The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1882-11-08
The Magician and the Hucksters.

united by a common bond?"
The Magician and the Hucksters.
Hermann looks a good deal like an
localized and humaniZed Satan. lie is
of the darkest dark brunette, with
blazing black eyes and the blacklist OF
black hair on his face and head. lie
dresses in black, the only white Show
ing in his costume being his shirt col
lar. At the market he was ut once
recognized by the gamins who came
trooping after him, and when he
stopped at a vegetable dealers stall the
crowd formed a ring on the outside.
GLOW do you sell these soup bunches?"
said he, picking up a peck measure full
of herbs. "Two cents apiece" replied
the sample matron behind the layout.
"That's cheap" said Hermann, every
cheap" and then suddenly looking into
the heart of one of the punches he
pulled out a plethoric wad of $50 bills.
The woman made a grab for the money,
but as suddenly as it appeared it van
ished, and she looked from the bunch
to the magician and from the magi-
clan to the bunch in a puzzled way.
eco way with your foolishness," she
said at last, and declined to be further
interested. A couple of stalls below
there was a great selection of eggs.
These at once caught %IIermann's eye.
care these eggs fresh?' he inquired
of the damsel in charge. eyes, sir"
lie picked up one and ratified it beside
the woman's ear. She started back at
the peculiar metallic sound, %whereupon
he smiled accusingly at her, broke the
egg, and took out two IS gold pieces
laying in the yolk. She stared, and lie
got SO more out of another egg.
After collecting about thirty in this
way, she suddenly declined to have any
more eggs broken. AS she spoke a
blue tongue of flame sprung out of a
score of eggs on the tray, and the
whole party started back in Albright.
The flame died away, and the woman
turned on Herman with almost a
curse "You are a sorcercr!" BY
this time a great throng of people had
gathered around, and each new feat of
the master was honored by a round of
applause. A stall or two lower down
Hermann picked up a cabbage and
asked the man if it was not imprudent
to leave his valuables exposed that
way. The man glowered at him, and
said he. was not there for joking.
what will you take forthe cabbage"
inquired the maestro. Give cents"
The money was passed and the cab
bage became the property of the magi-
clan. Taking a knife, he cut it open,
and before the astonished gaze of the
multitude there lay a perfect nest of
treasures. Hermann deliberately be-
gan to fill his pockets, first with a wad
of bill, a hundred-dollar one on the
outside, then a gold watch and chain,
next two or three diamond rings, and
finally a heaping handful OF $40 gold
pieces, and last of all a United States
bond for $1,000. Powers of descrip-
ton fail to paint the changes which
passed over the huckster's face as this
find was being appraised and pouched
10y the magician. Doubt, fear, avarice
and despair fitted one after another
over his c%ountenance. And ut last,
when the cabbage vas evidently
empty, he flung himself on the bench
behind the stall and refused to be COM
forted. "That's a pretty good trade
said Hermann, and the boys cheered
him to the echo.
a few PAGES further on was game
dealers stand, and here the miracle of
the day was performed. Picking up
a rabbit that was lying without any
head on the pavement, Hermann
asked the man how long it had been
dead. "Only a day OF two" "Smell
it," said Hermann. The reporter
shifted at it, andi certainly was gamy.
"Don't you know how to freshen up
animals?" said Hermann to the man.
And he took the rabbit, doubled it up
and back, and laid it down on the
pavement with a head on it, and evil
IDENTIFY alive. The dead rabbit at once
leaped in among the boys, who chased
it and finally brought it back, in sore
need of the kindly magician's good Of
fees again. Then he took a dove from
the cote over the stand, deliberately
wrung it's neck, pulled off its head and
threw it to the. owner, and before he
had time to examine it, returned him
his pigeon none the worse for wear.
BY this time the crowd was so large
that locomotion was impossible, and
with a quizzical glance at his admirers,
Hermann hurriedly boarded a CAL and
disappeared toward the south.-St.
Louis Post.