"But how are we to know the leap-years, without stopping to figure them out?" some one may ask.
Very easily, if you will bear in mind that in the years having the odd decades, such as 50s, 70s, 90s, the leap-years end in 2 or in 6, as 1852, 1876; while those with even decades end in 0, 4, or 8.
With very little practice any bright boy or girl can soon master this, and while it will tend to surprise their friends, it will prove excellent mental exercise.
Mr. Kellar has recently exhibited what he terms "Karmos." In its original form this trick, an imported one, as are most of the tricks he exhibits, was really very ingenious and baffling, though a little slow. To overcome this objectionable feature Kellar put on his thinking-cap, or had some other fellow to cudgel his brains, and the result was the following:
Mrs. Kellar sits blindfolded on a platform erected on the stage, and gives the cube and square roots of numbers chosen or designated by the audience, but apparently unknown to her. These Mr. Kellar writes on a blackboard set up at one side of the stage in full view of the audience.
The lady also tells the names of cards dealt off from a thoroughly shuffled pack, spells out the word selected from a dictionary and gives its definition, reads a check held up against the blackboard, tells its amount, and the name of the one who drew it.
There is no hesitation, no mistakes, and the answers and descriptions are given with the greatest rapidity.
How is it done? The lady certainly cannot see, and the quickness with which the answers are given preclude the idea that Kellar conveys the information by such signals as walking in a certain way, tapping the blackboard, etc.
The method is so simple that many of "the profession" consider it inartistic, but the public seems to like it.
Every one who has attended a magical entertainment will have seen a narrow platform extending from the stage to the auditorium, by means of which the performer passes to and from the audience.