The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-11-26
PUZZLED a MAGICIAN.

Z II
PUZZLED a MAGICIAN.
he Was All Right TIL He Tackled the
Old Lady on the Question OF Age.
The professor came teetering across
the stage leading small boy by the
hand and bowling wildly to the .sea
OF upturned faces"
"The first feat shall attempt this
ahfternoon," smiled the professor,
will be performed by the young gen
tleman before you. He was born in
Paris in 1882, and is now nine years
old. Tell the ladies and gentlemen
where you was born, Maurice"
Maurice stated, in the voice Of a fif-
teen-year-old lad, that he was born
at the place and time stated by the
professor, in spite ofwhich corrobora-
ton one could not but feel his Halsted
street personality. The lecturer then
teetered down the steps at the end of
the stage and whispered O. few words
to an elderly gentleman in the front
row. Then he demanded: r.4
"Tell me how old is this gentleman"
He Thinks. said Maurice, in q
high-pitched voice and very swiftly;
he thinks he was born on the 5th
day OF October, 1889. He was not.
He was born Oct. 4, 1889, at $50 in
the afternoon, and was there to sup
per-" 81 -
Whereat the younger and more i'm
presslble among the auditors Uttered
audibly. The professor teetered along
the benches a little way and then said:
Describe this gentleman's watch in
his pocket, Maurice" x .--
ut is a. fifteen karat, ten-jeweled,
gold hunting-case watch OF the Elgin
pattern, and it is now thirteen and a.
quarter minutes past 4 O'clock re-
Piled the boy, whereat the more
thoughtless auditors marveled and
expressed. great wonder, for the gentle
man reported that Maurice was right.
The professor teetered along a little
farther and whispered to q shrewd-
| looking old lady, who seemed to have
all she could do keeping reticule,
handkerchief and pocketbook in her
lap. -.
'"Tell me how old is this lady, Mau.
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 a. high
pitched, hurrying tone. 'But she is
mistaken. She was born at twenty
minutes before - on the night of Aug.
8, 184l. She looked at the clock at
half past 1 on the morning of the 9th,
and then for the first time recorded
her arrival" 49,.
Again the audience laughed. You
wolld have been sorry for the old
lady; but she wouldn't have needed it.
just one moment she sat there gather
ing up the things in her lap and look
ing wonderingly after the departing,
exultlng professor, and then she said,
"Please have him repeat that"
''The lady wishes you to repeat
that, Maurice" said the professor.
But there was a note of appr ehension
in his tone. $780,.
"She looked. at the clock" began
Maurice; but he was at sea, feeling
about for some one to guide him
again. ..s. .x.e-- ......, '....
"Repeat what you said about the
lady's age, Maurice said the PROBES
sor, this time a little impatience mar
ring his voice. H..
"She was born at began the boy.
''No, no." protested the professor,
now quite angry, as he bounded up
the little steps and fronted the youth
full mind-reader. "Tell her exactly
what you did moment ago. Repeat
it all. Begin at the beginning"
There was a moment of agonizing
on the part OF the lad, and then he
broke down in a laugh that confessed
the whole imposition. II can't" he
said, looking with half apprehension
at the routed professor. ..-...
II thought not" said the old lady
calmly. Everything was contented to
lie still in her lap now. She had pun.
lshed magician. ~ 49,