Abilene weekly reflector., 1901-08-01

Pretty good pluck OF you 10 taXe
on a coal HEAVIER and his family"
grunted his friend. "and jolly lucky
the police came up. suppose your
eye is as bad as you think.
Certainly: It's practically gone
"You make me wonder II mines all
right. Take the card and try me,
Joskin, there's a good chap. see
black spots buzzing about all over the
place sometimes at night after mug
Cling at anything in small print"
He stood at the other side of the
room and answered questions as to
the group of lines and spots on the
card with faultless accuracy.
when they tell you to close one
eye they expect you to put your hand
over it," said Mr.. Josynghame; "of
course it makes NO difference"
Suspicious beasts answered Tom
my Smith, but he said, a moment
later, Il don't know, though; try me
again."
he repeated his former directions to
close the right eye or the left, with
the same result Of perfectly correct
answers.
DO you mind looking at me once
more" said Tommy Smith, in a
breathless tone. "Try to think I
might be very slippery sort of chap
with glass eye trying to kid you."
Rot" said Mr.. Josynghame again,
wearily The performance was gone
through again with the same result,
and then he added; your right hand
is about as shapeless as your left,
Tommy, but neither Is transparent. !
should have spotted you If you had
squlnted through your fingers; my
eye Is good enough for that"
"You did not spot me, all the same"
said his friend, coolly. II used my
right eye all the time. When you said
Cover your left eye I covered it with
my left hand; when you said Cover
your right eye,' | put up my right
hand, but I covered my left eye again,
not my right at all"
! Josynghame whistled, and his face
lit up perceptibly.
"Of course, the doctor chap may not
be such an ass as you" suggested
Tommy Smith, still looking gloomy.
"I'll try it." said Josynghame
quietly. He had been covering his
left eye first with one hand and then
with the other. 81 quite see their
point Of view; but hang it, II my good
eye goes, and have to leave the SER
vice blind, it's my loss as well as
theirs"
And II you become commander in
chief you'll have gone one better
than Nelson. He wasn't blind when
ne started, and didn't have to spoot
medical board before he got show;
he'd never have got one at all II he
had. After all, if you fail, you may
look a fool for five seconds-they
won't give you longer to think about
it-and even then you will be nc
worse off than you are now"
For five minutes they smoked cigar
cites in silence. Suddenly Tommy
Smith gave a wriggle in his deep arm
chair, and sat up, with the firs'
smile on his chubby face that had ap'
peared there that morning. While
devising juggles for his friend he hat
been perfectly solemn; indeed, they
both had been. After all, as has beer
stated, they were at the turning
point Of their careers.
"By George!' said Tommy Smith
'1'm a much cleverer chap than you
Joskin I've got it. How big wa
the bump on your head?'
"As big as a house or a hens egg
to Judge from what il felt like"
Half an inch high?' asked Tommy
"Rather!"
"And the shovel?' A new waite
had made up the fire, and forgotten
that the heavy and grimy iron imple
ment he had used was not part of thu
usual smoking room furniture. Tom
my Smith had picked 1t up and wal
thrustlng it toward his friend. IA
big as that?" he asked.
81 never saw the shovel" salt
Harold Josynghame; "the police toll
me about it afterward. knew al
about the bump, though, by then
couldn't get my hat on"
"Joskin," said Tommy Smith, pre-
senting the handle Of the club shovel
be a pal I'm as near as a TOUGHER
quarter Of an inch under height, rath
er more than less. Put bump on I,
my head half an inch high, and In
through the medical like hot knit
through butter"
Mr.. Josynghame took the shove
and looked at him admiringy. "Meal
it?" he asked.
Rather" said his friend. "I'll tax
1t sitting, though. Look sharp, befor
any one comes in" He sat upright Il
his chair, gripping the arms of it an
clenching his teeth. go on. II
shut my eyes, If you'd rather"
Spangl The shovel came down o.
the skull of Mr. Tommy Smith wit
a sound like cracked bell, muflled
He gave little gasp.
Harder, old chap he said, blink
ing, "and a little more in the middle
Can't-you-swing- -it-a-blt"
Spang, 1t descended again, an
Tommy Smith gasped and turned re
first, then white A member Of tn
club opened the door as the blow fel
He gasped too. dropped a cigarette /
an amber mouthpiece, fully four in
ches long, recovered 1t much damaged
and retired precipitately under the in
preston that two Of his fellow men
pers were settling an affair Of homo