The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1891-12-25
PUZZLED THE MAGICIAN.
he Was All Right TIL He Tackled tho
Old lady on tho Question of Age.

Old lady on tho Question of Age.
The professor came lettering acrNTs
the stage leading small boy by the
hand and bowling wildly to the "sea
of upturned faces"
1.-THE first feat I shall attempt this
afternoon" smiled the professor, twill
be performed by the young gentleman
you see before you. He was born in
Paris in 1882, and is now nine year old.
Tell the ladies and gentlemen where you
was born, Maurice"
Maurice stated, in the voice of fif-
teen-year-old lad, that he was born a.:
the place and time stated by the pro-
fessor, in spite of which confederation
one could not but feel his Halsted
street personality. The lecturer then
teetered down the steps at the end of
the stage and whispered a few words to
an elderly gentleman in the row. Then
he demanded:
Tell me how old is this gentleman"
"IIe Thinks" said Maurice, in high
pitched voice and very swiftly, "he
thinks he was born on the 9Th day of
October, 1899. He was not. He was
born October 4, 1889, an $3.50 in the af-
ternoon, and was there to supper"
Whereat the younger and more i'm
pressible among the auditors Uttered
audibly. The professor teetered along
the benches little way and then said:
Describe this gentle man's watch in
his pocket, Maurice"
cit is fifteen-karat, ten-ieweled,
gold hunting-case watch of the Elgin
pattern, and it is now thirteen and
quarter minutes past o'clock" re-
piled the boy, whereat the more
thoughtless auditors marveled and ex-
pressed great wonder, for the gentle
man reported that Maurice was right
The professor teetered along n little
farther and whispered to a shrewd-
looking old lady, who seemed to have
all she could do keeping reticule
handkerchief and pocketbooL in her
lap.
Tell me how old is this lady, Maui
rice" cried the professor rising with an
anticipation of triumph.
''She thinks she was born on the 21st
of September, 1884," replied the mind
reading prodigy again In high
pitched hurrying tone. but she is
mistaken. She was born at twenty
minutes before IL on the night of Au-
gust s, 1891. She looked at the clock
at half-past on the morning of the
9th and then for the first time recorded
her arrival"
Again the audience laughed. You
would have been sorry for that old
lady; but she wouldn't have needed it,
Just one moment she sat tnere gather
ing up the things in her lap and look
ing wonderingly after the departing,
exulting professor, and then she said:
"Please have him repeat that"
1.-The lady wishes you to repeat that,
Maurice" said the professor. But
there was note of apprehension in his
tone.
''She looked at the clock" began
Maurice; but he was at sea, feeling
about for some one TO guide him again.
Repeat what you said about the
lady's age, Maurice" said the profess
sor, this time a little impatience mar
ring his voice.
"She was born at" began the boy.
mo, no." protested the professor,
now quite angry, as he bounded up the
little steps and confronted the youth
full mind-reader. Tell her exactly
what you did a moment ago. Repeat
IL all. Begin at the beginning"
There was n moment of agonizing on
the part of the lad, and then he broke
down in laugh that confessed the
whole imposition. ~ can't" he said,
looking with half apprehension at the
routed professor
81 thought not" said the old lady
calmly. Everything was contented To
lie still in her lap now. She had pun
ished n magician.-Chicago Herald.