Your Card, Sir?
By Jean Hugard

THIS is an elaboration of a somewhat old experiment with playing cards. The requirements are: a small table, a pack of cards, and a small sheet of plain glass about six by four inches.

Begin by inviting a spectator to assist, and ask him to bring his hat with him. Seat the gentleman on your left, show the hat and place it crown down on the table, taking the opportunity now to press the sweatband open a little on one side. Have the spectator take the pack, shuffle it to his own satisfaction, and retain one card, handing the rest of the pack back.

The next step of having the card returned to the pack, brought to the top of the deck and, if desired, palmed off while the rest of the pack is shuffled I leave to each individual's pet method, suggesting that one that is as good as any is the Hindu shuffle. Take the pack now, replacing the palmed card on top and have the spectator cut the deck in two parts as nearly equal as he can manage. Let him touch one. If he touches the packet with the chosen card on top, say: "I am to use this one, very well." On the other hand, if he chooses the lower packet, say, "You wish to have that one. Very good, take it please." Continue, "Now I want you to do exactly as I do." With that, take your packet and rip it in half. Place one packet down and rip the remaining packet in half again. Place these two quarter packets face down on the table, and pick up the other half packet. Tear this in half, and place the resulting quarter packets beside the others. While you are doing this, the spectator will probably be struggling with his half. However, take no notice. Go right on.

Pick up the quarter packet which looks to you to be the smallest. as they will probably vary in size. With the back of your hand to the audience, dribble out these pieces in a stream into the hat. At the some time pull back the top piece of card into finger palm position. Take up the next largest quarter pack and repeat the operation. Continue with the other two, keeping the largest until the last, since this will aid in holding the other three pieces easily and cleanly. Dip the last of the pieces into the hat and stir them around, taking this opportunity to slip the four palmed pieces under the sweatband, which you have previously pulled out a little to make this operation easier.

Now grasp the hat with the fingers inside covering the position of the four pieces, with the thumb outside on the brim, and turn your attention to your assistant. Probably he has not succeeded in tearing his packet in half even, but in any case let him finish the operation of quartering his cards over the hat, so that the audience sees the pieces drop in with the others. At this time it is advisable to recapitulate to the audience what has been done--a card has been chosen, the pack shuffled and the whole pack torn into quarters.

Now introduce a sheet of glass, on one side of which you have previously placed four tiny pellets of wax so that they form the corners of a square in the center of the glass about one and one-half inches apart. Hand it to the spectator and have him hold it in full view. Touch his hand with your fingertips under the excuse of getting the vibrations of the chosen card. Show your hand perfectly empty

and carelessly dip it into the hat and draw one of the pieces of the chosen card from under the band. Hold it with its back to the audience and press it face down on one of the pellets of wax on the glass. This operation you repeat three times, but for the last one. let the spectator himself stir the pieces in the hat thoroughly, then touch his hand again and bring out the last piece.

The pieces. of course, have been placed in proper position on the pellets of wax so that when you have the spectator call the name of his card, it is only necessary for him to hold up the glass toward the audience and everyone sees at once that you have restored the chosen card, the face showing plainly through the glass.

I know the up-to-date card manipulator, who specializes in "Please take a card. Shuffle the pack. That is your card," will possibly not appreciate the advantage of the so-called explanation by touching the spectator's hand. I can only assure him that I am old- fashioned, and have always found that some sort of a plot, no matter how improbable, is necessary to bring out a really magical effect.