself, or, at least, the greater part of it. Conceive
his surprise, therefore, when the will came to be read, to find that the
entire property was left to his Uncle Jonas, his father brother, who,
for three years past, had been a member of the family. Jonas had never
prospered in life, and his brother, out of pity, had offered him
an asylum on his farm. He had formerly been a bookkeeper and was an
accomplished penman.
"The will was so extraordinary--since Paul and his father had always
been on perfectly good terms--that the young man was thunderstruck. His
uncle expressed hypocritical surprise at the nature of the will.
"'I don't believe my father made that will,' exclaimed Paul, angrily.
"'What do you mean by that?' demanded the uncle.
"His anger made Paul think that he had hit upon the truth, particularly
as his uncle was an adroit penman.
"He carefully examined the will; but the writing so closely resembled
his father's that he could see no difference. The witnesses were
his Uncle Jonas and a hired man, who, shortly after witnessing
the signature, had been discharged and had disappeared from the
neighborhood. All this excited Paul's suspicions.
"His uncle offered him a home on the farm; but positively refused to
give him any portion of the property.
"'I sympathize with you,' I said at the conclusion of Paul's story; 'but
how can I help you?'
"'I will tell you, sir,' he replied. 'You must know that my Uncle Jonas
is very superstitious. I mean, through your help, to play upon his fears
and thus induce him to give up the property to me.'
"With this he unfolded his plan and I agreed to help him. His uncle
lived ten miles distant. I procured a laborer's disguise and the morning
after--Paul having previously gone back--I entered the yard of the
farmhouse. The old man was standing outside, smoking a pipe.
"'Can you give me work?' I asked.
"'What kind of work?' inquired Jonas.
"'Farm work,' I answered.
"'How much do you want?'
"'Eight dollars a month.'
"'I'll give you six,' he said.
"'That's too little.'
"'It's the most I'll give you.'
"'Then I'll take,' I replied, and was at once engaged.
"Delighted to get me so cheap, the sordid old man asked me no
troublesome questions. I knew enough of farm work to get along pretty
well and not betray myself.
"That night I concealed myself in the old man's apartment without
arousing his suspicions, Paul helping me. After he had been in bed about
twenty minutes, I thought it time to begin. Accordingly I uttered a
hollow groan.
"'Eh! What's that?' cried the old man, rising in bed.
"'I am the spirit of your dead brother,' I answered, throwing my voice
near the bed.
"'What do you want?' he asked, his teeth chattering.
"'You have cheated Paul out of his property.'
"'Forgive me!' he cried, terror-stricken.
"'Then give him back the property.'
"'The whole?' he groaned.
"'Yes, the whole.'
"'Are--are you really my brother?'
"'I will give you this proof. Unless you do as I order you, in three
days you will be with me.'
"'What, dead?' he said, shuddering.
"'Yes,' I answered in sepulchral a tone as possible.
"'Are--are you sure of it?'
"'If you doubt it, disobey me.'
"'I'll do it, but--don't come again.'
"'Be sure you do it then.'
"I ceased to speak, being tired, and escaped as soon as I could. But the
battle was not yet over. The next day gave Jonas courage. Afternoon
came and he had done nothing. He was with me in the field when I threw a
hollow voice, which seemed to be close to his ear. I said, 'Obey, or in
three days you die.'
"He turned pale as a sheet and asked me if I heard anything. I expressed
surprise and this confirmed him in his belief of the ghostly visitation.
He went to the house, sent for a lawyer and transferred the entire
property to his nephew. The latter made him a present of a thousand
dollars and so the affair ended happily. Paul paid me handsomely for
my share in the trick and the next day I made an excuse for leaving the
farm."
"Did the old man ever discover your agency in the affair, Professor
Henderson?"
"Never. He is dead now and my friend Paul is happily married, and has
a fine family. His oldest boy is named after me. But here we are in
Holston."