though. If the current
fails, as it did last time----" Joe shrugged his shoulders, and went
on with his trick.

Since he had become associated with Professor Rosello, Joe had adopted
the philosophic frame of mind that characterizes many public
performers, especially those who risk bodily injury in thrilling the
public. That is, he was willing to take the chance of accident rather
than disappoint an audience. "The show must go on," was the motto, no
matter how the performer suffered. The public does not often realize
its own cruelty in insisting on being amused or thrilled.

"Yes, I'll have to keep my eyes open," thought Joe. "After all,
though, maybe nothing will happen. And yet I have a feeling as if
something would. It's foolish, I know,, but----"

Again Joe shrugged his shoulders. There was nothing he could do to
avoid it, as far as he could see. Joe was beginning to acquire the
superstition shared by many theatrical persons.

The theatre, filled with persons who had paid good prices to see
Professor Rosello's performance was hushed and still now, as Joe, his
preparations complete, advanced to the edge of the stage. He was
smiling and confident, for he was about to perform a trick he had done
many times, and always with success. For the time being he dismissed
from his mind the risk Professor Rosello would run in doing the "fire
trick," for which the chief performer was even then preparing.

"Persons in the audience," began Joe, smilingly addressing the house,
"often wonder how we actors and professional people eat. It is
proverbial, you know, that actors are always hungry. Now I am going to
show you that it is easier for us to get food than it is for other folk.

"For instance: If I were to be shipwrecked on a desert island I could
reach out into the seemingly empty air, and pick money off invisible
tree branches--like this."

Joe stretched up his hand, which seemed to contain nothing, and in an
instant there appeared between his thumb and finger a bright gold coin.

"So much for a start!" he exclaimed with laugh. "We'll drop that on
this plate, and get more." There was a ringing sound as the coin
dropped on the plate, and Joe, reaching up in the air, seemed to gather
another gold piece out of space. This, too, fell with a clink on the
plate. And then in rapid succession Joe pulled in other coins until he
had a plateful.

Probably it has been guessed how that trick was done. Joe held on