Borrow a fountain pen and procure a piece of string about two feet long. Double the string by bringing the ends together, and slip the loop over the pen and slide it under the clip as shown in the figure. Ask someone to hold the pen horizontally, one hand at each end, and twist the pen toward himself so that it winds the string about it. Hold the two ends of the string to guide it as it winds. The end marked A in the drawing should be a few inches shorter than end B.
When the string is almost completely wound your hands are brought close to the pen, and under their cover you allow end A to slip over the top of the pen. The right hand can be held above the pen, its fingers loosely closed about it, to mask this movement. Regrasp end A immediately and pull on the string slightly so that the ends may hang as shown in the second illustration.
Pause a moment to explain that you intend to cause the loop to pass through the pen and fasten itself to the clip. Let him hold the pen loosely while you pull on the ends to unwind the string. Your intention has been fulfilled. Slide the loop from the clip and thank the gentleman for the loan of his pen. It’s really a fancy variation of the old garter trick, but now very adaptable to impromptu table trickery.
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