Avon Fantasy Reader No. 14 — page 35: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“I didn’t want no operation, anyway,” he added. “My eye’s all right. See?” He blinked it rapidly to confirm the fact. “Of course,” said the stranger. He faid his tall hat carefully on a chair and helped Tubby down to the floor. Tubby, in his bare feet and long white nightgown, stood slightly embarrassed. He raised one foot and hooked it under his other knee. “Let’s get acquainted,” he suggested. “You're a friend of mine, ain’t you?” “I am, indeed,” rejoined the stranger warmly. “And soon I shall be more than that—your business partner. You and I are going to make millions of dollars.” Tubby blinked both eyes. “Right,” he said. “We're goin’ to get rich. What's your name? We got to get acquainted first.” “My name is Professor Seer,” said the stranger with dignity. “Mine’s Tubby. Pleased to meet you, professor.” ‘They shook hands. “What are you professor of?” Tubby asked, after a short but awkward silence. The professor had been regarding Tubby thoughtfully with his two opened eyes. He pulled himself out of his reverie at the question. “I’m a professor of optics,” he said impressively, “The science of human sight. I know all about it—all there is to know.” Tubby shook hands again. “That’s fine, professor. We're goin’ to get rich? Tell me how.” “Not here,” the professor objected. “My laboratory is right down the street. Get dressed and come along.” He was poking about the room. Tubby saw his own clothes lying on a chair. Tubby took only a moment to dress. The professor put on his high plug hat —he was more than two feet taller than Tubby with it on—and led the way down the corridor with huge strides that made Tubby almost run to keep up. The hospital was very silent—there seemed to be nobody in it. They walked down nine flights of stairs and came into the lower hall. As they passed the reception room Tubby looked for Jake and Pete; but there was not a single person in sight. Half a block down the street the professor turned into a dingy hallway, unlocked a door, and ushered Tubby into his laboratory. It was a long, dim room without windows, and lighted by two narrow beams of white light— like small searchlights. Each of these horizontal beams struck the farther wall about six feet from the floor; and in the brilliant circles of illumination two cards were hanging on the wall—cards printed with letters of the alphabet in rows of different size type. A large table occupied the center of the room. It was littered with a mass of scientific apparatus, none of which Tubby had ever seen before. But scat- tered in a heap at the nearer end of the table he saw many little magnifying glasses, and a tremendous variety of eyeglasses. Even with his first hasty glance he noticed monocles, ordinary two-eyed glasses and many spectacles which obviously were made for three eyes. Over against the wall was a large glass cabinet, filled with what looked like surgical instruments. There was an operating table there also, and other 33 comiclsooks.com