Back in the March, 1935 issue of The Jinx ( #6 ) there appeared a billet reading method of great value. The test, in that case, used a newspaper and on a torn out piece a word was encircled. I have found that many are not in a position to read the stolen paper, and this variation in a slightly different dress, will make for greater ease in the reading.

In your left coat pocket have a deck of cards and a match or two. Give the pack to a person with the request that he look them over well and merely think of one. Take the deck back and put it in your pocket again. Hand him a slip of paper with the request that he writes down the name of his thought of card. Then he is to fold the paper once each way. You take it from him, holding the closed corner of the doubly folded paper to the upper left and tear the paper through the center the long way. Put the outside or right hand section in front of the other piece and tear these in half. Put the right hand pieces in front and the left thumb draws back with the folded middle of the slip still untorn. The right fingertips take the loose pieces in view and deposit them on an ashtray as the left goes to the coat pocket, leaves the torn out center and brings out a match. The match is given to the writer to burn the pieces. There should be no difficulty in understanding the above moves as they are very simple. In #6 the point was illustrated, but pictures are not necessary if you have a piece of paper in hand and try it.

Now, as the paper burns, your left hand drops to your pocket and opens the torn out middle against the face of the pack. Bringing out the pack slightly spread and fanning it facing towards you as you look over the cards, you read the writing, draw out the correct card and place it face down on the table. The rest of the deck goes back to the pocket, with the paper. The thought of card is named, and the card turned over. This will be found as fine a way as any for doing a thought of card trick without impressions, switches, guess-work, pumping, or preparation of any sort.