node.js server socket.io-client with SSL

I try to setup two node.js servers communication with each other over socket.io. The node servers use SSL, but I don't get it running. I do not get any feedback, its close to this:

Node.js socket.io-client connect_failed / connect_error event

This will not work. No response.

var clientio = require('socket.io-client');
console.log('Trying stuff ...');

// the channel does not exist
var socket = clientio.connect( 'http://localhost:4000/news' );

// I expect this event to be triggered
socket.on('connect_failed', function(){
    console.log('Connection Failed');
});
socket.on('connect', function(){
    console.log('Connected');
});
socket.on('disconnect', function () {
  console.log('Disconnected');
});

but if I try:

// Bind to the news namespace, also get the underlying socket
var ns_news = clientio.connect( 'https://localhost:9000' );
var socket = ns_news.socket

// Global events are bound against socket
socket.on('connect_failed', function(){
    console.log('Connection Failed');
});
socket.on('connect', function(){
    console.log('Connected');
});
socket.on('disconnect', function () {
  console.log('Disconnected');
});

// Your events are bound against your namespace(s)
ns_news.on('myevent', function() {
    // Custom event code here
});

I can see that ns_news has no element socket, so I get:

TypeError: Cannot call method 'on' of undefined

So how do I connect these two servers with feedback if the connection is successful or not? And my following question would be:

How can these two servers authenticate to each other? Means: Server A says to server B: - hey, gimme that secret string And Server B checks the certificate of server A and if it's ok - here's the string

How do I do it with node?