New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-05
MODERN MAGIC.


portrait in an illustrated paper lis DR. tolbanK
who wrote many schoolbooks. IL shouiu DE
Of interest to YOU. ~
Did he write 'Holbank's Arithmetic'?" asked
the v Boy
May have thc picture"
"Ccrtainly-Glad to see YOU taxing an intern,
gent interest in your work You can cut IL out.
The Boy was of untidy appearance ana saiio"
complexion. He possessed at school among ms
fellows a reputation for mystery when ne thor-
oughly enjoyed. He did not attempt to mann
tain il in the more critical and sceptical atmos-
phere of his home. His name was Williams
Charles Williams: Smith. aged eleven. fuiiy De
licved in him; Thompson. aged thirteen hau au
mitted there might be something In IL.
As they entered school Charles Williams care
fully abstaincd from speaking TO Sm'n' pu'
pressed Il note into his hand.
Whats up" said Smith. not being eh'irc'!
ready for mystery at the moment
Williams put one finger warningy TO ms Ups
and passed on. Smith opened the note IL was
inscribed outside: III Smith, esq Secrit ana
Private" Inside it ran
See me Immediately after school on a urgent
mater of business. Your help is headed
,Signed) G. Williams.
tn the street from the school. down by the left
to the end of the town. went c. Williams ana
II smith 1t was a winter afternoon. and dark
C. Williams paused before a house in process OF
building standing alone on the outskir's' Inc
workmen engaged on it had gone. r.r,.
me No: wait until the lantern is ready tie
produced a small lantern from his pocket ana III
it. Now we're ready. Ask no questions
"Shan't We be copied" asked smith.
who's to cop u.s." replied the dauntless anu
mysterious one. .
BY means of a ladder they made their way to
the first floor, which was still in the sKeie'oh
stage. Smith found the ladder good
This is rather sport. he said
1T won't be sport for some one else when We
finished. BE careful-one false step ana you re-
dashed to atoms.
They seated themselves side by side on "A
rafter. and Smith produced his portrait of DR..
Holbank.
DO you know who that So
NO
IFS the man who wrote the arithmetic I'VE
been on his track for years. and now I've got
him.
What are you going Ia do?'
XIII him; you're to help me No on" VIII VIII ever
know. It's going to be- done 10y magi'-'h' way
they used Ia do in the old days
Il don't see what you mean.
see thea' pins?
"Wcl!?"
'Ilaye YOU got anything against thc man
Have YOU ever been kept in for arithmetic
"Tv ice last week. And my answers wcrc iish'
and tho answers in the book Mere wrong.
'Tak- these pins and dig them into the tw"
eyes of the picture That's right; now MS
blind
why"
"Whatevcr We do t. the picture happens g.
tn, real man I'm going TO dig pin int" IN"
forehead myself That's where the brain is.
and i'm s-nd him mad. Thatil teach him 80
lay traps for that II teach him recurring d"ri-
mails"
II say do you think ought to d" this
you don't know any more about r"v"ng" than
"a child I've been on this mans track for -
Said that before? oh. yes. So | did. How many
HORSES does it take to plough field in ten days
il one Of the horses f. goat I'll teach him
To ask questions like that This one i in his
heart" And another pin perforated the centre
~ the watch chain in The portrait. Now hes
dead
Il say" said Smith aghast. isn't this rather
going il? | mean. if it's real
It's real enough. To max" quite certain. II
you'll open the lantern III burn that portrait
Not word 10 anybody. mind this Is hanging
business if we're caught"
You might have told me that before II be
leved it
"You'n believe it all right ~h"n YOU hear he's
dead Come on-down the ladlor I'll s"" If any
Of the police waiting for us-you stand
back" He pc"red out cautiously. Right the
COASTS clear. Now then. run for your life"
Father" said the Magician that night lis
DR. Holhank dead?"
"Of course, He died 4 week ago OF more.
That's why they put his portrait in the paper"
Docs ii say anything about him
"Only that he died reccntlv-it doesn't give the
date-and that he the author Of som" we'll
Known schoolbooks"
Il should like to cut that hi. out too ] want
10 show ii 10 another boy
'CertainlY. AS I've always said. intelligent
interest in your work is what like to see"
And e. Williams took that obituary paragraph
to school two days later. and his reputation for
magical powers, combined with a total want Of
principle is on the incrcasc.-G,arry Pain. in |
Black and White
THE CHEERFIL IDIOT