Place the non-believer opposite to you and in the following manner proceed to convince him that a strange power is yours to command. Five or six pieces of rather heavy tissue paper (about two by three inches in size) are put in front of the subject. He is asked to pick up one and write upon it the name of someone living. He folds it once each way, puts its back on the table and takes another slip. This time he is told to write the name of a dead relative or close friend. He folds it as before, you take it from him, at the same time handling him another slip, and this time he writes another living name. The rest are living names also, until all slips are folded and on the table. You then idly touch them with a cigarette, one after the other, one suddenly flaring up and vanishing. You ask the sitter to check the remaining slips for the dead name. It is gone! For the climax you impressively reveal the name.
The secret is flash paper, which any magical dealer can supply in large sheets. Take the paper from the spectator each time and place it on the table, but switch at the dead name. Then read it under the table edge while he is writing the others. The rest just works itself. The effect is marvelous.
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