THE COIN TRICK, FROM AN HIBERNIAN POINT OF VIEW.
Our brother magician, Signor Blitz, tells us the following tale, which is useful as a warning:—
While conversing in a grocery store with the proprietor, an Irishman came in to make some purchases. The trader was extremely anxious for me to astonish him by performing some feat, which I complied with. Before concluding I requested the loan of a quarter of a dollar from the Hibernian, which he at first refused, and even when the storekeeper pledged himself responsible for it, he reluctantly gave it to me. I desired him to close his hand, and hold the money secure, and I would change it into a five-dollar gold piece.
“Faith!” he muttered, as he grasped the quarter, “it is just as I would like to have ye after doing, but I don’t believe you can coin money so aisy. Let me see if you can do it!” he exclaimed.
“It is already done,” I said. “Open your hand and see.”
The man cautiously relaxed his fingers, and, at the first glimpse of the gold, jumped and hurrahed wildly, as an Irishman only can; but when his curiosity was entirely satisfied as to its reality, he carefully deposited it in his pocket, with many thanks, declaring me to be the most wonderful man in the world.
I here desired him to replace the money in my hand, and I would again convert it to the original quarter.
“Sure, afther Mike being rich, would ye make him poor again?”
“But you know it is only a trick,” I answered.
“A thrick? Divil a one! Sure, man, it is a rale piece of goold,”—thrusting his hand into his pocket to protect it from any sudden or unperceived effort on my part to extract it.