UNPLEASANT HAPPENINGS.
Up at the rear of the house rose a person, who shouted:
"Yes, I'm here! Your old fly business is a fake, and I know it! You are
imposing on the people!"
That person, who was no other than an old-time enemy of Merriwell's,
Sport Harris himself, hurled something at the mirror.
That something was a set of brass knuckles, which the young tough
carried with him constantly.
His aim was accurate.
Had the knuckles struck the mirror a smash would have followed that
must have exposed the manner in which the trick was performed.
But Frank, like a flash, thrust out his left hand and caught the flying
missile, preventing the catastrophe.
"The act of a ruffian!" he said, his eyes flashing. "It is exactly what
I should expect from you, Harris!"
"Arrest him!" roared the red-faced man. "Where is a policeman? He'll
stay in the lock-up to-night!"
The ushers started toward Harris.
"Keep away," warned the young ruffian. "If you chaps try to touch me,
you'll get hurt!"
He reached toward his hip pocket, and the ushers stopped instantly.
"Call an officer!" directed Mayor Durgin, from his box. "Don't let him
get away!"
"No, don't let him get away!" cried a number of voices.
There was a move toward the door.
Harris vaulted over the back row of seats and rushed to the door, where
he paused, turned about, shook his fist at Frank, and shouted:
"I'll see you again! I've been wanting to see you ever since I found
you had escaped my vengeance! Our account is not settled! I'll square
with you!"
Dash--slam! Harris was gone.
Several hurried after him, crying for him to stop.
It was some moments before the excitement in the theater subsided.
Frank advanced to the front of the stage, and made a short speech, in
which he said:
"I thank you all for your kind attention, and I trust you are satisfied
with the performance given here. As announced in advance, the feats of
the 'Educated Fly' will close the entertainment. All those who are not
satisfied can recover their money by calling at the box office."
"Anybody who calls at the box office is too mean to live in this town,"
loudly declared the mayor. "Just to see the work of that fly was
worth more than the price anyone paid for seats here to-night. We are
satisfied with the performance, young man, and we hope you will appear
here again at some future time. If you do, you may be sure that you
will have a full house."
"That's right!"
"Just so!"
"You bet!"
"He's a good one!"
Cries of approval came from all parts of the theater.
"Possibly I may appear again," said Merriwell, "for I have been given
his entire apparatus by Prof. Zolverein, and it may be my fortune to
travel as a professional magician."
"You're all right!"
"You're a winner!"
"Zolverein picked a good man!"
"Good-night! good-night!"
The curtain fell behind Frank, shutting out the marked mirror and the
wonderful fly, now resting quietly in the blank corner.
Merriwell stood at the front of the stage, bowing, as the audience
departed, while the pianist marched them out with his music.
Thaddeus Burnham remained in the box office until everyone had left the
theater, and then he came panting and palpitating to the dressing room,
where Frank was getting into his own clothes.
"Not a cent," jubilantly cried Burnham--"not a cent did I give back!
Nobody called for money! It is amazing!"
Frank smiled quietly.
"But the performance was all right," averred the manager. "I didn't
suppose you could do it. And that fly business--why, that was
wonderful! How in the name of creation did you do that?"
"Magicians do not give away the manner in which they perform their
feats," said Merry, quietly.
"I know it, but--well, never mind. You did it, and that's enough. Come
into the office, and we'll settle. You have made a tidy sum to-night."
The assistant, M. Mazarin, was standing near, looking glum and
dissatisfied.
"Of course I could not have carried the thing through successfully
without M. Mazarin's aid," said Merriwell, who was bound to give credit
where credit was due. "He must have a liberal share of the proceeds
to-night."
Even this did not clear the cloud from the man's face.
"That is for you to settle between yourselves," said Burnham. "I don't
care what you do, as long as I was not forced to refund money to such
a house as this was to-night. The thought that I must do so galled me
terribly."
He hurried back to the box office.
Frank completed dressing, and then he observed that Mazarin was still
standing there, scowling and silent.
"What is the matter?" asked Merry. "Did anything go wrong?"
"Everything has gone wrong."
"How is that?"
"Oh, it's no use to talk it over!"
"Why not?"
"Because."
"What do you mean?"
"It wouldn't make any difference."
Frank was determined to know what the man meant.
"Have I offended you in any way, M. Mazarin?" he asked.
"No," shortly.
"Then I presume we will be able to make arrangements to travel
together, in case I decide to go on the road as a professional
magician?"
"No!"
"Can't? I will pay you well. You shall----"
The assistant made a gesture that checked Frank.
"I was a fool to help you to-night!" he exclaimed, angrily.
Frank whistled.
"A fool? Why?"
"I have not been used right."
"By whom?"
"Zolverein."
"Ah! How was that?"
"I have been with him constantly for three years."
"Yes?"
"Yes. I was faithful to him."
"I haven't a doubt of it."
"What has he done for me?"
"I don't know."
"Nothing."
"Hasn't he used you square in a business way?"
"In a business way, perhaps. But didn't I have every reason to expect
something more?"
"It is possible you did."
"And I got--nothing."
"Is that the trouble?"
"Isn't it enough? Here he gave you, almost a stranger, this apparatus,
which is worth a large sum of money. Why didn't he give it to me?"
"I can't answer that question."
"Why did he give it to you?"
"Because I was fortunate enough to save his life this morning."
"You saved his life then that he might die to-night. I was shocked
by his sudden death, and that is how it happened that I consented to
assist you this evening. Had I thought it over, I should have refused.
I might have gone on and given a performance here to-night, and I was
the one to do it. I have traveled with him so long that I am perfectly
familiar with all his tricks."
"Yes; but without the aid of a trained assistant, you could not have
given a good performance. Who could have assisted you?"
"I would have done well enough. Zolverein did not know you could go on
and give a performance. How could you have carried out the 'Educated
Fly' trick without me?"
"Couldn't," Merry immediately confessed. "And I want to compliment you
on the way you made the fly work. It was as natural as life. Now, even
if you think you have not been used right by Zolverein, there is no
reason why we should quarrel."
But Mazarin would not be pacified.
"I presume you actually mean to take the apparatus?" he asked.
"Why," said Frank, surprised, "of course! It was given to me, and, with
its aid, I shall be able to go on the road and do a thriving business."
"I thought you were under contract to Barnaby Haley?"
"I am; but I have every reason to believe my engagement with him will
not last much longer."
"How is that?"
"I am certain the 'Empire Theater Comedy Company' will not stay out
another week."
"Well, what if it does?"
"I shall try to get Mr. Haley to let me off and fill my place with
somebody else."
"Then you are determined to go on the road as a traveling magician?"
"I have about decided to do so."
"In that case, there is no chance for me to buy this apparatus from
you?"
"No, I do not think there is."
Mazarin turned away, and Frank saw he was thoroughly angered.
Again Merry made an attempt to pacify the man and engage him to travel
as an assistant, but it was fruitless.
"Go ahead!" cried the man. "I can't wish you good luck, and I do not
believe you will have any, for you will be forced to engage another
assistant. You have our ideas away up by your success to-night, but you
will not duplicate it. I feel certain of that."
He was going away.
"Wait," said Frank. "I have not paid you for your aid to-night."
"And I will not take anything."
Mazarin departed.
"Well, that is unpleasant," muttered Frank; "but a fellow can't expect
everything to come his way."
When he had finished dressing, he went up onto the stage to pack away
the apparatus with which the "Educated Fly" trick had been performed.
The fly was placidly resting against the face of the mirror in the
blank corner. Frank took it up and put it into the fake cage.
The fly was a perfect imitation of a real fly, but it was made of cork,
and it had an iron core, which rested flat against the glass when
everything was ready for the exhibition to begin.
In addition to a wooden back, the mirror had a cloth back, which was
firmly fastened into the frame. The wooden back was hinged to the frame
at the bottom, and was very strong.
When the frame was placed on the easel and the mirror rested on the
floor, the space behind the easel from the floor up was entirely
hidden. This was done when Merry took the mirror apart to exhibit it.
At that moment M. Mazarin came up through a trap-door in the floor and
let down the wooden back of the frame, which formed a shelf, and on
that shelf he could rest with ease. When the mirror was returned to the
frame, the audience could look through beneath it, and no one could
suspect that a human being was concealed back of it.
The black cloth was divided off into squares to correspond with those
afterward marked on the mirror with the soap. The squares were numbered
and lettered precisely the same, so that the assistant knew where every
character was located on the face of the mirror.
The assistant behind the mirror was provided with a strong
electro-magnet, attached to a wire running down one leg of the easel to
a powerful battery under the stage.
When the assistant heard the numbers called, he placed his magnet
opposite the corner where the fly was resting, and then moved it along
the back of the mirror to the required square. In that manner he was
able to add, subtract, multiply and divide.
The buzzing of the fly was produced by Merriwell himself, who imitated
the proper sound.
Frank located Sport Harris, and recognized the fellow. Then, standing
near the mirror, he whispered to Mazarin the name he wished him to
spell with the aid of the magnetized fly.
Thus it will be seen that this apparently marvelous performance was
in truth a "fake," and not at all difficult to give. But it was always
successful when properly done.
Merry took care of the apparatus, and then looked over the other stuff,
locking up such things as he did not wish to leave out to be inspected
by curious eyes.
When this was done, he went to the box office, where he found Burnham
waiting for him.
"What's the matter with Mazarin?" asked the manager of the opera house.
"Why?"
"He has been here growling like a dog with a sore ear."
"He thinks Zolverein did not use him right in giving the apparatus to
me."
"I thought it must be something of the kind. The fellow is cranky. You
had better look out for him."
"What makes you think so?"
"He says you'll never travel on the road and make a success of it. I
told him I thought you would. Then he went into the air and swore he'd
make sure you didn't. I believe he is so cranky that he's dangerous."
"I hardly think so," said Merry. "I trust he will get over it."
"And you have another enemy."
"Yes. That fellow is dangerous, and I know it. Last time I saw him, he
tried to burn me to death in an old barn."
"He must have a strong reason for hating you."
"Well, I drove him out of college, but not till I had given him every
possible chance to straighten up and do right. Fellows said I was a
fool to give him such a chance, but I never like to push anybody down."
"If he and Mazarin got together, they might make it rather warm for
you. Here is the account. Seventy per cent. is your share. I think you
will find it all right."
Frank ran the account over. It was straight, and he pocketed a roll
of money that made him feel like a millionaire. Then he bade Burnham
good-night and started for the hotel.
At the hotel a surprise awaited him.