The Exclusive Coterie

In Effect.The four Queens are selected and laid face down in a row on the table. Three indifferent cardsare placed on each Queen. Now the company selects one of the four packets, and it is found to consist of the four Queens only.

Sleights.PalmandShift.

Patter and Execution."Ladies and gentlemen, I shall endeavor to illustrate, with the aid of this ordinarydeck of cards, how futile are the efforts of plebeians to break into that select circle of society known as the

Beau-monde, and especially how such entree is prevented by the polite but frigid exclusiveness of its gentler members.

"We shall assume that it is the occasion of a public reception, our table the hall, our deck the common herd, and we may fittingly select the four Queens as representing the feminine portion of the Smart Set."

(Lay four Queens face down on table.) "Will some one now kindly see that there are no more Queens in the deck." (Hand deck for inspection.) "There are no more Queens in the deck? Thanks!" (Take deck back.) "But are we all quite sure that the cards on the table are the four Queens? Please examine them."

(Hand them to one of the company, and now secretly palm three cards in right hand.) "They are the four Queens? Kindly place them on the deck." (Extend deck in left hand and when Queens are placed on top secretly place palmed cards on top of them.) "Now, as our table is supposed to be the scene of this grand function, we shall station those four particularly exclusive ladies at different points in the room" ( lay out the first three top cards face down), giving her majesty the Queen of" (hesitate and carelessly turn Queen face up apparently to see the suit, and allow the company to see it also, then name the suit), "the post of honor near the entrance." (Lay first Queen on the table and make a shift, holding location of other three Queens.)

"Now, as would naturally be the case, we shall besiege these high strung patrician ladies with attentions from the lower orders, which the rest of the deck represents, by first surrounding her majesty on the right with three cards from the top" (lay three cards on first table card), "and to show no partiality we shall cut the deck haphazard, and plague our second liege lady with three of the first presumptuous plebeians we may find there" (cut off small packet and place three cards on second table card), "And though the proximity or even notice of any of these common persons are equally abhorrent to our grand dames we shall treat them all alike by again cutting and surrounding her majesty at the entrance with three more rank outsiders" (this time cut to location of shift, and place the three Queens on table Queen), "And permit three more from the bottom who have been least crowding and therefore more deserving to proffer their homage to the other fair one." (Lay three bottom cards on the other table card.)

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, as you have seen, I have brutally taken advantage of these unprotected and tenderly nurtured creatures by placing them in circumstances that must be extremely galling to their aristocratic sensibilities. Will they endure such conditions? Having some knowledge of the marvelous subtlety, finesse and resources of the sex, I feel confident they can, with tact and discretion, easily elude their persecutors, and form a more congenial coterie among themselves. Will some one please select two of these packets?" (Whichever packets are selected place those two that do not contain the Queens at the back of the table side by side.) "Thanks. Now kindly tell me which of the two remaining packets I shall take?" (In any case pick up the two packets, placing the Queens at the front of the table and the second packet back beside the others. The question is purposely ambiguous.)

"Now we must see whether I were over-confident in predicting that the Queens would seek each other's society. If they are all found in one packet I was right. In which packet would they be most likely to congregate? As the front packet was your selection, and as it is given the most prominent position, I think the fatal vanity of the sex would tempt them to be there. We shall see." (Turn up four Queens, then face the other three packets, showing no Queens among them.)

It will have been seen by the foregoing that the presentation of a card trick may contain much more bosh than action, and indeed the performance of the one just described might be advantageously prolonged by a great deal more nonsense. In all card entertainments the more palaver the more the interest is excited, and the address and patter of the performer will count as much if not more than his skill in manipulation.

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The Divining Rod

In effect.A card is freely selected by the company and replaced in the pack, which is thoroughly shuffled.The performer is now blindfolded, shuffles the cards in this condition, then spreads them face down over the table, poises a pen-knife over the mass, and suddenly pierces the selected card through with the open blade.

Sleights.Shift,PalmandBlind Shuffle.

Execution and Patter."Ladies and Gentlemen. It is a fact well known to archaeologists that many verywonderful arts which were possessed by the ancients have, through the course of ages, been completely lost to modern civilization. Prominent among these superior accomplishments was the mysterious power of divining the presence of water or metals that lay hidden far under the ground. Now it may be that the assertion I am about to make will be received by you with polite but none the less absolute incredulity; but it has been my very great good fortune to discover, by the merest accident, the underlying principle of this lost art, and I have mapped out a plan of experiment and study that will in time, I trust, enable me to give once more to the world complete and scientific data for positively ascertaining the immediate whereabouts of such metals as gold, silver or copper by a process as simple as the waving of a willow wand over the prospected area.

"I do not myself as yet fully understand the exact nature of the power I have stumbled upon, but I know it to be a sort of magnetic or sympathetic attraction, and I shall illustrate to you the principle involved by experimenting with a deck of cards. Will some one please make a selection of one card? Thank you. Now I wish you to remember the name. Put it back anywhere in the deck." (Shift and palm off card.) "Would you like to shuffle? Mix them up thoroughly." (Take back deck, placing palmed card on top and show large handkerchief.) "Now, ladies and gentlemen, although no ordinary power on earth can find that selected card, I am going to satisfy all present that it is a very extraordinary power indeed that will assist me in producing it. As a matter of fact, the power is entirely apart from any personal ability I may possess; the merit of the feat will be solely due to the mysterious properties of this little pen-knife. To conclusively prove that I take no part in the action I shall have some one blindfold me with this handkerchief." (Fold the handkerchief, and when it is being knotted at back adjust fold over eyes and nose so that table can be seen when looking straight downwards.) "Now, as it is utterly impossible for me to see at all, I shall again shuffle the cards" (blind shuffle and leave one extra card on top), "And spread them out over the table." (Spread the deck on the table with a rotary motion, gradually working off top card and retaining second card with finger or thumb, employing both hands so that selected card can be almost wholly covered. Keep exposed corner in sight and spread balance of cards still further over table. Now take open pen-knife in hand.) "Please observe that I do not touch the cards at all." (Poise knife daintily between finger and thumb, circle about with hovering motion, and suddenly pierce card through its exposed part. Remove handkerchief, request name of card and slowly turn it up on point of blade.)

We consider this trick a capital one if performed with some address. Of course the patter is all a matter of taste and any invention may answer. The possibility of getting a perfect view of the table when the eyes are bandaged is never suspected by the uninitiated, but it is a fact well known to conjurers. The slightest glint is quite sufficient, as the head may be moved about freely so as to take in the whole plane below.

Under any circumstances it is difficult to fold a handkerchief so that no ray of light will enter from beneath.

This trick may be performed without getting sight of the card, by retaining the selected card under finger of one hand and then the other, and when spreading is complete retaining its position well exposed, and piercing by mechanical judgment of its location.

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Date: 2016-04-22; view: 816