Evening star., 1896-12-12

the company that this ball, though appar-
entity solid, is not so in reality, being in
fact merely silk handkerchief materialized
into that form. To show how unsubstan-
tial IT really is, he proposes to place it in a.
glass of water. when 1t will be found to
disappear. He fills the glass two thirds
full accordingly. and leaves it standing on
the table. As 1t will be necessary to cover
1t for moment, he asks the loan Of a
lady's handkerchief While this is being
procured, he takes the opportunity to slip
the glass shell (Which may be vested" as
already described) over the ball. The shell
being transparent, shows the color of the
ball through it, and is not noticeable at a
very short distance. When the handker-
chief Is handed to him he throws it over
the ball. which must have the shell upper
most, and then, with the opposite hand
takes hold of apparently the ball through
the handkerchief. AS matter of fact
however, he HITS the glass shell only with
in the handkerchief. the Eall itself re-
naming, unknown to the spectators, in the
hand which first held 1t, ard being dropped
into a pocket at the first opportunity
round the glass shell. looking exactly to
the eye II the ball was stlll beneath It,
Holding 1t in this fashion, the performer
brings the handkerchief over the glass
and drops the supposed ball into the water
All, as they believe, hear it fall in, but
what really falls in is of course merely
the glass shell. which, as soon as It reaches
the bottom. turns over and adapts its own
convexity to the concavity of the tumbler
In this condition 1t is quite invisible be-
ing disguised by the pattern on the tum-
bier. The handkerchief being now removed
the ball is found to have vanished.
To Change Its Color.
Taking UP one of the red silk handker-
chiefs previously produced, the performer
remarks that for his part he prefers green.
and that he will try whether he car change
II to that color. Taking 1t by one corner
han noI
down over his fingers. he waves the hand
kercnief about. gradually drawing up the
slack into his hands from above. Simrl-
taneOuSly, however, the fabric reappears
hanging down beneath the hands but il
has changed color, being now a lively
green. The hands are opened and found
otherwise empty
The trick Is effected by the aid of n spa-
cal piece of apparatus. consisting of a
tube of thin brass, japanned black two
inches in length and one and a quarter in
diameter (see Fig. 81. 1t is open at each
end, and is pivoted at the center between
the arms of a wire fork so that either end
can be turned outward at pleasure. In
side this Is fitted a little black silk bag Of
the same diameter as the tube, but only
half Its depth. The edges of this bag are
attached TO the center of the tube, SO that
Its closed end can be pushed to either end
Of the tube at pleasure.
The fork IA is attached to a pieca of
elastic cord of such length that when
the opposite end Is looped over the per-
formers hinder trouser button on the right
side, the tube can just be brought out (brt
40 more) through the left armhole of the
vest. In order that 1t may be readily and
secretly get-at-able when required an
ordinary dress hook should be sewn point
downward to the lower edge of the vest on
the left side, just where the cloth front
joins the cotton back. The tube being
drawn down and the cord slipped under the
hook the fake" Is instantly get-at-able,
while the downward pressure at once re-
leases 1t. and leaves IL free (but for the