The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-11-29

70 you ana returns " Az tnh tuA VI TIC
both gentlemen lift the tall
cone and release me from my solitary con.
hnement in this dark cell. Then / will
declare the card which the gentleman
drew. First ask the two gentlemen to
examine this little table,"
The two friends looked at It carefully,
II was very simple In construction; It had
three light steel legs, and It had Q top oil
thick plate glass, They declared them
selves quite satisfied.
Monsieur BlitElui turned 10 the eItin,
guisher, and a. he stood beside II was at
least eighteen inches less in height than It
was.
"Plesss examine this also, " he said, tap.
ping 1t with his finger. "You will see that
Il Is very light, that It 10 made Of several
thicknesRes Of tough paper, and that there
are no holes in 1t through which | can
see."
Wyoming lifted the cone up and held II
agaipst the light, and he saw no holea in It.
Then he and Cameron EcTutini2ed the ex'
tsrnal surface thoroughly. At last they
declared themselves satisfied again,
"VeEy we'll" said Monsieur Bliizlnii
''then we will proceed at once, You IN.
dsrstand what ia to be doneP Lam to
be covered for exactly thirty seconds, dur.
ing which time one Of you Is to take Q card
from the psck and return It, leaving tue
pack In exactly its original condition"
The two friends told him that they un'
derstood what was required OF them,
"Then here goes" said Monsieur Bit
slni, and although he was obviously try
ing 10 keep his voice steady, there wasla
distinct tremor In IT, Placing both
hands on the little table, he sprang upon
1t and stood erect, Wyoming and Gam
tron mounted on chairs, one on his right
aud one on bis left; they raised the
huge cone from the floor and slowly low
cred it over him. It rested lightly on the
rim OF the little table,
Wyoming drew out his watch and be-
gan counting the seconds. Cameron
stepped down from his chair, crossed to
the large table In the centre oil the stage,
selected card from the pack, glanced at
It, showed 1t TO the audience, returned II
and replaced the pack as It was. Then
he walked back end mounted his chair
again. Wyoming had stood molionlees,
with his eyes on the dial and his ears
strained to catch the alightost sound.
At last he returned his watch 10 his
pocket, saying, "Tims's upl"
Then he aud Cameron, amid a dead
silence in the hall, seized the extinguisher
and lifted 1t slowly. As itrose IN the all,
they heard sudden muEmur OF astonish'
ment among the audience. In another
second, as they lowered the light paper
cone to the stage they saw the cause Of
this. The little table wherein Monsieur
BlitSlni had stood was empty. The ma,
giCian had vanished he had gone without
a sound 1t was rs though he had melted
into air.
Wyoming and Cameron examined the
extinguisher, hut II was no heavier than
| 1t had been, nor was the little table 10 any
way altsred. The spectators clapped and
shouted with delight at this most original
trick. The two friends looked at each
other in surprise. Alter exchanging pus
cling gIaucss they stepped down from the
chairs on which they had been standing,
and sgain examined the little table and
the cone. But they found no clue to the
disappearance OF the magician.
Then there arose from the body Of the
hall loud cry for the conjuror TO appear,
1t was q hearty and genuine call such 90
few OF The gtrolling actors who had starred
at the Pavilion had ever been honored.
"Fetch him out" said Wyoming to
Cameron; "you know the topography Of
the place"
Cameron crossed at once 10 the two
dressing rooms on the right OF the atage,
whence Monsieur Blitzini had issued at
the beginning Of the performance. Wyo.
ming heard him knocking, and then open.
ing the door, he said o few words TO tho
impatient spectators, suggesting that they
ahould give Monsieur BlitzinI breathing
time after his extraordinary exertions.
The audience took this in good part.
There was q cessation Of the loud shouts
and tumultuoua applause. Then, In 8
minute, Cameron came back, looking
flushed and scared.
Hes not there" he Whispered to
Wyoming.
"Then where Ia he2" asked the Ameri.
can, startled and with sinking heart.
~ don't know. I've searched the stage
and the two dressing-rooms and the short
passages, and Pm sure he Is not here"
"How could he get out2 You told me
there was no stage dpar,D
"And there 10 no spSCe under the stage
where he could hide. do not understand
1t at all. Perhaps your spooks-"
But here Cameron was interrupted by
impatient cries from the audience, who
wanted 10 see the corjuror.
Wyoming stepped forward 10 the centre
| ~ Nka al aua aud ttnaIn a mat 1ttk1a annnnk
to the spectators, In the course Of which
he said that Moheiepr Blitzini had eyi.
IDENTIFY determined that bis last trick
ghouid be complete success and total
surprise, and that to this end ho had
chosen to vanish. He concluded by ex.
pressing his belief that they all appreci.
ated the remarkable skill and address that
Monsieur Blitzini had revealed that even.
Ing,
applause and broke up in high good hu.
NOR.
The two friends returned to their hotel
musing much and saying little.
"Do you understand the deep damna.
ton Of bis taking OFF," asked Wyoming,
as they parted Tor the night
mot Che least bit. p0youP
mo"
At breakfast the nsxt morning Cameron
passed the WiLhOElngtqn Daily TSmN
across the tabl to Wyoming and asked
him to read tho final paragraph Of the 10.
cal reporters account Of the strange events
Of the preceding evening.
"Whether Mons. Blitzini," so this para.
graph began, "derives his extraordinary
oompand oyer legefdenain, % our lively
neigGbors call it from the sbnor mal
sources set forth ID bis advertisement, or
no, 10 philosophical oonundrum upon
which we need not enter now. CredAt
Judaus Appelles. But besides his being
q jugeler Of no mean proficiency, he 10 I'm.
doubleday q humoriet Of the first water,
Trick after trick was tranemogrlaed In the
most whimsical and tseetlous fashion, and
the admirable facial powers which
Mons. Blizini exhibited In depicting
emotions Of surprise and CONSERVATION
Contributed not Q little 10 this effect He
well deserved the appiauss laylshed on
him continuously, and the excitement Of