Although the performer has nothing to do with cutting the paper, yet the trick depends altogether on the way in which it is cut. Reference to Fig. 7 will explain this at a glance. It will be seen that if the paper is cut into four strips, two of these, No. 1 and No. 4, will each have a sharp edge, A, and a rough edge, B, while Nos. 2 and 3 will have two rough edges. In handing out the papers the performer always gives a sharp-edged strip with the request, "Please write the name of a man on this," while the rough-edged ones are given for the names of women. When he puts his hand into the hat he has merely to run a finger over the edges of a strip, and he can at once determine whether the name on it is that of a man or of a woman, even without the aid of "unseen powers."
For his next phenomenon—by which name he attempted to dignify his tricks—he required the assistance of his wife. She was conducted to a room on another floor of the house, and while she was thus out of sight and out of hearing the Professor introduced a pack of cards. One of the company drew a card, and showed it to the rest of those present, the Professor included. Then the gentleman who drew the card wrote on a piece of thick paper the question. "What is the name of the card drawn?" This was placed in an opaque envelope, so that the writing could not possibly be read; the envelope was sealed, and the Professor addressed it to his wife. She placed it for a moment against her forehead, and then seizing a blank card, wrote on it, "The card chosen was the eight of hearts," which was correct.
The secret is in the way the address is written. By previous arrangement it is understood that the suits of the cards are to run as follows: spades, hearts, clubs, and diamonds. Should a spade be drawn, a period is placed after the first word of the address; if a heart, after the second; if a club, after the third; if a diamond, no period appears in the first line of the address. For the number of the suit the cards run in their regular order, ace, deuce, etc., the Jack counting 11, the Queen 12, the King 13. To designate the suit, an initial letter is introduced in the address, the one used being the one in numerical order coming after the number of the suit. Thus, in the first case, the card being the eight of hearts, the address was written
Mrs Sarah. I Smith
—the period after Sarah designated the suit, while I, the ninth letter of the alphabet, showed the number of spots on the card.
AN "OLD-FIELD" SCHOOL-GIRL.[1]
BY MARION HARLAND.
CHAPTER XI.
Flea's horse threw up his head with a jerk, and wheeled partly around at the jerk upon the bridle; his rider flushed crimson, then grew white.