(Editor’s note: Here is one of those infrequent ideas well worth the evening’s labor to make up. For that very reason, though, there will be comparatively few readers who will bother preparing such a deck, that is, until someone else performs it first. It should be needless to say that I made one up the evening of the day when I first learned the trick.)

For a number of years I wished to do a prediction effect with cards but did not want to use the card index in the pocket for securing papers as first promulgated by Al Baker. I considered it clumsy for my own personal use and considered most practical a means of getting the billet from a self-contained pack of cards. The following method was therefore devised back in 1930, has stood me very well since, and this is my first release, in print, of the secret.

Secure a new deck of regular (not bridge) size cards, several packages of cigarette papers, and a paste-pot and pen with ink. Seat yourself at a well-lighted table in a quiet corner where the children can’t reach you.

On 53 of the cigarette papers write in ink the names of the 52 cards and the Joker, such as, for example, “The thought of card will be the —–.” These papers are folded, writing inside, once each way.

As each paper is so prepared it is secured by a daub of paste, no larger than what can be applied with the head of a pin, to the lower right corner of the back of the card to which it refers. The illustration you will see later will make this part clear. The extra Joker or Score card is used to back up the deck and conceal the last paper. The use of cigarette papers keeps such a prepared deck from being too bulky, and of course, the faces of the cards are well mixed. Now follow the presentation from start to finish and see yourself if it isn’t a clean cut in directness as any mental effect should be.

Writing a prediction upon a slip of paper I drop it, after folding, into a deep dish or hat. However, the paper is retained in the hand and is left in the pocket when I immediately reach for the deck in its case.

A spectator is asked to step forward. Stand at his left. Tell him that you are thinking of a card in the deck and that he is to look you directly in the eye and remember well the first card that enters his mind. Impress upon him that he is not to change his mind once that he has an impression.

You remove the deck from the case which is tossed aside. Step forward a bit and turn towards the spectator which action turns your back somewhat to the audience. Fan the deck from left to right with the faces towards the spectator. He looks for the card of which he is thinking, and at the same time the audience sees quite a little of the backs of the cards.

It is possible to further heighten the assumption that all is fair by using the subtle Hindu Shuffle described of late in several books on card work, and explained fully with effects in Jinx #56. The deck is first shuffled with faces showing and front of deck held downwards with the attached papers at that end. The audience sees cards genuinely mixed, and several times the performer can show the backs (?) of the cards, saying “The 52 backs are mixed also but as they look alike I have my subject think of a face so that there can be no mistake.”

When the deck is fanned towards the subject he touches his card when he sees it. The performer immediately pulls it upwards in the fan about half an inch, saying, “This is the card you thought of while I was concentrating?” As he acknowledges the statement, or query, to be true you step towards the dish or hat which is behind and to the right of the spectator. As you do this, say, “Then tell everybody what card flashed into your mind. I’ll put it here with the prediction I originally wrote for you.”

You have cut the deck to bring the selected card to the back and you now are turned so that the face of the deck is towards the audience. At this point it is not necessary to be finicky or too particular about the audience seeing the cards. Remember that they have seen the deck fanned, and seen the spectator find his card. It is therefore impossible for you to do anything underhanded with the cards now. The card is withdrawn, keeping the paper attached covered with the fingers of the right hand and dropped into the container, and at the same time the paper slip is dislodged by a squeeze between fingers and thumb.

Pick up the container with the same hand and give it to another spectator nearby. Ask him to name and show the card which the spectator thought of. Then have him remove the paper and read aloud what you wrote before.

Each performer will work out his particular method of presentation, I know, but it is suggested that he first try it as given here and endeavor always to make it clear that he writes first, has any card thought of, picked from the deck, put into the hat with the paper, and both are shown and read for everybody to know of the performer’s correctness.

(By Annemann: The self-contained feature of Mr. Brethen’s deck carries this effect quite a distance beyond the ways it has been done before. When body work can be eliminated practically, it always helps both in presentation and serviceability. I might suggest the simplest of exchanges with a reason to follow. Have another deck to match on your table with the rest of your apparatus. This deck is stacked with your favorite system.

Remove the Brethen deck from case, and toss case to table on top or close to the stacked deck. During that finale of disclosure, step back to table, lay your faked deck down behind or into a crumpled handkerchief and at the same time with your left hand pick up the stacked deck and the case. You now are facing the audience at the very conclusion, and excuse your assistants.

Explain that you have shown a test of prophecy, although the critical people before you might disbelieve in that solution and say that it was merely a matter of your will forcing the thought upon the spectator’s mind. Put the deck into the case as you say this, and then decide to show how possible it is for you to actually read the mind of the spectator. Toss the cased deck into the audience and ask whoever gets it to come forward. He removes the cards and gives them a shuffle, but you hurry up the procedure to prevent more mixing by saying, “Put the deck face down on your left hand. (And as an afterthought) You’ve shuffled the deck – now give it one complete cut.”

Continue, “Look at the top card, whatever it may happen to be. Your selection has been made by chance with no conscious liking for any card, or my will-power, influencing you. (Your back is turned during the cutting and picking off of the card) Hold the card against your forehead with your right hand covering it completely.” Now you turn around and approach him. Take the remainder of the deck from him and toss to the table. In doing so you glimpse the bottom or face card, count one ahead in the system, and you know what he is holding. Touch his forehead hand with your fingertips and slowly reveal the color, suit, and value of the pasteboard. Have him acknowledge the correctness with each step. If wrong on any one of them, say that you won’t guess, and that he isn’t thinking hard enough. Hand him back the deck for a cut and second selection. This never will fail twice once you have tried it out and become acute at letting a person shuffle and stopping him by giving additional directions. I first published the idea in slightly different form back around 1932 and called it The $1000 Test Card Location. To date it has been (so they say) quite a prized method with some of the best cardologists, especially the late Nate Leipzig. However, you take it for what it is worth to you, and I suggest it as a finish to the Brethen mystery so that the deck is handled and unobtrusively shown to be quite unprepared.)