If the performer possesses the “flower-pot,” one of these will naturally be used in place of the hat.
MAGNETIC MAGIC
Requirements. Card mat, loaded with a single known card (precise nature optional). Pack of cards with corresponding card at top. A horseshoe magnet, the larger the better for the sake of effect. The two flower-pots, placed at some distance apart, preferably on separate tables.
We will suppose that the card selected for the purpose of the trick is the ten of spades. Performer advances, and delivers patter to something like the following effect.
“By way of a change, I should like now to show you a little experiment in magnetism, but magnetism of a new kind. The old sort was a comparatively poor affair. It was only useful with iron or steel. Anything else it wouldn’t attract for nuts. My sort of magnetism is a very superior article. It will attract all sorts of things, so long as they are not too heavy, like a sack of coals, or a lawyer’s bill. So far, I have been chiefly experimenting with cards, and I will show you how it works.
“I want three ladies each to choose a card from this pack.” (He forces the ten of spades, allowing the other two cards to be chosen freely, and takes all three back, face down, on the mat, keeping in mind which of them is the forced card.) “I will take one of these cards.” (He picks up the forced card, and holds it aloft.) “Please all notice what it is: I don’t want to see it myself. I drop it into this pretty flower-pot” (actually dropping it into the secret pocket). “And now as to these other two.” (He picks them up and shows them, then replacing them on the mat.) “These I will place in the other flower-pot. First, however, I will show you that at present it is empty.” He does so, and then lets the two cards slide off the mat into the pot, the concealed card going with them.
“Now I take this magnet. It is a very powerful magnet, and I make it still more vigorous by rubbing it on my left coat sleeve. Do you know why on the left? You all give it up? Because in this case the left happens to be right. Simple, when you know it, isn’t it? Again, you will observe that one-half of this magnet is painted red. Can you guess why that is? It’s so that when it is wanted it is sure to be ‘reddy.’ I hear a lady smile! Thank you so much! This is the eleven hundred and third time I have let off that little impromptu joke, and no one has ever laughed at it till now.
“Well, as I was saying, or as I was going to say when the lady interrupted me—I mean complimented me, by smiling—Upon my word, I’ve forgotten for the moment what I was going to say, but I daresay it was of no consequence, so we’ll skip it, and proceed at once to ‘business as usual.’