The St. Johns herald., 1901-04-27
! he rick ! hat ailed


? R N old trick? We'll, yes. A coftil S A\ to all appearance of genuin -t manufacture, is brought on th
 stage, and rested each end on a paralle : support The audience are invited t : test the somber case by sending feY l of their number forward as an inspec r tion committee, and it seems truly as tonishing that the method of the flu : sion has gone on so long undiscovered
 After inspection the conjurer's assist ant is placed in the coffin, in whici
 there would appear little room for turn
 ing, and the lid tightly closed. Now
 comes the mystery! The conjurer takes
 up long sword, as keen of edge anC
 point as a scythe, and, after handing
 it around for inspection, passes it slow
 ly through a prepared slot in the coffin
 lid until the blade shows through an
 aperture ill the coffin's bottom, direct
 ly opposite the upper slot. The main
 portion of the audience are puzzled, the
 weaker-minded horror stricken. Then
 the sword is withdrawn, the coffin lid
 removed and the assistant absolutely unharmed, comes forth amid thunderS
 of applause.
 You who read these lines might laugh
 at the suggestion of a simple trick in-
 spring fear in anyone of ordinary per
 ceptiveness. Yet I, who have per ] formed in the trick in the capacity Of
 assistant, shudder to-day at even the
 sight of a coffin of construction genuine
 or otherwise. I will tell you why, and
 you will know that my nerves had just
 cause to be shaken on that, to me, we'll
 remembered night two years ago.
 1 was lon the road' with as clever
 conjurer as ever handled property" ] silk hat, man whose movements were
 as swift as they were accurate, and my | humble position in his employ as assist
 ant deemed good enough for training
 until I should be competent to open on my own behalf.
 Herr Bruer's wife had died about six
 months before 1 joined him, and even
 at first sight of his face could judge
 how great had been his sorrow at her loss. Some of his actions off the stage soon led me to believe that his mind was slowly but, to the most recently formed of his acquaintances, percept-
 ibly unhinging.
 Had no fear of placing myself in the mans power? No, for 1 so trusted his ability that at each performance of his great trick got into the coffin as read iIy as if were going to bed. His stage properties, too, were all so thoroughly made up-as proof against accident and detection as the specialist could make
 them. How easily that trick" coffin
 bafIled the scrutiny of the curious, and how readily its side had fallen outward, affOrding me a shelf of safety from
 harm by the swords downward pass age.
 Our provincial tour-my first and only one with Bruer-had so far been a great success. At each of our new openings the hall employed was packed with the thousands who had heard of his skill, and as the nights passed l grew more confident of my own prog ress. From the moment when, in an- swer to an advertisement for a lady assistant, there came to us the dearest girl with whom 1 have yet been aSso ciated a renewed energy came to me, and I seemed to learn fresh departures | in the cOnjuring art with ever-increaS | ing ease. You smile! An, yes, loved | her-and who could help doing the same? Millie soon came to understand | my feeling for her, and the joy that filled my soul when she one night, in answer to my proposal for her hand, gave a sweet affirmative, 1 cannot ex press in words. But on my mentioning | to her the necessity of announcing our | engagement to Bruer I noticed pecu- liar look of fear cross her face.
 "Oh, Harry" she cried, cannot we keep that from him until our wedding | day?"
 The question struck me as a strange one. Keep our engagement a secretI
 But" 1 remonstrated, where's the need of holding back from the man what doesn't affect him in the least? Our union need not deprive him of our services, for time, anyhow"
 You do not understand" she said, slowly. Something would happen, I am sure, if he comes to know what there is between us. LiStenY' and she lowered her voice to a whisper, aI- though we were out of eavesdropp:ng reach. Hast night he called me to his room, and, to my astonishment, de clared his love for me in a mad way. And when 1 told him that 1 could never allow anything more than business re- lations to exist between him and my self a mad gleam came into his eyes, and I hurried from the place, fearful lest he might harm me. Now, is it not just as advisable to keep him in the dark until we are married? Some stu pid jealousy might cause him to do you harm, and there are so many ways, you know, Harry"
 She spoke earnestly, and I promised not to divulge a word of our engage ment to anyone.
 On the following morning I called at MIllle lOuSluS, anu, III answer 10 my inquiry for her, was told she had been sent for by Herr Bruer, who urgently required her services in the hall. This had 6 thrilling effect on me, for I remembered what Millie had told me regarding her treatment of his advances. At once I acted on a sudden impulse to follow her to the hall, and on being admitted by the caretaker, made my way toward the little room (