"I think I know it, but I shall see," said Bertha, and several girls expressed a similar opinion.
Again Alice went out. Miss Walker touched Nellie, and Alice, as promptly as before, named the right person on her return to the room.
The girls were at fault, and again failed to discover any look or gesture that could help them.
"You must have heard, Alice," said one.
"But Miss Walker did not speak."
"She placed her hand in a particular position."
"Alice may come in blindfolded if you like," said Miss Walker.
One of the girls went out with Alice, brought her in backward, so that she might not see Miss Walker, held her hands, and did everything but find out the secret.
At last they said: "We give it up, Miss Walker. Do tell us the secret."
"Well," said Miss Walker, "if you really can not guess it, I will tell you. As a rule, I placed my hand on the shoulder of the girl who spoke last before Alice quitted the room. But sometimes there were two or three speakers, and in this case I touched my own shoulders. If no one spoke, I touched the piano. Any article that may be agreed upon will do equally well. With this simple understanding, and an intelligent assistant, a mistake is almost impossible."