“A magician?” cried Professor Rosello, somewhat surprised.
“Yes,” answered Joe.
The professor was silent a moment.
“Young man,” he said, “it is not an easy life. There are many hardships, and not every one can stand them, nor is every one fitted to attempt to amuse the public as I do. I say that in all modesty, but there is a certain manual dexterity required, a certain quickness of motion—of the eye—a certain amount of nerve——”
“Joe’s got that!” cried Tom, moving away to escape an expected kick. “And he can do some tricks, too. You ought to see him do the number trick you worked last night!”
The professor looked strangely at Joe.
“You are, perhaps, an amateur?” he asked, slowly.
“Sort of,” admitted Joe, diffidently.
“Then perhaps you can master the art, after many years’ practice. If you like, I will test you. Let me see——”
“My father was Professor Morretti,” said Joe in a low voice.