Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-06-25

haAr Ann" his o"OhD'
about the loss of his eye, broodinG
ever it constantly. When he was
twenty-one he left the place where he
had been born and had lived up to that
time to go elsewhere. He determined
before appearing in the new location
that he would have a glass eye put in
the empty socket. New friends would
see him for the first time with two
eyes. and If he could find a glass to
perfectly match the natural eye, some,
possibly all, would be ignorant of his
physical deficiency.
Unfortunately his eye was hard to
match. 1t was between a pale blue
endeavored to find what he wanted
were too blue, and the steels were col
orless. Not finding one TO suit him, he
went to a man named Herman, who
had an eye factory in his back yard,
and engaged him to make an eye that
would perfectly correspond with the
one remaining in its socket Herman
had daughter. Gretchen. who painted
that part of the glass which gave the
eyes the color, and Walter sat before
her while she copied his natural eye.
Gretchen was a pretty girl, with the
fair hair and eyes of northern races.
Walter chatted with her and. since he
was gallant fellow. paid her compli-
ments. expressing his admiration with
his natural eye. Under this influence
Gretchen painted an eye for him that
corresponded with the other perfectly.
AS soon as it was finished and put in
its place Walter FASTENED to a mirror
and was delighted with his improved
appearance. There was no difference
between the two eyes, except that one
| lived and the other did not. But there
are many persons who do not notice
such differences readily, and any cas-
ual observer would not notice that the
young man wore an artificial eye.
| Gretchen rejoiced greatly at her sue
cess, for during the sittings while she
was painting the false eye Walter had
looked at her so pleasingly with the
one she copied that he quite won her
heart In truth, it was this expression
! he put into his natural eye that en-
| abled her to do her work so well. for
/ If ever a glass eye could be expressive
| the one she painted was. But the re-
| suit of all this was that when Walter
went away from Gretchen he took her
| heart with him.
/ Walter became a soldier in the service
| Of a feudal baron who dwelt on hill
! top near by, from which the baron made
/ depredations on merchants and other
| travellers passing through the valley
| beneath-that is, when he was not
! called upon to do military service for
| the king. But he found time to keep
his larder well filed by plundering ia
peaceful way. and even In war there
was pillaging.
The baron had a daughter Bertha,
who following in the wake Of most
other girls. straightway proceeded to
/ fall IN love with Walter. Bertha was
nearsightei. and in those days the eye
was not so readily assisted as 1t IL
nowadays II was either this or the
| remarkable work Gretchen had done
In painting the artificial eye that pre-
vented Bertha from noticing Walters
blemish. At any rate. she did not know
that he wore glass eye.
Walter. who was a fine soldier and
was rising rapidly in the baron's sery-
ice, saw what an advantage 1t would
be to him TO marry the lords daughter,
was not ayerse 10 yielding to the
young lady's passion for him, and II
was not long before they were engag-
ed The baron had no son to succeed
him and, being greatly pleased with
Walter. readily gave his consent to
the nuptials.
II 50 happened that just before the
wedding festivities were TO take place
the king called upon the baron to con
tribute two companies Of pikemen fol
! military service. Walter was not made
Of the stuff TO remain al home at suei