"What"s the matter?" asked Professor Henderson.
"I thought I heard a child"s voice."
"So you did," said the voice again.
The truth flashed upon Harry. His companion was exerting some of his powers as a ventriloquist.
"Oh, it is you, sir," he said, smiling.
His companion smiled.
"You are right," he said.
"I don"t see how you can do it," said Harry.
"Practice, my boy."
"But practice wouldn"t make everybody a ventriloquist, would it?"
"Most persons might become ventriloquists, though in an unequal degree.
I often amuse myself by making use of it for playing practical jokes upon people.
"Do you see that old lady ahead?"
"Yes, sir."
"I"ll offer her a ride. If she accepts, you"ll see sport. I shall make you talk but you must be careful to say nothing yourself."
A few rods farther on, they overtook an old woman.
"Good morning, ma"am," said the professor. "Won"t you get in and ride?
It"s easier riding than walking."
The old women scanned his countenance and answered: "Thank you, sir, I"m obleeged to ye. I don"t mind if I do."
She was a.s.sisted into the carriage and sat at one end of the seat, Harry being in the middle.
"I was going to see my darter, Nancy," said the old women. "Mrs.
Nehemiah Babc.o.c.k her name is. Mebbe you know her husband."
"I don"t think I do," said the professor.
"He"s got a brother in Boston in the dry goods business. Mebbe you"ve been at his store."
"Mebbe I have."
"I ginerally call to see my darter--her name is Nancy--once a week; but it"s rather hard for me to walk, now I"m getting" on in years."
"You"re most eighty, ain"t you?" appeared to proceed from Harry"s mouth.
Our hero"s face twitched and he had hard work to keep from laughing.
"Indeed, I"m not!" said the old lady, indignantly.
"I"m only sixty-seven and folks say I don"t look more"n sixty," and the old lady looked angrily at Harry.
"You must excuse him, ma"am," said the professor, soothingly. "He is no judge of a lady"s age."
"I should think not, indeed."
"Indeed, madam, you are very young looking."
The old lady was pacified by this compliment but looked askance at Harry.
"Is he your son?"
"No, ma"am."
The old lady sniffed, as if to say, "So much the better for you."
"Are you travelin" far?" asked the old lady.
"What do you want to know for?" Harry appeared to ask.
"You"re a sa.s.sy boy!" exclaimed the old woman.
"Harry," said Professor Henderson, gravely, "how often have I told you not to be so unmannerly?"
"He orter be whipped," said the old lady. "Ef I had a boy that was so sa.s.sy, I"d larn him manners!"
"I"m glad I ain"t your boy," Harry appeared to reply.
"I declare I won"t ride another step if you let him insult me so," said the old woman, glaring at our hero.
Professor Henderson caught her eye and significantly touched his forehead, giving her to understand that Harry was only "half-witted."
"You don"t say so," she e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed, taking the hint at once. "How long"s he been so?"
"Ever since he was born."
"Ain"t you afraid to have him drive?"
"Oh, not at all. He understands horses as well as I do."
"What"s his name?"
Before the professor"s answer could be heard, Harry appeared to rattle off the extraordinary name: "George Washington Harry Jefferson Ebenezer Popkins."
"My gracious! Has he got all them names?"