THE WAITER-AND THE TENCENT PIECE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 484, 20 July 1912, Page 6

THE WAITER-AND THE TENCENT PIECE.

A' CONJURING STORY,

I have been very nearly a victim on! some occasions in restaurants or bars which I have visited during my travels, and have been forced to practice a little conjuring in selfdefence. Whilst playing an engagement at the Folies Marigny, in Paris; I visited one of the best-known restaurants in the Gay City. I was with friends and feeling good, and the waiter evidently mistook me for a foolish millionaire.

For instance, we selected the various dishes we required from the bill-of-fare, when I noticed that the one to which I had first referred, with prices on, had disappeared, and in its place had been substituted one without prices—a trick the method of which I did not at that moment detect. But, not satisfied with this, they played another trick on me. I called for a bottle of wine. There were five in our party, and each one was served with a glass. The waiter emptied the bottle into four glasses, and *of course we were compelled to order another bottle for our fifth guest. -Looking at the size of the glasses, I again recognised a trick performed by a non-conjurer.

Greatly amused, and still wondering how I could get even, I called for my second bill, which was —Wine 40 francs ; couvert (or use of serviettes), 5 francs ; ice, 2 francs ; making a total of 47 francs. Reasonable,. wasn't it, for the last two items ?

This was after the supper. I gave the waiter a 100-franc ( nots, and this isj what I was oSered for change: a 20 franc gold piece, three 10-franc gold pieces, a 2-franc piece, and a 1-franc piece.' But one 10-franc piece was placed under the 2-franc piece. Of course, the waiter anticipated that I would leave the small change for him, and then "he would retain the 10-franc piece which was placed under the 2-franc piece ; but as I am always in the habit of counting my change before touching it, I again saw another trick, and I made up my mind to have my revenge there and then.

I informed the waiter he was ten francs short. Naturally he did not want to disclose the whereabouts of the 10-franc piece, so he, handed me the missing amount, and I picked up the money, leaving the three francs in silver for his tip. I had conjured the 10-franc piece from under the 2-franc piece without his slightest suspicion, and, 1 he was horrified as he looked under the silver, found nothing there, and realised the predicament he was in—ten francs out of pocket, and could not say anything ! Of course, I was ten francs in, and my revenge was complete ; but, as I did not wish to keep, his money, I informed him that we were very pleased with his services, especially with his honesty, and therefore I wished- to make him a present of ten francs extra. Handing him the money, it again disappeared, and I found it in his pocket. I then showed him how I could make twenty francs out of ten francs and,' handing, him the money, I requested him to close his hand quickly. On opening it he found a brass coin, when his eyes nearly stood out of his head. He was then told that I was the conjurer who mystified • hundreds nightly at the Folies Marigny, and that for once he had tried his game on the wrong man.—Horace Goldwin, in the "Pall Mall Magazine."