Is it
the fireplace?" "No." "Is it the sideboard?" "No." "Is it the
armchair?" "No." "Is it the clock?" "Yes." This again is bewildering;
but again the trick is very simple, the questioner having arranged
that the article shall follow something that has four legs.

A third way is for an article to be touched and for the thought-reader
to be asked to name it. "Is it this?" "Is it this?" "Is it this?" is
asked of one thing after another, the answer always being "No." "Is it
that?" "Yes." The secret is that the article touched is always
signified by "Is it that?" But in this case, and in that of the others
already described, the effect of mystification can be increased by
arranging beforehand that the article in question shall not follow the
key phrase immediately, but, say, two questions later.

A fourth way is for the questioner to begin each question in due order
with a letter of the French word for the article touched. Thus, if it
were the bell, he might say, "_C_ome now, was it the table?" "_L_ook,
was it the armchair?" "_O_r the piano?" "_C_ome now, was it this
book?" "_H_ow about this hearth-rug?" "_E_ndeavor to be quick, please.
Was it the clock?" By this time "Cloche" has been spelled, so that the
next question is, "Was it the bell?" "Yes."

In another form of "Thought-reading" the two players who know the
secret remain in the room long enough for the trick to be made sure.
One stands in a corner and the other calls loudly, "Ebenezer, do you
hear?" (Ebenezer is the usual name, but a more attractive one would
do.) Ebenezer says nothing, but listens attentively to hear who among
the company speaks first. The other player repeats the question and
still there is no answer. Soon after that some one will perhaps make a
remark, and then Ebenezer, having got what he was waiting for, says,
"Yes, I hear." "Then leave the room," says the other player, and
Ebenezer goes out. The other player then makes a great show of
choosing some one to touch, but ends by touching the person who spoke
first after the game began. This done, Ebenezer is called in to say
who was touched, and every one is puzzled by his knowledge.

To Guess Any Number Thought of

With these thought-reading tricks may be put one or two arithmetical
puzzles. Here is a way to find out the number that a person has
thought of. Tell him to think of any number, odd or even. (Let us
suppose that he thinks of 7.) Then tell him to double it (14), add 6
to it (20)