The Itinerant Card
The conjurer introduces an ordinary pack, contained in the original case and still securely sealed by the usual government stamp. After opening the case and removing the pack, the conjurer divides the latter into two heaps; one containing all the red cards (Hearts and Diamonds), and the other containing all the black cards (Clubs and Spades).
Inviting the spectators to choose one of these heaps (without influencing their choice in the least), the performer requests someone to take the selected heap and to wrap it in a sheet of paper, the ends of the parcel being securely sealed. After this has been done, a lady is asked to indicate one of the cards in the remaining heap, and the heap then given to her to hold. The card just chosen (say the Ten of Hearts), is now commanded to leave the heap and to join the cards in the sealed parcel. The parcel (which in our example holds the black cards), is opened and found to contain the chosen card, the Ten of Hearts. Examining the heap held by the lady, this same card is found to be missing.
In order to be able to perform this interesting feat, the performer requires duplicates of two cards from the pack, say the Ten of Hearts and the Nine of Spades. Taking a pack of cards, with the backs similar to those of the duplicate cards, the performer carefully removes the government stamp sealing the case. The performer then takes out a red and a black card, and attaches the Ten of Hearts to the back of the black card and the Nine of Spades to the back of the red card by means of white, unscented soap. Both double cards should then, in order to obtain a good result, be placed for some time under pressure before they are used. Adding these cards to the others in the case, the performer closes it and neatly replaces the stamp in its former position.
Thus prepared, the performer proceeds as described by first calling the attention of the company to the newness of the pack, which they will believe is undisturbed in its original package. The pack is then divided into red and black cards, and after one of the heaps is chosen (in our case the one containing the black cards), it is wrapped and sealed as explained. Seizing the remaining heap of red cards, the conjurer induces a lady to indicate the Ten of Hearts by means of the force. The performer immediately makes the pass, brings the card to the top of the pack and disposes of it at the first opportunity offering itself.
Before the sealed parcel is opened, the performer holds it for a moment &endash; presumably to show to the company that the seals are still intact, but in reality to gain an opportunity to bend the parcel back and forth. This bending causes the card (the Ten of Hearts) adhering to the back of the black cards to become detached, where it is then discovered among the black cards by a spectator.
This trick is from the book “Card Tricks and How To Do Them”, published by A. Roterberg.
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