[Illustration:  Back for Mailing Photo]

from wearing.  Both cardboard and photograph are wrapped together in paper, and the package is ready for mailing.  —­Contributed by Earl R. Hastings, Corinth, Vt.

** A Mystifying Watch Trick [313]

Borrow a watch from one of the audience and allow the owner to place it in the box, as shown in Fig. 1.  This box should be about 3 in. long, 4 in. wide and 2-1/2 in. deep, says the Scientific American.  It should be provided with a hinged cover, M, with a lock, N. The tricky part of this box is the side S, which is pivoted at T by driving two short nails into it, one through the front side and the other through the back, so that when S is pushed in at the top, it swings around as shown in Fig. 1 and allows the watch to slide out into the performer’s hand.  The side S should fit tightly when closed, so that the box may be examined without betraying the secret.  As the side S extends down to the bottom of the box, it facilitates the use of the fingers in pulling outward at the lower pan while the thumb is pressing inward at the top part.  The side of the box opposite S should be built up in the same way, but not pivoted.

Use a flat-bottom tumbler, A, Fig. 2, containing an inner cone, B, for the reproduction of the watch.  The cone is made of cardboard pasted together so it fits snugly inside of the tumbler.  The cone is closed except at the bottom, then bran is pasted on the outside surfaces to make the tumbler appear as if filled with bran when it is in place.  Place the tumbler with the cone inside on a table somewhat in the background.  Put some loose bran on top of the cone and allow the cork, attached as shown in B, Fig. 2, to hang down on the outside of the tumbler, away from the audience.  A large handkerchief should be laid beside the tumbler.

After the watch has been placed in the box, Fig. 1, the performer takes the box in his left hand, and while in the act of locking it with his right hand secures possession of the watch as previously explained.  Tossing the key to the owner of the watch, the performer places the box on a chair or table near the audience and, with the watch securely palmed, walks back to get the tumbler.  Standing directly in front of the tumbler with his back toward the audience, the performer

[Illustration:  Parts for the Watch Trick]

quickly raises the cone with his right hand, lays the watch in the bottom of the tumbler and replaces the cone.

The loaded tumbler and the handkerchief are then brought forward, and the former is placed in full view of the audience with the cork hanging down behind it.  The performer calls attention to the tumbler being full of bran and picks up some of it from the top to substantiate his statement.  He then spreads the handkerchief over the tumbler, commands the watch to pass from the box into the tumbler and the bran to disappear.

The box is then handed to the owner of the watch so that he may unlock it with the key he holds.  As soon as the box is found to be empty, the performer grasps the handkerchief spread over the tumbler, also the cork tied to the cone.  Raising the handkerchief, he carries up the cone within it, leaving the watch in the bottom to be returned to its owner.