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American Sunday Monthly Magazine Section / HtTIX and his scheme would afford an unparalleled study in AA fA<? scientific knavery. He is the | ‘aT J Tj v Edison of Crooks. Coniine; across him the other day in the corner ei, j£ : ‘rc a ca ^ e > I perceived that he was "earing a black patch over his right eye and stopped to inquire if it betokened anything serious. In a weary and painful manner he related what had befallen him. “Some three weeks ago I met an old classmate, ‘Pony ’ Schoenberg,” began Jortin. “Pony won his nom de guerre in school. The boys fancied that he looked like a broncho. He has a peculiarly horsey conformation of the nose, and when he grins he shows a row of tombstones that are enough to make you look around for a bunch of grass. “He is an oculist, and inveigled me into his labora tory to inspect an invention that he claimed would usher in a new era for man. At his request i seated myself in a physician’s chair with an adjustable back. He then prefaced his remarks by the statement that while pursuing his optical studies at the Uni versity of Prague he conceived an unfathomable contempt for the defective mechanism of the human eye and became fired with the ambition of inventing the perfect organ of vision, the absolute eye. “His hope was given fresh impetus by the dis covery that one of his professors had entertained the same design for a number of years, but found an insuperable difficulty in the problem of connecting any artificial mechanism with the optic nerve. Several years later he received word that the old pro fessor had died and bequeathed to him the fruits of his researches. To Pony’s amazement, he found that the Bohemian scientist had solved the supreme puzzle. “ Pony believed that he had in his possession the greatest secret in the history of the world. All that he now needed was a subject. He accordingly advertised. Several applicants presented them selves, but no sooner.did they learn the exact nature of the experiment than their zeal for the advancement of science was dissipated. Arrived at this impasse, Pony had decided to appeal to a friend. The sug gestion of his innuendo was includible. I had never pretended to any zeal for the cause of science, and it was with a smile of gentle irony that I disposed myself to arise. “ ‘Yes,’ cried Pony, beaming on me benignantly, ‘ I stand ready to endow you with sovereign powers, to make you a king in the kingdom of the blind. Nay, do not stir. You are chosen. It is not for you to dissent.’ "Irritated at this asinine presumption I started to get up. At the first pressure that I set against the footrest there was a metallic clang and I found myself encircled by hoops of steel, that shot out of the chair and passed around me. Schoenberg stooped suddenly and turned a crank at the side of the chair. As he did so I felt the pressure of the hoops close on my trunk, arms, legs, holding me securely pinioned. “My first impulse was to burst my bonds. I found at once that I was powerless. The only movements I could make were to roll my head and flap my hands. Schoenberg’s intentness made my blood run cold. He stood regarding me with a specu lative air, his head on one side, like a pathologist observing the convulsions of a guinea pig that he has inoculated. “ 1 cursed and wheedled him by turns. Nothing affected him. I tried to recall if I had ever heard of any instructions for blarneying madmen, for although science is constantly achieving new marvels I was satisfied that nothing could be madder than his scheme. When he turned from me and began to select various instruments from a cabinet I was seized with a violent shudder. oil n A P ierce 4, Still I stared. With an agonized screech he pitched forward and fell full length on the ground “‘Shucks,’ he said, 'the experiment demands ar optic nerve that has not been impaired.’ “Thedrunken landlord sustained him vociferously. Schoenberg approached me grimly with an ether “When I came out of the ether, with the first glimmerings of consciousness. I was oppressed with anxiety for my sight and with a swimming head strove to focus the objects about me. Instantly I was aware of a sparkling bril liancy. The room was filled with an intense light in which I saw with incredible distinct ness. I could have counted the eleven million pores of my skin. Schoenberg could not keep his delight within bounds and poured out a torrent of incoherent words. Without heeding him I swept this intoxicating glance everywhere, greedy to possess with my new power. “Every claim of the inventor’s was fulfilled. Upon looking out of the window at distant buildings I could scarcely believe “ ‘Pony!’ I cried, ‘for Heaven’s sake, let me up ! ’ “ ‘Listen to me,’ he said. ‘Be moved by the thought of illuminating the world if not by your own profit. By means of the absolute eye you may see as clearly and at as great a distance as with a power ful telescope. At close range it has the focus of a microscope. The dark can hide nothing from you, nor opaque walls, for tne x-ray is at your command to reveal the chyle in its channels in the body or the hidden treasures of earth.’ “ I recalled the fate of Polyphemus shudderingly, and of Samson in the hands of the Philistines. “ ‘A beautiful deep orange would make a striking iris,’ he said reflectively, ‘or would you fancy some thing in the line of apple green?” “ ‘You’re mad,’ 1 yelled, ‘let me out of this.’ “He turned away and began to busy himself with deliberate preparations. Although my fate seemed thus to be sealed my hopes were suddenly revived. Faintly, but distinctly enough for me to be certain, 1 heard the front door close. Someone must have entered the house. Now my cries for help should be heard. Pony was opening a can of ether when the door opened and a heavy, course-look ing man with a red face and a profuse black beam came into the room. Pony introduced the man casually as his landlord and I realized with dismay that nothing was to be expected of him. He was drunk, and what is more, in a mood for recklessness. In fact he assured his tenant that he might count on him. “The oculist drew up a tray of instruments. The terrible moment had come; 1 was to be mutilated in this shocking way, maimed in the most precious sense. I implored, cursed, bellowed and writhed convulsively. I became hopelessly abject. 1 wept. Finally 1 fell into a passive state, ceased struggling and relaxed my strained muscles. Then suddenly inspiration came like a thunderclap. “ ‘Schoenberg!’ I screamed, ‘you wretch, why didn’t you advertise for a subject who had a glass eye anyway? ’ “Schoenberg was as much startled as I had been. He turned to his landlord, crying, ‘What do you know about that?” “‘By George! it’s great,’ replied the landlord with a hiccough. “Schoenberg and his landlord laughed laboriously and slapped each other on the back. I waited to be set free, but Schoenberg turned to his instruments again as if he had forgotten me. 1 reminded him that I was uncomfortable. that I was not using a marvelous spyglass, which indeed 1 was. 1 saw a sparrow fleeting through the air, and such was he quickness with which I co ordinated my vision that I seemed to catch and hold him suspended as it were for an instant by the swifter perception of my eye. “ ‘He sees! He sees for the first time!’ Schoen berg chanted with exaltation. “In spite of the apparent blessing that he had conferred upon me I was exasperated at having been subjected to the operation against my will and, arrested by his fatuous exclamation, I glared at him athirst to retaliate. It was a withering look—- withering more than in the figurative sense. It was more terrible than the gaze of the basilisk. An astonishing change flashed over his face, of pain, terror and physical transformation. The muscles writhed on his cheeks and the skin turned a leprous white, like flesh seared with an iron. Still 1 stared. With an agonized screech he pitched forward and fell full length on the floor. “ When we turned him over he seemed to be dead. Blodgin was sobered and felt for the oculist’s heart. Not suspecting it was my glance that had stricken Schoenberg I watched Blodgin with the intentness of suspense. In an instant he screamed with pain and sprang two yards from rre, shielding his head with his arms. 1 shouted at him angrily, thinking again that he was drunk. ‘It’s the eye! It’s the eye!’ he howled, and with three skips he was oul of the room. “For a moment I stood in bewilderment. Then I perceived a thread of smoke curling from the top of the bench on which I had fixed my eye. 1 ob served it more closely. Ever thickening, it rose from a glowing point of combustion such as a powerful burning glass might kindle. Then the truth dawned on me. It was some baleful ray from the absolute eye that had overcome Schoenberg and stung the landlord to agony. Truly, the evil eye of sorcery was surpassed. For several seconds I tested my de structive vision on the bench, burning deep groove- in the wood. “Schoenberg lay still. Not daring to let my eye rest on him 1 knelt down and shook him gently. A mutter reassured me that lie lived. While I was so engaged 1 began to choke. The room was filled with pungent smoke. The desk was burning, in a hasty effort to beat out the flames with a cushion 1 upset an uncorked can of ether. The blaze spread (Continued on pa^c 16)