“Young man,” he said, “I’ve been looking for an agent like you for twenty years. At first I thought you were only a bumptious fool; but now I see you’re literally bursting with business. If any man can sell my patent vermin-trap (warranted to catch anything from a flea to a tiger) you’re that man. A hundred a year and 15 per cent. commission. Is it a bargain?”
“It is,” said the young man, trying the trap, and smiling approvingly when it nipped a piece of flesh clean out of his finger.
WHY IS IT?
Take a long narrow strip of paper, and draw a line with pen or pencil along the whole length of its centre. Turn one of the ends round so as to give it a twist, and then gum the ends together. Now take a pair of scissors and cut the circle of paper round along the line, and you will have two circles. This is a puzzle within a puzzle, and has never been satisfactorily explained either by scientist or mathematician.
How to Read a Person’s Character.
Tell a friend to put down in figures the year in which he was born; to this add 4, then his age at last birthday provided it has not come in the present year (if it has, then his age last year); multiply this sum by 1000, and subtract 687,423. (This number is for 1899; it increases 1000 for each succeeding year.) To the remainder place corresponding letters of the alphabet. The result will be the popular name by which your friend is known.
Example: A person was born in 1860, and is now 38 years of age.
| 1860 | Age |
| 4 | |
| 1864 | |
| 38 | |
| 1902 | (“A bad egg.”) |
| 1000 | |
| 1902000 | |
| 687423 | |
| 1,2,1,4,5,7,7 | |
| a,b,a,d,e,g,g |