Page 13 of A Groom for Millie
Robert flipped over the card. “Correct. Want to do it again?” The boy nodded eagerly. Robert put the cards face up once more with the ace in the middle. He nodded to the boy and flipped the cards over, picking them up and moving them from left to right. When he was done the boy pointed to the middle card. Robert flipped it over to reveal the ace of hearts. “Good job.”
“I want to try that,” the woman sitting next to him said.
Robert raised his eyebrow at her. “If you insist madam,” he said smiling.
“Call me Mrs. Baker,” the woman said, smiling.
“I want to go next,” James’ mother said, putting her book down.
“Watch the ace,” Robert said, laying the cards flat and then flipping them over. He picked up the three cards and moved them around. The woman watched intently and then correctly guessed where the card was.
“Do you do this as part of a show, Mr. Taylor?” she asked.
Robert laughed. “No ma’am. I use it as a game of chance.”
“Gambling? That is horrible.”
“It can be very lucrative, Mrs. Baker.”
“It is a simple trick. Anyone can guess the card.”
Robert tipped back his hat. “How about we make a little wager?”
“I don’t gamble with money, Mr. Taylor.”
“I don’t take money from women.” He looked around the stage and noticed a pearl hatpin sticking out between the feathers on her hat. “The pin.”
“The pin?”
“In your hat. If you can’t guess the card, I get your hat pin.”
“Whatever would you want a hat pin for?”
Robert laughed. “Well, you have at least three of them holding your hat in place. I figured one would be the least that I could take from you.”
Mrs. Baker huffed. “Alright.”
Robert held up the cards and placed them down on his lap. “Once more.” This time when he picked up the cards, instead of putting the ace down first, he put down the card to the left, giving the watcher the impression that the middle card went down first. It was such a slight trick of hand that unless someone knew the game, they would never know what occurred.
When he was done, Mrs. Baker pointed to the first card he put down. “That one,” she said.
“You need to put your hat pin on it.” Mrs. Baker pulled the pin from her hat and placed it on the card.
“Are you sure?” he asked her. Mrs. Baker nodded. Robert flipped the card over. The king of clubs stared back at them. “Incorrect.” He wove the pin through his pants so he wouldn’t lose it.
“I watched every single move. How did I miss that?”
Robert turned back to James’ mother. “You try it now.” He allowed her to win the first two rounds. “Let’s go again for your book,” he offered, “and we’ll do it once more.” When Mrs. Martin nodded, he performed the trick again.
“That one,” she said pointing to a card. Robert turned the card over, revealing a king of spades.
“Is your book any good?” Robert asked, taking the small tome from her.
“I don’t know. I haven’t finished it.”
Robert gave James a wink. “Perhaps I’ll let you read it on the way to Denver City.”
“I can’t figure it out,” Mrs. Martin said. “I know I saw you pick everything up. I thought I watched it very carefully.”
