Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-23

that there is something missing, some part
of the accustomed routine cut out. You
feel better when one Of the magicians looks
about the first few rows of seats and asks
blandIy that some one will lend him a $40
bill. ~
The row look consciously at each other.
There Is no suspicion in the glance, no
doubling in regard to it's safe return, even
though 1t may form part of an omelet, be
torn into shreds, thrown to the four winds
and burnt up to light a cigarette, but with
the exception of the look there is no evil
dence that the platform request has been
heard. The speaker does not urge the
matter, but makes a wider appeal, includ-
ing the whole assemblage, so that no one
need feel hurt. No one does and no one
feels for the $40 bill, a light of understand
ing dawns on the magician's comprehen-
sion. He mods and compromises on a FLYER,
The first man he asks has a So bill and
gives 1t up without reluctance.
The s. bill is torn into shreds and these
shreds are again destroyed by the long.
supple fingers of the performer, The re-
mains are rolled into a litue ball and the
ball unrolled discloses the S. intact, with
the same initials on it that the owner had
marked and corresponding in number with
the number of the original bill, carefully
copied for Identification.
The owner, one of the visiting corps,
is vlsibIy disappointed. II saw that
trick done when l was a little boy" he
asserts In a loud voice. Il thought l was
going to get a ten back at least. You don't
seem to me to have advanced in your pro-
fession a mite. Guess l might as well go
to a speeritualistic seeance.' In order to
bring the atmosphere up to the normal,
another member of the society rises and
begins to borrow all sorts Of things from
the audience. His wants are many; he
has to have a pack of playing cards and
some envelopes, pencils and pens and a
chair and the attention of the people in
the room. When he has gathered all this
together he begins to do a most COM
plicated trick, through the mazes of which
1t is quite impossible to follow him, and
az boxes of candy are passed about during
his work and conversation is quite prolific
and the trick still goes on to a merry end
ing you are quite satisfied.
Bits of talk punctuates the trick. You
hear, ecu. through the middle Of the pack.
Thank you. Write one word and put 1t
into the second envelope. Thank you, 1
am going into a corner Of the room and
turn my back. Please put Ii In your
pokect. Ten from twenty leaves how
many. Twenty? Thank you"
At the end of half an hour or so the
magician whispers a long time TO MIR. Oscar
Teale, ex-president of the club, and then
announces in a sepulchral tone that he
has requested the president TO go into the
outer room and return in a few minutes
with a certain book of magic. His de-
parture is awaited bTeathfully, while more
candy Is eaten and more conversation
trlckles up and down the rows of seats.
Finally the messenger returns staggering
beneath the burden of a huge volume,
which he lays down with empressement and
a noise.
All this time the envelope which was
mentioned earlier in the trick, a half hour
or 80 earlier, has had concealed in its in
terror a slip of paper on which one word
written by a strange lady in the audience
is inscribed. The envelope has been put
away in the pocket OF one OF the profess
sional gentlemen, who, judging from the
expression Of his face, does not believe the
trick will ever be finished successfully.
No, one knows the word except the
woman. 1t Is her last word and she has
separated herself from 1t with facility. She
remembers II too, which women do not al
ways do, II an amateur had been doing
the trick ne would just carelessly open
the volume and point out the familiar com
bination OF novels and consOnants, but the
true artist delays with flnesse the moment
OF EXPOSURE This Is why the cards and the
chair and the pencil and the other phara-
~phernalia. With the cards cut and rear
ranged and one selected which Is put back
among it's companions and later discovered
on the top OF a corner cupboard inside OF
a clolssonne jar, bearing the magic mum
Der nine, 1t is easy enough even for the
visitors to see that there Is only one thing
70 do and that is open the volume at the
page number indicated, nine, and then
multiplying that number by the number Of
cards left in the pocket Of the baldheaded