Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-22

studied the faces or those around her. lhey
were nearly all poorly dressed, shabby, and
detected From their wretchedness one might
have thought they too were young and beauti-
despoiled bv glasses. That wan woman in
the faded shawl supporting pallid, unplea-
SAINT child with bandaged eyes-from her
stricken look, it might almost have been her
own eyes! And that shrunken, haggard
wreck-once man-with head abJectly
sunk-Jacqueline stirred uncomfortably.
Only that plain girl with the wide mouth
and the linked hole in her jacket kept her
eyes persistently fixed on the wall and
hummed a gay little tune. Jacqueline
glanced at her rather resentfully. Well, she
was not earning fifty a week: the linked hole
proved that. And she had no beauty to
deface.
The -Mouthed Girl flashed back
laugh. Mustn't let 'em think they can
down u.s."
81 can't help that" said Jacqueline, both
drawn and repealed. dts no laughing mat
ter with me-my eyes.
She tried to picture herself in spectacles,
and failed. Even Peter could hardly admire
her in spectacles.
The door opened, and a man with dark
glasses staggered and swayed against her.
Tacqueline caught his look, and shuddered.
1t was that of one condemned.
@Do you suppose" she turned eagerly to
the Wide-Mouthed Girl.
@Your turn, Miss" said the white-capped
maid.
aGood luck" said the Wide Mouthed Girl.
A ND now she herself was sitting in the
"A chair of torture, behind a blazing
searchlight, facing a big blond giant
most uncomfortable parsonage, who said
nothing at all until she described the purple
and green mist. Then:
"How long has this been going on?' he
demanded sternly.
ooh, five or six months, the spots; but
never the mist until yesterday faltered
Jacqueline. "My work is rather close.
suppose l need a vacation. That's all, isn't
it? And I'm quite willing to wear glasses
only not spectacles. Ugh!'
The glare of the searchlight forced sharp
vince of pain.
II thought So" He removed that light
then mammoth whirling cartwheel of
fiendish spokes "Now look at these lines
SLOWLY now-and tell me which is the black
est"
"They're not any of them black" said
Jacqueline. "They're all green and purple"
aAh! Now this" Another wheel. "Any
of these darker than the others?'
"They're all blurred together, and coming
at me. Oh, keep them steady!' She clutched
her chair to escape the spokes. ooh, Doc
tor, do promise mel won't have to wear
them all the time, shall II" she pleaded.
@But will-even spectacles. Anything but
this"
Oh, why didn't he speak? Through a
gathering mist of dread she met his gravely
considering eyes, and shrank back in horror.
"Don't look at me like that! You don't
mean to say-one might almost Think
am going blind!"
The utter absurdity of the words treasured
her; but still she waited, quivering, for his
denial-the denial that didn't come. In
stead, he had turned to the window
"My dear young lady"
@You-you don't understand" she pro-
tested. "You are trying to frighten me into
spectacles, making me think" she laughed
defiantly, 81 am going blind"
The doctor wheeled sharply. II do not
say that-yet. But your persistent and
criminal insulting of the optic nerve in the
face of repeated warnings may come to mean
just that"
"But-but it would be DEATH" she
moaned. al just couldn't live! Why, that
time when had pink eye and they bandaged
IL H. Al H. IL