IN-DOORS DECORATIONIN-DOORS
IN-DOORS DECORATION
By Ellis Stanyon
Disappearing Handkerchief.—Obtain a small red silk handkerchief, also a loose piece of silk of the same color, about one and a half inches square. Keep this piece at the corner of the handkerchief between both hands until you have succeeded in getting it into small compass, taking care that the small piece is at the top. Retain the handkerchief in the right hand, and with the left hand pull up the right sleeve. Now, with the right hand pull up the left sleeve, but leave the handkerchief in the bend of the left arm, where it will be hidden by the folds of the sleeve, taking care, however, that the small piece of red silk protrudes from the closed right hand, deluding the spectators into the belief that the handkerchief is still in your hand—for do they not see the corner of it? Now, rub the hands together and roll the piece into a small pellet, and palm it between the bend of the thumb and first finger. Slap your hands together, and show both sides. Care must be taken not to spread the thumb and fingers too much while showing the hands, as this would reveal the piece of red silk. This showing of hands should be studied before a mirror, as it is upon the apparent naturalness of pose that many such tricks depend. Afterwards, while turning to the table, the real handkerchief can be palmed or got rid of, whichever may be necessary to the performer’s version of the trick. This is the most effective illusion, and will deceive even the conjurors.
Fig. 13.
Fig. 13.
Fig. 13.
Another clever disappearing trick with a handkerchief is the following:—Take a piece of flesh-colored thread, and place it about the right hand, in the manner depicted in the illustration (Fig. 13). The dotted lines represent the thread on the outside of the hand. With this simple device a handkerchief can be apparently placed in the left hand, when in reality it is stuck between the loop in the right hand. Vanish a handkerchief in above manner from the left hand, and by grabbing the air with your right hand you reproduce the handkerchief.