The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-09-22

! your arm, and 1 VIII introduce you
Your audience Is growing impatient"
Certainly, madame. in just one mo
| ment," said Latournelle. feeling with
| his foot fox his slipper, and 50 recon
| mencing the remarkable jig executed 10y
the general few moments before Now
| the other players laughed outright
| which they had not dared TO do the first
| time. And the mistress OF the house
stood there, surprised at being kept
waiting so long and wondering how
| much longer her escort would keep heI
| in that attitude. Impatient ladies came
il shoals TO add their solicitations &c
those OF their hostess.
| Our young man positively had TO get
out Of the predicament some how. He
did get ont of it, but with only one shoe,
for he also had stopped down and dis
covered the disappearance Of the mis-
| guided slipper, and he marveled in deep
anxiety how he was going to explain such
state of aff.irs.
His one shod foot provoked general
hilarity, then delighted applause and
cries Of Its u triclIl It's some trickr'
The petted darling of the ladies smiled
weak smile and stammered:
Eyes, ladies, it is a trick"
| Applause, accompanied by general
clapping of hands, greeted this an
| nouncement. while Latournelle kept say
ing to himself:
"Oh, yes, it's a great trick, but some
! one has played it on me, and don't find
it so very funny. If only knew who it
was"-then, struck with an idea: "Heav-
ems! If it could be the general-his sim
| gular performance just now-and l saw
! him stoop down-if it was really he, If
would be pretty uncomfortable joke on
me- How can i make sure!'
AS he escorted the lady through the
room he tried to get near the general.
He managed to do so, and with the back
of his hand he cautiously knocked
against the pocket Of the generals coat
which he suspected contained the slip
per. There was nothing there! He tried
to sound the other pocket, but slight
move on the generals part carried him
out of reach. To touch it, it was neces-
sary to pass around on the side where it
was.
"Where in the world are you taking
me?" demanded the lady on his arm.
"Why-er-to the head of the room"
and as he was now on the right side of
the general he wanted to try the other
pocket. Here was new obstacle that
he had not foreseen. The fact that the
lady had the arm nearest the general
made any attempt at exploration. inlrGs
sible He offered the other on the pre-
text of an old wound which was paining
him and was able at last to repeat his
former tactics. This time he was salts
fed. Its therer' he nurmured, and he
did not enjoy the reflection that the hus-
band of his adored one had discovered
his maneuvers under tho table.
''Well, I'm in a pretty mess. he con-
cluded.
Everybody had crowded into the room,
there was an expectant hush, and all
were on tiptoe for the promised trick.
There was no way to retreat.
"Here goes said the imprudent lover.
II must take the plunge, come what
may" And he plunged.
Ladies'" he said, Il have lost my slip
per. l have not got it concealed about
my person; my pockets are empty
turned them inside out-''nor is it in my
coat'-he held it open-'nor in my waist
coat"-he unbuttoned it-''nor in my
sleeves'-and he turned them UP to his
elbows. "You see, ladies, 1 have moth
ing in my hands or my pockets. must
find out, then, where the lost article is.
Nothing is more simple. 1 have only to
make a slight cabalistic calculation"
With this he covered his face with his
hands and assumed an attitude of pro-
found cogitation. Then, without re-
moving his hands, he counted: lone,
two, three, four, five. My slipper" he
cried, ''is in the left pocket of the sixth
person to my right"
This person was the general.
Not badr' the latter exclaimed I'M
der his breath, and in obedience to the
universal cries of Search yourself,
search yourself. general" he drew the
slipper from the pocket indicated.
a storm of applause was evoked by the
brilliant success of the trick. Then, aft
er much whispering, several voices
cried. "Oh, the general is his confeder-
| ate"
YES, yes" came u chorus of voices;
"he's confederate"
The conjurer protested.
do it again, them some one demand
ed, and everybody took up the cry: Yes,
yes! Do it again!"
"Oh," said a lady, 1.-The general has
Just been whispering to NJ. Latournelle."
And the cry went up again that he was
confederate.
The general affirmed that he was in no
sense furthering the conjurer's devices.
But You were just now whispering
with him." insisted the witnesses of the
conference.
The exact truth is this, ladies: You
asked the conjurer to repeat his per-
formance just this moment told him
that it was one of those tricks that should
not be tried second time. Did l not,
sir?' said the general significantly.
Precisely, general, and | shall fol-
low your advice" replied Latournelle.
1T shall not be repeated
And it never was.-Translated For Ar
gonaut From the French Of Jules Moi
uaux by l.. S. Vassault.