Having taken the lighted candle in your right, hold the left hand above the flame, and move the fingers as if allowing the silver to pass down, drop by drop, into the candle itself. If, just before this, previous to taking the candle, you could catch up the glass for a drink and drop a spoonful of water into the hollow of your left hand, the dropping of it into the candle-flame would add to the impression of melting silver. You can wet your hand slightly in many natural ways, as no one would imagine the water had anything to do with the trick. Continue to pretend to drop the silver, until it would naturally be gone; then, without removing your hand, open it and announce that the half-dollar is melted, and can be found in the candlestick; assuring the donor that he need not be alarmed, as you can bring it out as it was before it went in, if he will but have patience.
Put the candlestick down upon the table, and pretend to pick out bits of silver from the various parts of it with the right hand, placing them as they are gathered in the palm of the left hand. At a convenient moment, when the right is exactly above the left hand, drop the half-dollar into it, and the trick is done. But it would not do to let the audience know this, so you must continue to work the left hand as if molding the coin in shape, blowing with the mouth into the palm as if cooling the heated mass; toss it from hand to hand as if to cool it more rapidly, and finally return it to the spectator from whom it was borrowed.
BURNING THE CENTER FROM A HANDKERCHIEF.
The young performer will find but little difficulty in performing this simple sleight-of-hand trick successfully. A lighted candle, a small stick, or magic wand, and a piece of thin cambric or muslin about six inches square, are the materials required.
Place the lighted candle on your table, and the wand on another table or shelf some distance from the former with the bit of cambric behind it.
Now borrow of some lady present a handkerchief, a gentleman’s being inconveniently large. Take the handkerchief by the center, pull it carefully between the fingers and thumb of left hand, and advance toward the candle.
Just as you are about to burn it, stop and say, as if in answer to some remark overheard, “Oh, no, I have not changed the handkerchief. See!” and at the same time allow another inspection of it.
Suggest now to its owner, if, in case her handkerchief is burned, she would like it restored again to its proper condition; and, upon her answering in the affirmative, announce the necessity of the magic wand for that purpose. Walk to the spot where the wand is lying, and take it up, managing to pick up at the same time between the left thumb and forefinger the bit of cambric; the center of this piece should be pointed outward so that it may be readily pulled out at the desired moment, the remainder being neatly rolled up and palmed under the thumb. This piece should have been rolled up with the central point slightly projecting when first placed on the shelf, and the performer should manage to turn his back toward the audience for a few moments when taking up the wand.
Place the wand in one of your coat pockets as you advance toward your candle, and again take the handkerchief, putting it this time into the left hand, and pull up the small piece of material, completely hiding the center of the real handkerchief between the second and third fingers and the palm of the hand.
The portion of the cambric extending beyond the thumb and forefinger may now be safely burned, and the audience may be sure the handkerchief is burned, as you can make some display of rolling it up in a ball, taking care, however, to separate the burned piece from the real article. Now take the wand from the pocket, and at the same time manage to drop the small semi-burned piece of muslin unperceived into the pocket; touch the handkerchief with the wand, and, after some magic word or words, return the handkerchief to the owner to be examined, remarking that you hope not even an odor of smoke is noticeable about it.