The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1911-01-26

An Experiment
By r. PEMBERTON SLADE
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

y
man." she said
81 am" l responded, raising my car
''If you will kindly sit by me l vii
tell you Of an operation l am thinking
of having performed"
l dropped in the vacant chair be
side her, and she began.
my eyes are a natural freak" sh
said. You will perceive that m,
right eye is black and my left is stee
color. l, being woman, am very sen
l wish to talk with you of the feast
bility of making my eyes the sam,
color"
THAT is impossible" l said decid
eddy.
"Whyw
"Why-why. because it is impos
sible."
81 have thought much of the mat
ter and have conceived plan b.
which | think it can be done"
you? Do you know anything abou
surgery of the eyer
Not professionally"
'Then why do you aspire to sug
gest a process that an educated oc
ulist would not even consider?'
Because believe it is possible"
Thinking the woman might be in
sane, l looked her in both eyes-fol
the eye is a telltalc on insanity-bu
could see no indications as to what
suspected
Every we'll" | said. what is YOU
process?'
81 propose to tattoo my gray eye
with India ink"
was at first disposed to smile at the
idea, but it soon occurred to me thai
If the India ink could be placed be
meath the surface of the cCcnea, as
1t may be tattooCd under tie skin
Nonsense. Does not the pupil contract
and dilate? When much contracted il
would leave a ring of the original col
or.
MY dear young lady" said, "youl
scheme is preposterous."
Nevertheless | shall try it."
"And lose your eye"
"That is my only fear. But l have
decided to take the risk
Finding it impossible to dissuade hel
or induce her even to wait till she
reached port, where she could be
knocked out of her crazy idea by ar
oculist, in order to save her from the
probable consequences of her expert
ment | said:
1.-THE cornea of the eye is not sensi
tive. Indeed, it is really a casing &c
the eye, something like an onion
Now, l would suggest, since you will
not listen to reason, that | tattoo some
harmless fluid Of the proper color OF
the eye as near as possible to the pu
pill. True, it will soon be absorbed
but it will be a test to guide us as tc
whether it will be safe to repeat the
operation with durable filing
How long will this experimental
fluid remainT' asked the lady.
Several days perhaps. possibly
longer"
1.-THE very thing! Will you perform
the operation?"
mot unless you refuse to promise
that you will not do it yourself"
81 certainly shall do it myself unless
you consent to do it for me-"
"Well, then, whenever you are ready
come to my office"
The lady did not come to me till the
day before we We're due in port. II
about which there was not the slight
est necessity for haste, and l made 9
strenuous attempt to persuade her tc
defer the operation till after she had
landed. But she resolutely persisted
In her intention to perform it herself
before glass if declined, and, know
ing that this, especially on rolling
ship, r. hi result in the loss OF the
Taking Il lot Of needles, l tied then
into bundle, dipped them into g
harmless vegetable preparation ant
tapped the eye with their points eve1
so lightly. This l kept up till the
surface to be covered was so nearly
Of the hue of the other eye that the
difference could not be easily detected
The next day when the lady wen
ashore she was profuse in her thanks
and volunteered to advise me Of the
success of the experiment. l told hel
l should be interested to hear 1t
though, to tell the truth, | never ex
pected to hear from her again, regard
ing her one of those many cranks who
appear to be perfectly sane, but IL
whose makeup some screw is loose.
A couple of,weeks later l received 6
letter, the handwriting of which was
not familiar to me. Indeed, 1t bore
evidence of having been disguised. Il
read:
My Dear Doctor-I am happy to repor
to you that the experiment was admlra
bly, successful The tattoo lasted abou
ten days, which was all that was required
The customs officers had description O
me, their atteItion having been especially
directed to my one gray and one blacl
eve They were watching very carefully
when | descended the gargplank - ant
spotted me for everything except the eyes
Thanks to you / got $4,000 worth OF dia
nonds through duty free. Your fee by
express.
The letter was unsigned The mex
day | received package containing {
fine diamond, which had mounted fol
q solitaire stud
After that | refused any request O.
a passenger unless | understood tn
reason for its asking.
Some People All Brass"
TetrazZinl tells of woman who ask