Step by step the great Magic of Cards is being made known to you. Card magic in its simplicity and its complexity is being laid before you in such a way that it can easily be mastered.

Do not lose sight of the fact that you must first learn the alphabet and pass through the preparatory schools before you can go to college.

Every sleight, every principle which I teach you has its purpose and every effect, simple or difficult, has its place in the great scheme of the whole. Consider nothing which I give you in this course as too simple to spend much time with. What to you now seems simple is something which for me has meant years of study and analysis to perfect and simplify. I have taken some of the most difficult moves and effects in magic and have made them possible for you to learn quickly and easily without the use of cumbersome and expensive apparatus and with none of the old effectiveness lost.

And, on the other hand, consider nothing which I give you too difficult to learn. It takes practice — faithful practice — to become a Master in anything. You are building for a big future and you must lay your foundation strong and solid. With each practice period the difficult moves become easier and before long you know that you have a real accomplishment.

Your ultimate goal is to have your moves become so much a part of your consciousness that you perform them perfectly and automatically. Then as you perform, your thoughts will be concentrated on SHOWMANSHIP and the Mastery of the Art will be yours.

GUIDE TO CARD POSITIONS

This explanation will be a guide for you in the learning of card sleights and principles. It will make my teaching of them perfectly clear to you. You should memorize these descriptive terms and definitions thoroughly so that when one is mentioned you know instantly what is meant.

The "Bottom" card of a deck is the one facing outward, the rest of the pack facing in the same direction. Figure 1. The deuce of hearts is the bottom card.

The "Top" card of a deck is the one with the back outward, the rest of the pack facing in the same direction. Figure 2.

These terms are the conjurer's guide-post only. To the audience if a deck of cards is on the table with the

cards facing up, the first card is the top card and the last card is the bottom card, whereas to you the first card is the "Bottom" card and the last card is the "Top" card. Regardless of what position the deck is in, the card facing out is the "Bottom" card and the card with the back out is the "Top" card.

To prevent misunderstanding, in the rest of your lessons I shall put "Bottom" and "Top" in quotation marks to designate the magician's terms.

The CENTER of the deck is midway between "Top" and "Bottom." Figure 3.

The edges of a card are designated in this manner, holding the back of card uppermost: A -- the upper edge.

B -- the lower edge.

C -- the left-hand edge.

D -- the right-hand edge. Figure 4.

When card is turned over with face uppermost, A is still the upper edge and B the lower edge. But C is now the right-hand edge, and D is the left-hand edge. Figure 5.

Regardless of what position the card is in, the edges bear the same letters.

The corners of the card are designated by a combination of the letters of the two sides forming the corner. With back of card up:

AC -- upper left corner.

AD -- upper right corner. BC -- lower left corner.

BD -- lower right corner.

Figure 6.

When face of card is up, corners retain their original letters, merely reversing position. Thus,

AD becomes upper left corner,

AC -- upper right corner, BD -- lower left corner, BC -- lower right corner.

Figure 7.

VARIOUS PRINCIPLES OF PALMING AND SHIFTS

Right Angle Slip Up Palm

Deck is held in a horizontal position in left hand. Right hand is brought up close to it in a vertical position. Figure 8, next page.

With left thumb push up the top card into the right palm. Figure 9.

Press card securely into right palm with left thumb. The card is now palmed with back of it outward. Figure 10.

This principle of palming is very valuable in some cases when it is advisable or necessary to have the card reversed with back outward instead of face. Practice it until you can do it quickly and easily without being detected. Remember "NOT TO LOOK AT YOUR HANDS."

Oblique Slip Up Palm

The same principle as the Right Angle Slip Up Palm, except that the deck is held at an oblique angle in the left hand. Figure 11.

Use of this palm is advantageous when you do not want audience to see "Bottom" of deck and their Angle of Visibility is such that they cannot see the card when deck is held at oblique angle.

Right Angle Kick-In Palm

Another form of right angle palm. Deck is held horizontally in left hand and right hand is held vertically beside and a little in front of deck.

If deck is held backs up, the palmed card or cards will be facing outward, and vice versa. Hold deck according to the way in which you desire the cards palmed.

Place little finger of left hand under card or cards to be palmed. Second and third fingers are on top of cards and act as a lever. When you place right hand next to cards, pivot the cards out with the little finger of left hand, and with the aid of the second and third fingers the cards are "kicked" into the right palm. Figure 11A.

This style of palming is useful in instances when you merely pass the right hand by the deck in a pretended gesture similar to the move of transferring cards from packet to packet in the effect, "Cards That Pass in the Night."

BOTTOM TO TOP SHIFTS

Important in sleight of hand with cards is the ability to shift undetectably the "Bottom" card of a deck to the "Top" or vice versa, without disturbing the position of the rest of the cards.

Oblique Slip Up Palm Shift

To get "Bottom" card to "Top": Hold deck in left hand with "Bottom" card facing outward in oblique angle away from audience. Perform the Oblique Slip Up Palm, getting "Bottom" card into right palm. Allow right hand to come between left fingers and back of deck. Leave "Bottom" card on "Top" and with the same movement take deck from left hand, holding it between thumb and first and second fingers of right hand. Figure 12.

To the audience it appears that you have merely transferred the deck from the left to the right hand.

To get "Top" card to "Bottom": Practically the same movements as described above. The deck, however, in this case, is held in the left hand with backs up. "Top" card is slipped up, palmed, and shifted to "Bottom" of deck. When deck is transferred to right hand, it should be pivoted around on thumb and first finger of right hand so that backs of cards are toward audience.

The audience does not see face of "Bottom" card and is not aware of shifting and pivoting of deck if you do this properly.

Index Finger Shift

To get "Bottom" card to "Top": Hold deck in a slightly oblique position in left hand. Right hand in vertical position screens cards. With left thumb push "Bottom" card over C edge of deck for about half an inch so that corner AC comes between first joints of index and second fingers of right hand. Figure 13.

Do not open fingers of right hand to receive card and do not push card far enough between fingers to show from back of hand as either one of these two things would bring the attention of the audience to what you are doing. Merely get the card far enough between your fingers to grasp it and hold it securely.

Pull deck away with left hand for a few inches, allowing the cards to fall back against base of left thumb with backs up. Figure 14.

Bring palmed card up to deck in left hand, and place it against deck. Figure 15.

With a continuous movement, as you place "Bottom" card on "Top" of deck, pivot the deck around and into position in right hand. Figure 16.

To the audience it looks as though you just turned the pack over in left hand and flopped it over into your right hand with a flourish.

To get "Top" card to "Bottom": Hold deck in left hand with backs of cards up. Repeat movements as described above, but finish with cards in right hand, backs to audience.

Thumb — Little Finger Shift

This is especially adapted for shifting the "Bottom" card to the "Top" of the deck when cards are held backs up in left hand.

Hold pack in left hand, thumb on top of it and fingers under it. Grasp pack at A edge with first and second fingers of right hand and at B edge with thumb of right hand. Figure 17.

With fingers of left hand slide bottom card toward the right so that it is automatically slipped into right hand with AD corner pressed into first joint of little finger and second joint of third finger and BC corner pressed into first joint of thumb. Figure 18.

Draw deck just far enough to left to allow placing of deck below card in right hand. Right hand does not move; the left hand performs the move. The "Bottom" card is now on "Top" of the deck. Finish by bringing up the deck into position between thumb and first and second fingers of right hand with faces of cards toward audience. Figure 19.

THE CONJURER'S TOUCH

EFFECT:

Performer allows spectator to shuffle deck of cards and to remove one card. Remainder of deck is placed in performer's right-hand trouser's pocket. Magician then asks what suit the selected card is. When the spectator names it, magician produces a card of the same suit from his pocket. Then the spectator is asked the number of the card and as soon as he gives it, magician produces a card of the same number from his pocket. No matter what the suit and number of the selected card, the magician can produce it immediately from his pocket.

PARAPHERNALIA:

1--A deck of cards.

SECRET AND PATTER:

To Prepare:

This effect requires a prearrangement of four cards which can be done in a moment. Run through the pack and pick out the following cards:

Eight of Clubs

Four of Hearts

Two of Spades Ace of Diamonds

Figure 20.

Place these four cards on top of the pack of cards in the order designated, with the Eight of Clubs on top.

Each suit is contained in the four cards and any number from one to thirteen can be made by using each card singly or adding one or more of them together, thus:

If Selected Card Is: Produce from Pocket:

1 Ace of Diamonds

2 Two of Spades

3 Ace plus Two Spot

4 Four of Hearts

5 Four plus Ace

6 Four plus Two

7 Four plus Two plus Ace

8 Eight of Clubs

9 Eight plus Ace

10 Eight plus Two

Jack 11 Eight plus Two plus Ace

Queen 12 Eight plus Four

King 13 Eight plus Four plus Ace

To Perform:

Hold deck with backs of cards up. Fan it enough so that little finger of left hand can be easily slipped under the four arranged cards.

Palm the four cards in right hand and reach into right trouser's pocket. Push cards up into upper corner of pocket as you did in Lesson 12. Remove handkerchief from pocket and then pull pocket out to show it empty. Replace pocket.

"Will you, please, give the pack a thorough shuffle?" Give deck to spectator who shuffles it.

"That's what they call the (some small town) shuffle. Now remove any card -- just any card you would like -- but do not show it to me yet. Now give me the deck of cards. I shall place it here in my pocket."

Take deck. Place it in pocket with backs of cards toward audience and in back of cards already there. These four cards are now on top of deck which makes them easy to get at.

"In Magic one develops a very keen sense of touch -- so keen that playing cards can be distinguished by a touch of the fingers. To illustrate: The gentleman here thoroughly shuffled a deck of cards and then selected a card from it. I placed the) shuffled deck in my pocket. (To spectator holding card) Will you, please, tell me the suit of your card -- whether it is a Club, Heart, Spade, or Diamond? A SPADE?"

Reach into pocket and produce the third card down, which is the Two of Spades. Show it to the audience so that all can see it.

"A SPADE? And what is the number of the card? An ACE?" Reach into pocket and bring forth the ACE of Diamonds.

"An ACE!"

Remove deck from pocket and take card from spectator.

NOTE:

Where speed in performance is necessary, as in stage work, performer does not even bother to take up selected card. It is better to step quickly into the next effect.

SUGGESTIONS:

Let us assume that the King of Clubs was the selected card. Reach into pocket and remove the Eight of Clubs -- this gives the suit. Then say, "The King? That's the thirteenth card." Nod your head and show the Eight in your hand.

"Eight and ..."

Reach into pocket and quickly remove the Four of Hearts.

"Four are twelve and ..."

Reach into pocket quickly again and remove the Ace of Diamonds.

"One are thirteen."

Sometimes it is necessary to count the card in the hand and sometimes not.

I have oftentimes varied the effect by using SEVEN arranged cards instead of four, adding a Jack, Queen, and King. Then when anyone called out a court card as the selected one, it was easy to produce a duplicate.

Again I have worked with thirteen arranged cards, beginning with the Ace and ending with the King. This method, of course, can be used only when you can arrange the cards secretly in advance. In this method of working, you may have the cards in your pocket when you begin the effect.

Any other combination of suits for the Eight, Four, Two, and One cards may be substituted for those which I have given you. The working principle involves these four numbers and the four suits regardless how arranged.

A MYSTERIOUS DISCOVERY

A favorite effect of Percy Abbott, Australian Magician.

EFFECT:

Deck of cards is spread out in a row. Performer turns his back and spectator picks up one to ten cards from one end of row, shuffles them, remembers one, places them on other end of pack, and squares up the whole deck. Magician then spreads cards over the table and shuffles them around with his finger tips. He grasps spectator's wrist and moves his hand above cards. Suddenly he points spectator's hand down on one card. This is found to bear the number of cards which spectator picked up. Then another card is located in the same manner, and this proves to be the card which spectator selected.

PARAPHERNALIA:

1--Deck of cards.

SECRET AND PATTER:

To Prepare:

Arrange thirteen cards of any suits, starting with the ace and going up to the king (backs up). The effect depends on numbers only, so disregard suits.

Place cards so arranged on top of rest of deck. Backs are up and the King is the top card.

To Perform:

Riffle shuffle the deck, performing a FALSE SHUFFLE so that you do not disturb the 13 arranged cards on top of deck.

Spread pack on table for a distance of about 18 inches from end to end. Figure 21.

To spectator:

"When I turn my back. pick up any number of cards that you choose

-- from one to ten -- from this end." Point to end L.

Spectator picks up a few cards from this end. Figure 22.

The arranged cards are all at the other end of deck.

"Have you picked them up? Now shuffle the cards in your hand." Spectator shuffles cards.

"Square them up and keep the backs toward me. Notice the card that is facing you and remember it. Now just square up the cards on the table. Place the few cards you have in your hand on top of the deck and square them all up."

Spectator squares up cards in his hand, remembers the one facing him. Then he squares up the remainder of the pack and places the cards he picked up on top of the others. All this is done while you have your back turned. Figure 23.

When spectator is through, turn around and pick up the deck of cards.

"Let us see whether everyone understands what has been done. I shuffled a pack of cards, spread it out on the table. You picked up a few cards from this end -- (Point to end) I do not know how many. You remembered one of them, then squared up these cards and placed yours on top of them. That is correct, is it not?"

This gives you an opportunity to check up and see whether everything was done right.

Deal cards down on the table one at a time into a row of six, then under this another row of six. Begin laying down a third row, and as you do so, get a glimpse of the second card in this row as you lay it down. This is the 14th Card and is your Key Card. Figure 24.

The number of this 14th card tells you how many cards the spectator transferred from the bottom to the top of the pack and also tells you which card the spectator selected to remember.

Let us assume that the Key Card is a Six of Hearts. Six then is your cue number. The spectator transferred six cards and consequently the sixth card which you laid down is the selected card — this is the last card in the first row.

KEEP SIGHT OF THESE TWO CARDS.

Spread the rest of the cards around everywhere -- just drop them helter skelter but do not fully cover the two Key Cards. You must not lose sight of them.

Place tips of right fingers on one Key Card and tips of left fingers on the other Key Card and shuffle all the cards around to make it appear that you are mixing them up thoroughly. In this way all the cards are mixed up except for the two Key Cards which you have under your fingers. Figure. 25.

Remove your fingers from the cards but REMEMBER WHERE YOU HAVE THE FOURTEENTH CARD AND WHERE YOU HAVE THE

SIXTH so that you can spot them instantly.

"As one gentleman remarked. 'It is quite a mix-up.' Sir, have you magnetic hands?"

Have a spectator come around to side of table so that front view will not be obstructed. You must always

be careful to see that audience's view is good from every side.

Grasp gentleman's right arm at the wrist. Figure 26.

"Point your index finger out at the cards while I move your hand around. If you have magnetic fingers, you will attract some cards and repel others."

Move his hand slowly over the cards and finally hold it over the FOURTEENTH card. Hesitate a moment, then move it slightly away, then back again as though you were undecided. Then press his finger down on the card.

Pick up this card and show it.

"A six spot."

To gentleman who transferred cards,

"You transferred six cards from one end of the pack to the other. Correct?"

Take gentleman's hand again and hover over the cards, finally pressing it down on the other Key Card. Lift up the card. It may be any card, but let us assume that it is the Jack of Hearts.

"The Jack of Hearts. That is the card you selected and remembered. Is that right? Correct!"

"MARVELLO"

I am indebted to T. Nelson Downs, world famous coin and card mystifier, for this excellent effect with cards.

EFFECT:

Performer shuffles a deck of cards and asks a spectator to think of any number between 5 and 20 and another spectator to think of any number between 25 and 40. Magician deals the cards faces up on the table, telling each spectator to remember the card as it appears at the number each selected. Performer then asks each spectator what his number is. He counts off the cards one at a time on the table, placing the selected cards aside — for instance, the 18th and 38th. Two cards are then taken from the pack at random and shown and placed in an empty envelope. Performer now takes more cards from the pack and puts with them the two selected cards — these he gives to a spectator to hold. He says that he will cause the cards in the envelope to change places with the selected cards in spectator's hand. These cards are examined and it is found that the selected cards have vanished and the indifferent cards are there. The selected cards are then taken from the envelope.

PARAPHERNALIA:

1 -- A deck of cards.

2 -- An ordinary envelope.

3 -- A small table.

SECRET AND PATTER:

You will need two people to help you. For convenience we will call them Smith and Jones. Smith should be at left side and Jones at right. Table should be in front of you.

Thoroughly shuffle the deck, preferably giving it a riffle shuffle in your hands.

"You have perhaps noticed, at one time or other, that when you wished to remember a certain thing, if you associated it with some object, you were able to remember it perfectly. Therefore, I am going to ask you two gentlemen to select a card each; and in order to remember the card exactly, I want you to associate the card with a number."

To Smith,

"I shall ask you to think of a number between 5 and 20."

To Jones,

"And you think of a number between 25 and 40. Have you decided upon your numbers? Very well. I will count the cards down on the table one at a time and when I come to your respective numbers, remember the card at that number. If you chose 16, remember the 16th card; if 31, remember the 31st card. Of course, do not let me know your number, as yet, nor the card at that number."

Hold deck, backs of cards up, in left hand and with right hand count them out one at a time on table, faces up.

COUNT ALOUD each card as you lay it down until you have counted the whole deck.

"Do not forget the card or the number."

Pick up deck from table and hold cards in left hand, faces up.

Turn your right side to audience so that you are looking directly at Smith. "Now, sir, . . . "

As you start to speak to Smith, you transfer the card facing you to the other side of deck. You perform the OBLIQUE SLIP UP SHIFT with the "Bottom to Top" transfer, explained at the beginning of this lesson.

Deck should now be in left hand with backs of cards up. To audience it looks as though you merely turned the deck over.

"Will you please tell me the number you selected -- the number only, not the card?" Let us assume that he says 18.

"I will count the cards down to your selected card. One, two, three . . . " etc. Count the cards down one at a time in a pile, this time with card faces down.

"Eighteen -- here is your selected card. I shall place it over here for a moment."

Place this card aside toward front of table. Do not let anyone see this card. This, of course, is not the selected card. The one chosen by the spectator is now the 19th card in the deck instead of the 18th, since you made the transfer. This card is now the top card of the portion of deck which you hold in left hand. Figure 27.

Turn to Jones at your right and say,

"Will you please mention the number you selected -- the number only?"

Let us say the number is 38.

"Thirty-eight. To continue our count -- Eighteen ..."

Point to card laid aside and count cards one at a time on the table, MAKING A NEW PILE. The 19th or selected card is the first one in this new pile of cards. Cards are backs up.

Continue to count aloud and when you reach 38, say,

"Thirty-eight. Here is your selected card. I will place it also over here with the first selected card."

Place this card near other one which you placed aside. Then put remainder of deck in left hand on the SECOND pile of cards on table. The 39th card is the second selected card and this is now on top of this pile. Figure 28.

You now have ONE SELECTED CARD ON THE BOTTOM AND ONE ON THE TOP OF THE SECOND PILE OF CARDS.

Pick up the second pile of cards from table and hold it in left hand, backs of cards toward audience so that

no one gets a glimpse of selected card on bottom.

"I shall cut the pack once."

Hold pack as you would for the REGULAR PASS. Split pack about in the middle at the forward end to allow you to insert the little finger as in the PASS.

Lift front section over and place it back of other section, keeping little finger between the two sections but allowing front of cards to come together as you do when a selected card is replaced in the deck and you keep track of it.

You are really doing a slow PASS but doing it so that everyone can see that a cut is being made.

With right thumb release the bottom card on top packet, withdraw little finger for a moment and let this card fall on top of other selected card on other packet. Then immediately reinsert little finger above the two selected cards.

You now have this arrangement:

Top section of deck.

Little finger.

Two selected cards on top of lower section of deck.

"Cut it again."

Cut it again. This time selected cards come to top of pack. Allow both packets to come together as one now.

"And shuffle."

Riffle shuffle the deck in your hands, performing a FALSE SHUFFLE. Be sure that selected cards are left on top.

With right hand over back, lift up the top THREE cards as one, as explained in the DOUBLE CARD LIFT (Lesson 9, Figures 7, 8).

Show these three cards as one and call out the name of the card exposed. Assume that it is the King of Hearts. Figure 29.

"The King of Hearts."

Then with left thumb slip off the top card of pack in left hand. Show it to audience and call it aloud. Let us say that it is the Seven of Spades. Figure 29.

"The Seven of Spades. I have here just two indifferent cards."

Slide Seven of Spades back onto pack and replace the other three cards on top it.

With left thumb push the two top cards off to right side and remove them with right hand. These are the two selected cards and you must be very careful not to expose the faces of the cards. Audience believes these two cards to be the two indifferent cards which you just showed.

"I shall place them in this envelope."

Place deck on table and pick up envelope with left hand.

Give envelope to Smith at your left.

"First, will you look inside and see that it is empty?"

Take envelope again in left hand and place two cards inside.

"I shall place these two indifferent cards, the King of Hearts and the Seven of Spades, inside." Seal envelope and give it to Smith to hold.

Pick up about half of the cards of the second pile on table with the King and Seven cards on top. Fan them with right hand, backs of cards up.

"I shall take a few cards and place the two selected cards among them."

Pick up the two selected cards. Place them in different parts of the packet which you have fanned in right hand. Audience must not see these two indifferent cards for they think these cards are the selected ones. Figure 30.

"One here and the other there -- and shuffle."

Shuffle cards to mix them up.

"And I shall ask you to hold them tight." Give this packet to Jones at your right.

"Are you interested in rapid transit? I shall show you a method that has even subways and aeroplanes outdone. I shall cause the two indifferent cards in the envelope to jump suddenly over into your hands, sir (to Jones), and the two selected cards to fly over into the envelope. No sooner said than done. (To Jones) Will you look through the cards in your hand and see if the card is among them?"

Jones looks through cards and, of course, does not find his selected card.

"Run them through for this gentleman (Smith) and let him see whether his card is there. No card? See, they have passed. Now, see whether the King of Hearts and the Seven of Spades, the two indifferent cards, are there instead."

Gentleman finds the two indifferent cards and shows them to audience.

To Jones,

"Will you please mention your card, sir?" Let us assume that it is the Five of Diamonds.

"The FIVE OF DIAMONDS."

To Smith,

"And the name of your card? The QUEEN OF CLUBS. Now tear open the envelope and take out the

cards."

Smith removes cards from envelope. You take them and show them to audience.

"The Five of Diamonds and the Queen of Clubs."

CARDS, ENVELOPE, AND HAT EFFECT:

Performer gives shuffled deck to five or six spectators in rotation, having each one select a card. A slip of paper is given to each one on which to write the name of his card. The slips are folded up and placed on a plate. Magician collects cards and seals them into an envelope. A hat is shown empty and placed on table. On it is placed a plate, and on the plate, the envelope is placed. One of the folded papers is selected and the name of the card read. The envelope is opened and it is found that the card named has disappeared from the other selected cards. The plate is then removed from the hat and the missing card is found in the hat.

PARAPHERNALIA:

1--A deck of cards.

2--Six strips of paper, about 6 inches long and about 1 inch wide.

3--A medium sized envelope.

4--Two plates, one large enough to cover inside of crown of hat.

5--Six sharpened pencils.

SECRET AND PATTER:

To Prepare:

Have paraphernalia ready on table.

To Perform:

Pick up deck of cards. Riffle shuffle it in your hands. Pick up slips of paper and pencils. Give cards to spectator.

"Will you please remove a card, look at it and remember it? Do not show it to me. Then write the name of your card on this slip of paper."

Give spectator a slip of paper and a pencil.

Then pass on to five more spectators and let them remove any cards they choose. Give each a slip of paper and a pencil so that he can write the name of his card on the slip.

Take plate from table. Ask each to fold his slip of paper.

"Please fold the papers up rather small and place them on this plate."

Pass the plate to each spectator. As each places his slip on it, notice one slip which is folded peculiarly so that it can be recognized even when shuffled about and remember which spectator placed this slip on plate. Figure 31.

Should the papers be folded in the same way, fold a corner of one or twist it in some way. It is easy to fix the slip so that you can find it easily. A little ingenuity on your part will solve the problem. As a rule, however, people fold the papers differently so that there is no difficulty in finding an odd shaped one.

"I shall mix them up a bit."

After papers have been collected, shuffle them about. Be sure you can locate the one you have selected.

Give plate to a spectator to hold.

"Now will you please let me have your cards?"

Collect the cards, placing the card of the person whose slip you selected on top of the others. Cards are backs up.

"And will you, sir, just examine this envelope?" Give envelope for examination.

"I shall place the cards inside for temporary keeping and seal it."

Hold envelope in left hand and cards fanned out in right hand, faces of cards toward audience. Apparently place all the cards in the envelope. Figure 32.

In reality you put all the cards in but the selected one. This is on top and as you push the cards in, you slide this one over the outside edge of the envelope. This side is, of course, away from audience. Figure 33.

Seal envelope. You will have no difficulty in doing this if you press down on lower edge of card, thus raising upper edge and giving the flap room to be inserted under it. Fig. 34.

Turn to right and pick up plate from table with right hand. Show both sides and place it in left hand with envelope. Figure 35.

Note that plate is held so that part of envelope shows. With fingers of left hand slip up the card in back of plate and envelope until most of the card is beyond envelope and is against the plate. Figure 36.

Pick up hat from table and show it empty, holding it in right hand. Then place it on table, open end up. With right hand pick up plate and with it the card which is in back of it. Figure 37.

Place plate over opening of hat, allowing outer edge to touch front side of hat first. Then as you place it down horizontally, let the card fall into the hat. The plate, of course, screens the card from the audience when you put it down in this manner. Figures 38, 39, 40.

Show envelope both sides and drop it on plate. Figure 41.

Go down to spectator holding plate with slips of paper.

"From these six slips of paper we will just select one -- just anyone will do."

Reach over and pick up the slip which you had selected. Do not make it obvious that you intended to take this one. Fumble around a little among the slips and then take this slip.

"Will you please open this slip and read the name of the card written on it?"

Give slip to spectator, who opens it and reads name of card. Let us say that it is the Nine of Clubs. "The NINE OF CLUBS."

Take up plate with slips of paper and place it on table. Then hand envelope to spectator to open.

"Please tear open the envelope, take out the cards, and give me the Nine of Clubs."

Spectator opens envelope and removes cards but fails to find the Nine of Clubs.

"What! No Nine of Clubs? Who selected the Nine of Clubs?" Person who selected card answers.

"You, Madam? Thank you."

Pick up cards and envelope and go back to table. Drop them on plate with slips of paper.

Show your right hand both sides casually. Then lift up plate on hat and place it on table.

Grasp hat at rear end of brim, raise it from the table, tilting it forward to show the Nine of Clubs inside. Figure 42.

Show right hand empty, reach into hat and remove card. Show card to audience. "The Nine of Clubs -- never satisfied to stay at home." Place hat and card on table.

NOTE:

This experiment permits of variation, depending on where you are performing. I have described it for Parlor or Club work, where an audience is sitting fairly close to you.

It is done on the stage sometimes with a committee of six people, sitting three on each side facing front and within a safe Angle of Visibility.

At times it is more convenient for you to open the envelope yourself. If you do so, call off the cards one at a time and drop them from a height of about a foot onto the plate so that all can see them. The selected card has vanished. To emphasize that you have nothing concealed in the envelope, tear it into four pieces and drop them also onto the plate. Then proceed with finish of experiment.

LESSON 16

This lesson builds up for you more fascinating card effects:

1 -- "Tack It" -- interesting card experiment of Ed Reno, prominent magician.

2 -- A modern version of the card through the handkerchief experiment.

3 -- Another effect in which three selected cards penetrate a handkerchief, one at a time, after the whole pack has been securely wrapped in the handkerchief.

TARBELL SYSTEM, INCORPORATED, Chicago.