The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1873-03-12

which lie made them known to
him, unless indeed il were vcrit;.-
bic witchcraft.
"Some ten or fifteen minutes
had passed, and the conversation
was about to lapse into ycncrali-
ties, when our host rose from his
seat, and, taking from the table
the cards, went to the other end
Of The room. Il want to ask your
opinion Of q trick which no doubt
you have often secD-yoar opinion
rs to how | do il. Will you obligc
inc b. taking a card?' May be
allowed 10 suggest the unopened.
pack Of cards 2 inquired friend
SIS,ptic, looking around hiIn with
an air Of wisdom. oh, certainly
answered Her Hermann, 'opcn
the untouched pack thea give it
to me- Skcptic removed the en-
vclope from the rev pack ana
scrutinized the cards carefully.
The eyes Of the company were
now fixed Oh the pair, and no one
spoke. Skcptic having satisfied
himself that the cards had under
gor- no previous preparation,
handed them to the ccnjurer.
Take ! card, said the latter. 1t
was done. Now take the pack in
your own hands, put the card
back, and shuttic.' Skcptic did as
ne was told. and smiled as he shut
fled the cards in a variety Of ways.
1t would be difficult, would it
not asked Herr Hermann. 30 tell
you the card you drew 2 'Rather !
calculated Skeptic. what il [
were to DO more, and make you
draw again the same card? i
should like to lay 80 to half
crown on that Keep your mon
cy, my friend; | doa't want to
rob you: give me the cards lie
took the cards from Skcptic, and,
shuflirg them, said This time,
when You draw tie card, do not
let anybody see it, nor Say what
it is until | ask you. | must DO
my tricks after my own fashion.
Draw J
He drew. Now place the card
upon the table back upwards, and
cover It with your hand, holding
it tightly Skcptic did as he was
desired. Now, sir, is not that
card the one which you drew tirst?'
Certainly not exclaimed Skeptic,
loudly and triunphantly. In
deed J. cried Hermann, there must
be some mistakc.' 'Of course there
is rcjoincd the guest, out it was
your mistake and he laughed
with much gIce. Are yon sure .
'Positivc.' Name the cards i
drew the queen Of spades first, and
this under my hand is the nine of
diamonds 'Lct me look at it.
Skcptic took away his hand. turn
ed the card and bchcId-thc queen
Of spades. IA explosion Of laugh
ter at Skeptic's expense was fol
lowed by :, voIlcy Of cheers for
this wonderfully clever feat OF
S!cight-ot:hand, if indeed it was SO,
for was utterly at II loss at the
timc-and am now, when | think
Of ito account for the manner
in which it was accomplished.
"Nany other tricks were cxhib.
tied in the course OF the evening.
bnt those related above were de.
cidcdiy the newest and lest, al.
though some Of the others wonld
have made q common conjurcrs
Torture. Several times Herr Her.
mann held out d pack Of cards and
named beforehand the card any
; one Of rs would draw, in spite OF
every effort on our parts to io!.
Lin, and this without falling in
any one instance. OF course pass
in:s 4 card is one Of the common
est tricks in card. .iaygIery; but te
pass Il card and name it before
hand. and pass it on 4 company
! 50 canning Of fence and SO wary
as ours, was a very different mat
ter.
"Bcttcr than passing the card
with such magical dcxtcrity'
which we know is achieved will
rapldity and ncatncss Of ftingerins
was the trick with the pear, which
indeed was as Uncomfortable a:
anything shown that evening. On'
Of the party was asked by the con
jurer to take a pear from the table
and mark it, then cut slice iron
il, 20 cat the slice, and hand th'
pear to Herr Hermann. Thi
was done and the pear given t
the conjurcr, who taking it in hi
hand, threw it up toward tn
ceiling, caught it as it fell: am
rturncd it sound aud whole t.
the gentlemen, who declared i
was the same pear he had marke'
and from which he had cut tn
slice"
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