The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1884-10-23
THE GREEN PATCH.

Ysars ago thiS sign, IN large, PLAN
black letters on a white ground, was
nailed up over store door on Secogd
street, San Francisco:
JOHN AMBLER, DRY GOODS.
This establishment was small one,
but was neatly kept, and he'd the I'm.
mistakable look impaired by prosper.
ity. What caused me to note the place
more than other places was that Mr..
Amber wore a green patch over his
left eye. There was nothing striking
in the appearance Of John Amber OK.
ccpt the green patch. He was middle.
aged, middle-sized, and neither dark
nor fair.
Twas absorbed one evening in a
newspaper, rs consumed my cheap
and lonely dinner IN restaurant. l
CHANGED to ]uok up, and my eye salut-
ed MIR. Amb!"r's green patch. He had
seated himself on the other side of tho
narrow little table at which was eat.
ing. We presently exchanged a few
words, and then fell into converse
ton.
MIR. Amber and | became friends,
and we arose to the intimacy of little
after-dinner walks around the block.
He invited me to his room. I found
him moderately talkative, quite intelli.
gent, but not at all inquisitive. Indeed,
ne never asked me about myself; had
even to volunteer my name.
1t became quite regular thing for
us to spend our evenings together here,
and smoke, and drink a glass or two OF
punch. While ready enough to talk
of his business and its rivalries, Mr..
Amber never, by the faintest allusion,
touched upon the loss of his left eye.
Tie green patch began to torment
me. 1t challenged me continually to
inquiry. BY many delicate stratagcms
l sought to entrap him into reveal
ton. 1t is my misfortune to have a
club foot, and dwelt upon the distress
it gave OF to be deprived of the full
use of lis body. narrating in
stances in which my deformity had
causedme suffer modification. He ex-
pressed sympathy, but, to my cha grin,
did not meet confidence with conf
dence. The green patch covered an
apparently impcnetrable mystery
But the most cunning arc sometimes
off guard. knocked at Mr.. Ambler's
door one evening. My hating foot
steps and knock had grown familiar to
him, and it was in an distracted tone
that he called to me to come in, and as
[ entered he raised his eyes and smiled
abscntly.
l say eyes, for the green patch was
thrown up against his forehead, and for
an instant-and an instant only-both
his eyes met mine. In a flash he
Tipped down the green patch over the
left one.
Mr.. Amber was confused. 1 was
amazed, and no doubt my face showed
it, for he soon lost his embarrassment
and laughed little as he said:
"Well, since you've found me out,
may as well tell you. Let's have a
punch and a pipe while I am it,
We sat down face to face, pipe in
mouth and glass in hand. Mr.. Amber
leaned forward little, and then lifted
the green patch and looked fixedly at
me.
"Oh, have no special purpose l
said, I'm wishing to know why you
wear it,
Mr.. Amber replaced the green patch,
and, leaning back in his chair, gave a
short laugh.
lit affects everyone the same way"
he said, draining his glass, and setting
it down with sigh. 'Look at it once
more, and don't speak until l replace
the patch.''
I looked again. 1t glared question
'ngly at me. Never did l see such a
blaze of interrogation in any human
eye.
lit is purely physical, said Mr..
Amber, as he let fall the green patch.
''You have noticed, perhaps, that am
rather deficient in curiosity than other
wise. You know it is not my habit to
ask questions; yet, if l were to keep
this shade up, you would sit here and
fancy that l was devourcd by inquisi-
tiveness, and 90 on answering the
questions which, though might never
speak a word, you would imagine l
was asking, you-just as you did mo-
ment ago"
1T is very strange" remarked, be-
wildered.
'It is, indeed. I can find no oculist
who can give any explanation of it.
None of them ever heard of a case like
mine. 1t began to come on about ten
years ago. but it took two years of very
painful experience to make me aware
OF the nature of my misfortune. The
green patch was happy device, dis
covered by accident. The sight of the
eye is perfectly good, but I dare not
use it. except when l am alone here.
For the first two years." Mr.. Amber
went on, II was wholly unconscious
that there was anything peculiar in my
and l came to believe that
either the world was going mad, or
that was out of my senses. When
going along the street, thinking of
nothing at a.. men would stop before
me and say, We'll, STRIP as if I had
asked them some question:; and when
assured them l had not spoken,
lhey would look sharply at me
to see if I was drunk or hoax
ing: l made everybody uncomfortable,
without the slightest wish to do so. l
stopped a trial in district court by
simply gOinp in and takinp q front
seat, and watching the proceedings
with the interest of an ordinary spccta-
tor. First the lawyers began casting
side glances at me, and hurriedly COW
cred up their papers-it was will case,
I remember; then, with vicious looks at
me, they charged each other with hir-
ing spies. Even the Judge could not
keep his eyes off me, and finally, after
about in the most uneasy
way, adjourned court for the day. am
sure l was followed home by agents of
the lawyers.