The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-01-31
NUMBER 2.

two persons have thrown gla1ce for tl4s.
shortest possible space of time is if must
be allowed, one of the most remarkable and
puzZllng achievements OF the coDiuTe1.'s
art, and may be called its crowning feat.
/ do not assert that it was by this process
Herr Hermann ascertained the cards his
two guests thought of, but if not thus |
can conceive no other method by which he
made them known to him, unless, indeed.
it were veritable witchcraft.-
''Some ten or fifteen minutes had passed
and the conversation was about to lapse
into Seneralities, when our host rose from
his scat, and, taking from the table the
cards, went to the other end of the room
Il want % ask your opinion of a trick which,
no doubt, you have often seen-yoUr opin-
ion rs to how do it. Win you obigo me
by taking a card y May be allowed TO
suggest the unopened pack of cards?' in
quircd friend Skeptic, looking around him
with air of wisdom. 'Oh, certainly
answered Herr Hermann, 'open the un-
touched pack yourself, and then give it to
me Skeptie removed the envelope from
the new pack and scrutinized the cards.
carefully. The eyes of the company wore
now fixed on the pair, and no one spoke.
sKEPTIC HAVING SATISFIED HIMSELF
| that the cards had undergone no previous
preparation, handed them to the coniurer.
| Take card, said the latter II was
! done. Now take the pack in your own
hands, put the. card back and shufle.'-
/ Skeptic did as ne vas told, and smiled a..
| he shutfied the cards in a variety of ways
II would be difficult, would it not asked
! Herr hermann, TO tell you the card you
! drew" Rather I? calculated Skeptic-
! What II were to do more, and make you
/ draw again the same card?' 4 should
like to lay so to half-crown on that
| Keep your money my friend; l don't
want to rob you give me the cards He
Il h. l.
| fling them, said This time when you
draw the card, do not let anybody see it,
nor say what it is until ask you l must
do my tricks after my own fashion. Drawr
''He drew. Now place the card upon
| the table back upward, and cover it with
your hand, holding it tightly Skeptic
did as he was desired. Now, sir. is not
Certainly not exclaimed Skeptic, loudly
and triumphautly. Indeed = cried Her
mann, there must be some mistake of
course there Is, Tejoined the guest, but
it is your mistake and he laughed with
much glee. Are you sure?' Positive
| Name the cards. L drew the queen OF
| spades first, and this under my hand is
! the nine of diamonds Let me look at
| it, Skeptic took away his hand, turned
the card and beheld-the queen of spades.
An explosion of laughter at Skeptics ex-
! pense was followed by a volley of cheers
! lOT lIlS wonderfully clever 16at OF SleI1ht-
! of-hand, if indeed it was such, for was
| utterly at a loss at the time-aud am now
when think of of ito account for the
manner in which it was accomplished.
MANY other tricks were exhibited in the
| course Of the evening, but those related
! were decidedly the newest and best, al
though somo of the others would have
made a common cOnjurer's fortune. Sew
eral times Herr Hermann held out n pack
of cards and named beforehand the card
any one of us would draw, in spite Of every
effort on our part to foil him, and this
| without failing in any one instance OF
course, passing card is one Of the com
monest tricks i'll card -juggelry; but to pass
a card and name it beforehand, and pass
it on company SO cunning of fence and
so wary as ours, was very different mat
ter.
Better than passing the card with such
magical dexterity, which we know is
achieved with rapidity and neatness of
lingering, was thS trick with the pear
| which, indeed, was as incouceivable as
anything shown that evening. One of the
party was asked by the conjurer to take a
pear from the table and mark it, then to
cut slice from it, to eat the slice, and
hand the pair to Herr Hermann. This
was done and the pair given to the conjur-
er, who, taking it III his hand threw it up
toward the ceiling, caught it rs it fell, and
returned it sound and whole to the gentle
man, who declared it was the same pear
he had marked, and from which he had
cut the sliee.'