One of the cleverest ideas which has come my way in a long while is this idea by Mr Steisal. I can record the subtlety which makes many variations possible and also suggest a possible presentation. After that I leave it to the individual performer to take it apart and work out a routine to suit his needs and fancy.

In short, a dollar bill, the number of which has been recorded by a spectator himself, travels into a cigarette and from there to a lemon. From this spot it may find its way to a sealed box or envelope, or even another kind of fruit.

Explained in many books has been the principle of changing the last figure on a bill to match the number of another, both bills being the same otherwise because they were secured in new form and with numbers consecutive. Mr Steisal makes possible with his idea as many as ten duplicate bills through the simple process of erasing the last figure of each with a common ink eraser !!! Thus it can easily be seen how apparently the same bill may be found in different places and checked each time. It is merely a case of loading the various spots and either handing out or planting the bill to be used.

Without a great deal of thought on it because of too much traveling of late, I can suggest trying to borrow a bill with the naive statement that you want to try a feat of bill burning you have lately learned. It is good for a laugh and after the short stall for looking around say that evidently the audience would rather have you use your own. Take out four or five bills and hand one to a spectator to write down the number and also initial it. Before taking it back, pick up a pack of cigarettes, one of which has been faked with a duplicate bill and resealed. Open, or allow someone to break the seal, and remove the cigarette.

Hold it while someone initials the tobacco end and place it in your mouth. Now take the bill back and use the slit envelope into which it is placed. The bill goes to the left trouser pocket as you take out the match and light the cigarette and then the envelope. Finally the cigarette is checked for the mark, broken open and the bill handed to the man who marked the cigarette to call off the number and the first person says it is correct.

At this point pick up a tray of three lemons, one of which has another duplicate inside. Have another spectator take any two of the lemons and if he leaves the right one behind tell him to keep them as souvenirs and to hold the tray with the other lemon on it. If he takes the right lemon among the two, tell him to hand you one and if he hands you the right one toss it to someone to hold high in the air. If he keeps the right one, let him hold it high.

Disappear the bill again to suit yourself, but in a different manner. I suggest an ordinary cigarette pull as being very clean at this point. Now take the lemon, cut it open and find the bill. The man who held the lemon calls the number and again the first man checks it as correct. The last effect is very, very variable. It can be found this time in a bill tube which was in your left trouser pocket and into which you put the initialed bill at the very start. It can be pushed into the end of one of the fountain pen gimmicks and then found in an egg which is freely selected from several. It may also be found in your banded wallet à la card into pocketbook. If you use the egg finish, the fact that the bill was wet from the lemon is covered. If you use the tube or the pocketbook, always wrap the bill on the second vanish with a square of oiled paper and remark that it aids in the disappearance. You’ll be surprised how effective it is to see a bill wrapped in such a way and vanish, only to find it in the same condition. People appreciate the fact that you have done this to keep it dry and the point aids in keeping them from the thought you had another bill.

Regardless of the finish, let the original spectator who marked the number down and initialed the bill hold the egg, tube or wallet. Then take the bill from the man who held the lemon and make it disappear for the last time. Then remove it from the egg with the fountain pen, or let the spectator himself take it from the wallet or tube after coming up to stand before the crowd. Then have him check the number and verify his original initials. This is the grand point for the finish.

I have written this just as I have been thinking about it, so please excuse the general way in which I have covered it. I think the principle behind it very clever and practical, and I also know that each person will have his way of doing it. The effect can be made into quite a feature club or parlor effect and I know of several performers who will delight in making use of it as soon as possible. I hope you do too.