The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-04-29
PAUL ANDTHE pRESTIOIGI1ATOR
A stirring story Of shattered window Glass
and the Fun q Boy Had Throwing stones.
Copyright, 1900, BY c. p Loomia

nnll mat Tor nearly a year mad $1,000 ldle, III wis
not easy to find even n fragment of glass. ma
1t had been a fnvorite mark for boys ever since
Abraham Miltibank failed In business and left
the mill TO its fate.
Paul walked all around It and found in an
out Of the way corner n pane that had never
been broken. He took good aim and fired,
and the musical sound OF shattered glass fell
sweetly upon his ears.
While he was wishing that he could find an
other such dandy target q shabby-looking
man stepped ont Of the door Of the mill and said
to Paul
You're n regular boy. amt yer? You love
TO hear glass breaking. ! can give YOU a lot
of sport at TINT sort of business
Now, Paul was not mischievous and he didn't
know whether TO 60 about his business or stay
and talk 10 the stranger II was n lonely spot,
and the man WAS not pleasant-looking, He
had %slanting eyebrows and keen. deep-set eyes
and his beard came to a queer little point,
How" asked Paul. deciding TO stay for a
minute and talk to the man.
How'd you like me 10 enchant a building
here In town. say Deacon Jones's, so that you
could break every window in the house. and
yet il wouldn't do any harm?"
That would be bully. said Paul. laughing
"Whewee. wouldn't I Jingle EN-. But Mrs,
Jones ia all right. and I wouldn't like to do
any damage"
NO need TO damage en-. ! can Ak glass
so that you can break 1t ali to pieces and 1t
will be restored as soon as you get tired break
ing IL. Years ago. when | was younger, | was
called Signor Diabolo. the great magician.
and | travelled with the greatest circus on
earth. There is very little | can't do in the
way of pleasing a boy. and although. OF course.
| you don't believe in fairies, yet II you've ever
seen any straightforward tricks at the circus
you know that we prestidigitators can do Won
derful things "
"Presty WHAT" asked Paul perplexedly.
"PrestidiRitators. 1t fits the mouth pretty
snug, doesn't 1t. II means one who is handy
with his fingers"-
"Oh YOU mean one who can saw and ham
] mar and put things together like our hired
man"
Not exactly said the man with a queer
laugh. Tools never suited me. but I can pull
a quarter OF a dollar out Of your cheek as easy
as pie" He reached over to Paul rs he spoke
and drew a silver quarter from his freckled
cheek.
Paul. who had never seen any sleight OF
hand before. was lost In wonder. The man
then took a quarter out of his hair and put
II into his own pocket. He followed this up
by taking six quarters in succession from Pauls
eyes, ear and chin. always putting each quarter
into his pocket before getting another.
Paul, who was a farmer' son, never had
much spending money and he wanted 10 ace
all the quarters together.
let's look at 'em In a pile. said he. his eyes
dancing with expectation.
Now the tramp had only one quarter and
he simply made believe draw them from the
lad. so. Of course. he could not pile up one quar-
ter 10 look like eight. for he possessed no super
natural powers at all.
Didn't you know boy. said he. that money
made this way will never pile up7"
Paul didn't more than half believe him,
but he didn't like 10 say 40. and the tramp
changed tho subject by saying: Did you
ever hear how tho sparrows came to New York;"
Il knew there we're lots Of them in all big
cities. because brother Bob is n drummer and
he told me, but | don't know how they zane
to New York"
We'll | put them there, Would you like
10 know how | did II, or would you like TO so
and break those windows now?"
Paul was a little doubtful about the wisdom
NJ breaking Mrs, Jones's windows. but a story
was a story, so he said: Il guess Id like the
story first"
He glanced at the sun and noticed that II
was pretty low in the west. and he knew that
he ought 10 be on his way after the cows, but
how tho sparrows came TO New York sounded
too tempting to leave for cows.
We'll. I introduced EN- into all the big cities
in one season. the first time that Farnum's
great circus took TO the railroads. You see
New York was birdless. and the city people
got homesick for the little fellows. Most
Of 'en had been born in the country and had
been Weakened by bird songs, and they missed
the lack Of them in the city. Well, I had inst
come from England with two English spar
rows for company. Most OF these magicians
pull rabbits out Of hats. and | thought that
II | could kill two birds with one stone
Meaning the sparrows. said Paul. with
All odd expression around the corners ot MS
mouth.
but / thought that il while doing my tricks /
could introduce the ,sparrows into New York
I'd be doing the people a service. So the night
OF rhS n mr., p PeT tSs Gjowe ! e oes ibs 9 SaI puma
with YOU. and then / told 'em was going 10
make ,"m z present S,s ONE me lTds, H psd law tn, n
birds from my sleeve and Two more, from
my shoe. and then half a dozen from the clowns
cnp. and then. ~ the audience was charmed
at the flock Of little birds which flew round
and round the ring exactly aS II they were
Tncing, ! began to do it by wholesale. and pulled
out n hundred AZ n time"
How'd you do III" asked Paul, for with all
his uCuteness he Nas a simple lad, and he be-
lieved every word that the tramp said. and the
How'd / do IL? Why. | cant explain it.
| seemed TO have the power that night. Tried
TO next day. but the power was gone, That's
been the trouble with mo always. Some
days ! cant get a single cont out Of people,
and then | go hungry. and then again ! can pull
quarters out by the dozen. the way I've done
with you They'll see me through Tomorrow.
and Tn sure I'm obliged TO you"
Paul quite swelled up with qualification |
that he had helped this. remarkable man, al
though. rs a matter Of fact, he had not done
a single thing for the ramp.
We'll, go on" said the boy ~uneasily. for he
noticed that the sun was beginning to color |
the clouds. aud he knew when that luminary
took out his paints il was because he wanted
to amuse himself before going TO bed. and.it
must be- time To get those cows. But the man
We'll, the audience went Wild and kept cry
ing, More More and at last the sawduSt
was completely covered with chirping spar
rows, Then ] climbed up n rope TO the top
of the tent. and with my knife | cut. n hole in
the canvas, and ! said TO the birds, Go up
sir, it was the prettiest sight YOU ever saw,
Those birds flew one by one out Of the hole
In the tent and the next day there were spar
rows all over the city, and they've been In
creasing ever since.
."Yy,o MI pi ;bs the i'd RssOP bs, ' Ebss y IGs2 found ,b,,
instead Of singing, the birds set a bad example
to children by Quarrelling,, they. asked me to
take EN- away, but ] couldn't do that md they're
THAT was a bully story. Blu. I've got to
run for the cows.
uNuF n ..,..A " oatA tha fran,n N - h2