The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-21

'"Fridavv
"Hangman,s day, you know Cameron contin-
ued eagerly, land it's the 18th of the month"
THAT'S curiously unlucky com bination. isn't
it7r the American asked. I've had bakers
dozen of mlsfortunes happen to me Friday
when il was thirteenth. | guess We had better
go to night-perhans something will happen
Meanwhile" said the Englishman, they
walked from the pier upon the esplanade, I'VE
must dine. want square meal to give me
strength to see the show. It's hot and dusty. so
let's take fly to the hotel-lets be hauled
mealers, as you Americans say"
'It's truly wonderful Wyoming remarked,
as he beckoned TO q cabman, ''how we'll he
speaks American"
Il learnt it, replied Cameron, with amazing
ffrontsery, from Henry Jamess novels"
After their dinner the two friends lighted their
cigarettes, and strolled slowly along the espla-
made to the pier When they reached the pa
vilion they found a stream of spectators trick
ling into the hall where Monsieur Btzini was
to perform. AT the suggestion of the American
they tossed half a crown to see who should pay
for the tickets. Wyoming lost and he selected
seats on the front row.
The hall was about half full when they entered
1T. and few Retarded stragelers came in while
| the pianist was propounding the overture
Il know this hall very well, /" said Cameron. as
they sat down; II acted here last year 10 private
| theatricals. 1t has disadvantage there is
| no stage door. We had to come in the main
through the auditorium TO that door over there
| to the right which leads to the stage and to the
| two dressing rooms alongside Of it. We gave
comic opera and we were very cramped for
space"
II guess there will be room enough for the
spooks to put in their fine work. Wyoming
answered, intensifying his Americanisms as he
was wont to do for the benefit of his English
friend.
''Spook is blessed word" said Cameron; lit
ire. Yours is a great language"
II wonder what may be Monsieur Blitznis ma
tive tongue" asked Wyoming.
"Monsieur is French" answered Cameron,
'Blitz is German and mi is Italian"
Then he is either an Irishman or Russian"
the American declared with asr of profound
wisdom.
His programme is in French" Cameron re-
marked as he bought from the attendant
''at least il is in what purports to be French"
Its little short, isn't itl" the American
queried ''seven tricks In the first part and six in
the second"
Total thirteen again!" cried the English
man.
At this moment the musician left off playing
and the curtain rose revealing a stage almost
bare. There WAS an ordinary drawing room
table in the center, and at the sides there
two smaller tables with glass tops; at the back
there was tall cone like an extinguisher ex-
cept that it was quite seven feet high. Three or
four OF the footlights in the middle had been re-
moved and an inclined plane led from the stage
about half way down the center Of the hall 1t
was next to this run down" it is technically
called that Cameron and Wyoming had taken
their seats.
A few seconds after the curtain rose, Monsieur
Blitzini appeared at the right of the stage and
advancing to the center, he bowed to the audi
ence. He was a man of less than forty. He
was tall and slight with little stoop of the head.
de had dark hair, already griZZled. He had a
youngish face, bat il was heavily wrinkled
9Y0bFOWS ed "
were his chief personal popularity; they were
gray, with a streak OF red in the iris His hands
were fine and delicate. but there was feline
suggestion in their movements The ease OF his
manner was not artificial, but il might fairly be
called excessive.
Ladies' and gentlemen he said as he sur
veyed the audience calmly, 81 hope to have the
pleasure this evening of entertaining you with
the sight OF strange wonders What shall per
form before you is unlike the ordinary per-
formance of the ordinary con jurer that without
seeming boastfui, it would be inp possible for me
To expatate on the extraordinary novelty of my
programme, were 1t not that cannot claim for
myself any credit for the marves which will be
accomplished this evening. All that have done
is TO discover the spirits of the silent sphere and
to induce them to lend AS their aid for the work
ing of many wonders. If, therefore, what you
may see here tonight pleases you. it is these
spirits whom you must thank. not me.
| am only humble instrument in
their hands, and they are tho real authors
of all the startling novelties which l
hope to be able to exhibit before you this even
ing. have to beg that you will bear this In
mind use neither apparatus sleight of
hand, nor do rely in any way on my own dex-
terity and ingenuity. All that can do is serve
as the medium whereby these spirits work won
ders. closely akin TO those which the Egyptian
magicians wrought before Pharaoh-perhaps by
the same means"
AS Monsieur Blitzn finished this very irregu
lar speech. almost exactly the opposite of that
he al
Cameron and Wyoming looked at each other in
blank surprise.
This is pretty steep, isn't it2' asked the
American
1T is that" the Englishman answered, "and
think it is about the checklist thing / ever
heard. just look over the programme and you
can recognize every trick on it, in spite of the
fancy French names"
lie Bouquet d'iris,' said Wyoming that's
the growth of flowers. suppose, and La Pluto
de Danae is the shower of money of course
But what is lie Treur des Cartesp
ITS bad French for the rising cards, M be
bonnd," Cameron answered And the others
all as familiar these"
You think. then, that he is hiding the old
fashioned tricks under new-fangled names. and
that ne is merely ordinary conjuror. who has
chosen to give variety to his show by alleging
that he has familiar spirits come from the Vastly
deep to do his bidding2'
Precisely So"
tits a dodge worthy of Barnum at his best.
or Sarah Bernhardt.' said the American, enthu-
siastically.
While the two friends were exchanging i'm
pressons Monsieur Btzini had retired ND the
stage, as though to see that everything was ia
order. From the table he had taken up
his wand With this in his right hand he ad-
vanced again to the footlghts.
Il beg you will pardon this delay of moment
only, but you must observe that | have dis
pensed with assistant, and that I shall nor
leave the stage during the performance shall
remain before yon the whole evening. except
during the brief intermission between the two
parts of the entertainment. and shall have no
assistance whatever--saye the unseen hands of
the silent spirits"
AS he paused for a moment, Cameron said to
Wyoming:
He has curious accent. hasn't heq 1t might
he foregn-Dutch Russian--and il might be