The spool being returned, the kitten tapped it ten times, paused, and struck it eight more, while the resulting wave of amusement grew, and the over-dressed object glowered threateningly at the figure on the platform.
“And how many will he marry?... What? Not one? Well, well,” commented the seer, to further hearty laughter.
“Now tell us about some of ze young ladies,” the professor went on. “How many beaux has Miss K. O.?” While Kate Orr bridled indignantly the spool was lowered, and the kitten tapped several times on one side, several times on the other, then, to an outburst of laughing and clapping, sat up and began hitting it rapidly with both paws.
“I was unable to keep ze count,” announced the seer, “but apparently about ze seventy-five. Miss O. she is popular wiz ze young men, yes.
“And now, Tom,” continued the magician, “how many special lady friend have Mr. Kumming (an extremely bashful member of the choir)?... Twenty-two! And how many young lady are in ze choir? Twenty-two!
“Ah! A strange coincidence,” observed the learned professor amid much merriment.
With similar quips and jokes the mind-reader continued, then giving the kitten into the charge of a little girl in a front seat, announced:
“Now will I read ze head. Will some small boys please come up and bring their heads and bumps?”
Coaxing finally brought a half-dozen grinning youngsters of eight or ten to the platform. From the pocket of the last to respond protruded the unmistakable cover of a dime-novel. Him the professor seized first, and having gravely examined his head, announced, “Ladees and gentlemans, for this boy I predict a great future. Never have I seen such sign of literary taste. Yes, he will be great—unless he go west to kill ze Indian, and ze Indian see him first.”
On turning to the head of the second boy, the phrenologist started, looked more sharply, and slowly straightening up, announced, “Ladees and gentlemans, I have made ze great discovery. This boy some days you will be proud to know. Never have I seen such a lovely bump—for eat ze pie! And any kind of pie you will name. He don’t care. He will eat it.”