e edge of the platform and
handed the watch to Uncle Job, saying, "Here you are, sir! Not only as
good as new, but changed from silver to gold!"

Uncle Job was so taken by surprise that he sat with open mouth. He took
the watch and looked at it in dumb astonishment. The audience was taken
as much by surprise as he was.

Tom and Jonas held a hurried consultation, and at once announced the
next trick. There was a great deal of confusion in the hall. Several
voices shouted out, "Show the silver watch!" Tom paid no attention, and
the next half-dozen tricks were so well done that the people applauded,
and we began to gain fresh courage.

But alas! The next on the programme was the "Handkerchief that will not
burn."

Almost any one with a little practice can pass a handkerchief obliquely
through the flame of a candle without burning it. All that is needed is
the proper dexterity. And this caution must be heeded. The handkerchief
must be free from cologne or perfumery, which contains spirits, and is
very inflammable.

This was Jonas's trick. He called for a lady's handkerchief, and who
should hand one up but Sally Conners, the prettiest girl in the village,
and the one of all with whom Jonas was smitten.

But to the grief of Jonas, Sally was very much addicted to perfumery,
and had that evening drenched her handkerchief with it. Jonas lighted
the candle, keeping up a running talk about making the handkerchief
enchanted, and then he passed it through the flame.

The effect could not have been more certain if he had poured kerosene on
the candle. Poor Sally's delicate perfume-drenched handkerchief blazed
up in an instant like a display of fireworks. Jonas squeezed his hands
around the fragments that were left, and danced around the stage,
howling at the sudden pain of the burn. And the audience went wild. I
thought it never would stop laughing. Tom was desperate. I could see he
meant to conclude the performance before we had ruined our reputations
forever.

With becoming modesty he addressed himself to the audience when it had
tired of laughing, and announced that the entertainment would close with
the startling trick, "The pudding in the hat."

He and Jonas had practised this until they felt sure of it. Like all
sleight-of-hand tricks, it is easy enough if properly done.

First Jonas prepared a dish of batter made of eggs broken in, shells and
all, a little flour, milk, raisins, and molasses. A ridiculous mixture,