Montgomery County sentinel., 1915-10-01
THE EVIL
EYE
A Tale of the Sea
nv DNICHT NOpUOnn
By DWIGHT NORWOOD

Jim Butterworth, sailor, while
ashore with liberty party at Tangier
got into a row with Mohammodan
snake charmer and had an eye gouged
out Jim was not overparticular about
his looks, but tired Of answering Ques.
tlons about how he lost his eye. The
Orlhce left after the eye had been
eliminated was certainly shocking to
behold and caused every one who
came near him to shudder He wore
n green patch over 1t for awhile, but
found 1t very troublesome to keep In
position. One day n shipmate said to
him:
"Jim. why don't you get an artificial
eye put In your faceP
whats thatT' asked Jim.
why, nm eyc\ c\made Of glass painted
to look Just like real eye. They make
'em 30 fine you can't tell 'em from the
real thing"
Where do you get emp
"Oh, at any respectable port They
sell 'em In the shops
The next port the vessel Jim had
signed with stopped at was Naples.
As soon as Jim was permitted to go
ashore he took two or three of his ship
mates with him, went to one OF the
shopping streets, and the party stopped
at an opticians. The shopkeeper
brought out tray full of artificial eyes
and set 1t before the sailors for selec-
ton.
Jim's single natural eye was dark
brown, but 1t did not seem to occur to
any Of the party that the artificial eye
should be OF the same color as the real
one. One recommended blue, another
n steel gray, another black with su.
perHuity OF red in It. Doubtless the
artist who Ind painted In the colors
had done his best to make tho glass re.
semble real eyes, but the best wns by
no means good. Indeed, some Of them
were soulless, some wild, and a mum.
Der were well fitted to express insanity.
The shopkeeper, realizing that the
sailors were about to make mistake
in the selection, picked up brown eye,
the nearest match to Jlm's remaining
eye, and offered II as tho one best suit
ed to the case. But Jims mates scoffed
tit.
"Wot2" cried one Of them. Put that
thing into his head2 You might as
well give him an eye from dead
man."
'There's n dandy" said another, tax.
ing one of greenish hue with tinge
Of red from the tray and holding It up
beside Jim's natural eye. There's some
expression in that eye. You'd clean out
tho sultan's harem with 1t, Jim. No
woman could resist you"
Jim took 1t and stood before mirror,
would look in Its proper place.
Mates" he said, If you all agrees
that IT'S wot's wanted Ill take It, but
don't believe any of you would stand
your ground at meetin' me wearin' 1t
on tho foc'sle on dark night with the
lightnin' playln' round"
TITS a Jim dandy" replied one.
"A beautr' cried another.
ut reminds me Of tho eyes of a gal
fell in with at MADEIRA" said another.
well" said Jim, "since you all
agrees that it's becomIn' and brought
you ere for your opinions reckon
all I've got TO do IL to plank down the
price"
The shopkeeper was willing 10 part
with the artistic production for tho
sum Of 10 lire, which Jim produced;
the vender adjusted 1t in Jim's eye,
and the party departed to enjoy them.
selves In neigbboring wine shop.
When the men returned to the ship
Jim found that his artificial eye at-
tracted more attention than the empty
socket. But when he asked his ship
mates their opinion as 10 the looks Of
his new eye" they all pronounced 1t
zone o. the finest bllnkers ahOat."
The eye not having been put into the
socket by a skilled surgeon was not
very comfortable, and Jim soon sought
relief In wearing II In his pocket In
stead OF in his face. Then he fell 10
alternating between the glass eye, tho
patch and the empty socket Tho
crew gradually became accustomed to
the "blinker," but tho time never
came when It ceased TO excite com
ment And whenever Jim went ashore,
no matter at what port, his eye ex-
cited the astonishment and often tho
terror OF the inhabitants. ChildrOn
especially would fee from him, bawl-
ing. AZ to tho girls, Jim never found
sweetheart in nny land while wear
ing It, except on the African coast
But day came when all this was
changed; when Jim's eye was an OBJ
Ject Of worship by both tho officers
OF tho ship and his mossmates; when
Jim was as proud Of his glass eye az
II II had been a decoration.
One day tho Mary Robinson was
sailing under four knot breeze in the
Malay archipelago, when the captain
raised glass and brought II TO bear
on a dhow on his starboard quarter
This archipelago has always been dan.
ger0us water. being favorite region
for pirates. The dhow under tho glass
did not improve Captain Wainwright
could see the decks crowded with cop
per colOred men. who were lenning
over the bulwnrks 10 get a glimpse OF
the Mary Robinson. The interest mani
Tested argued that II was OF coyet.
GUS kind The captain well knew that
n the crew did not have designs upon