Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1871-02-15

NOW tue closet door opened directly
from the head OF his bed.
Il wonder if that door is shut 4
thought Goggs. The door was, or the
door seemed to be quite shut.
r wonder if l shonld like it any bet.
ter to lie at the foot of the bed q thought
Goggs. He turned round and lay at the
foot of the bed. But there was no boil
ster there, and he did not like it any bet
ter.
Il believe I'm behaving like a fool,
thought Goggs; and to prove that be
wasn't he went back to the head of the
bed again.
The bolster was easy but Goggs wasn't
The room was as still as country church
yard on Sunday night. A halflight
c,awled in through the door-Goggs had
the dark room this term, he and his
chun having tossed coppers for it, aud
there was no window. The bright dim
ness. or the dim brightness of moon,
away round somewhere on the eastern
side of the college, with difficulty out
lined his bed posts aud bureau. A heavy
shadow folded in the closet door. Goggs
wondered if his chum was asleep, and
called--just for the fun Of the thing; it
is always fun to wake up your chum in
the middle of the night, and see how
cross you can make him-'I say there
Dick y
But Dick was very sound asleep; Dick
made no answer at att.
There was no use in denying it; Goggs
wanted some lively company. He felt
uncomfortable. Ghost stories, grave
stories, ghouI stories came into his
thought-all that he had ever heard
Ghostly, gasping, gurgling faces-all
that be had ever seen-cTowded before
his eyes. All the dreadful words in the
vocabulary that begin with G, occurred
to him. He remembered all the anatom-
icaI lessons and The lectures in the disco
ting room. as he had never remembered
them before. He wondered who that
fellow was behind him there, before he
lost his aurcles. and ventrlcles, and mus
cular system, and cartilage, and cuticle.
and all the rest of il; whether he was
dead spy or a bought murderer, and
whether he ever belonged TO Presbyte-
rian church, and how much he cost, and
whether he had room enough in the clos
ct, aud if he was particular, about how
be was treated, and
Goggs was not asleep-not quite; al.
most; and not quite but almost he heard
q noise in the closet. A slight tumb-
ling. scratching noise, and then tire
menduous noise and then-upon Gogys
word and honor-before he could stir or
speak, or think, that closet door bounded
open and the dead man leaped upon
him!
Goggs sprsng. but it was too late; he
struck out bravely with his two fists, and
they went through under two dry thigh
sockets that held him fast; the horrid
creature doubled itself about him; en-
tangled him III his ribs; it rasped his
cheeks with its vertebrate; its long fingers
clutched him; with ilum. and sacrum.
and peIvis, and breast bone, and frontal.
bone, aud psrIetal, and all the other
bones that Goggs ciphers for, the thing
ratified horrible music about him. and
laughed long and loud and triumphant
ly.
No, it didn't.
The laugh came through the closet
wall! 1t was the scoundrel Dick.
Il say Goggs! Who poured boiling
water into my wash pitcher last week :
Who set my alarm off at two o'clock in
the morning, the week before, and the
week before that! Who put mice into
my boots, and red pepper into my lemon
ade, and brought me Edwards on the
Will for pony on Xenophon? How
about that little bill from Taylor's pamed
off gu mo last quartar9 Who eats my
piece of COZ, anut pie every time he's
late at club2 Who may consider him.
self quits, and paid up, and we'll off, and
easy at that, aud take chair and sit by
the window, and think Of it! Who!'
Geggs, with his head half way up the
skeletons back bcue. heard this through
his ribs distinctly.
He crawled out under the armpits
without any remarks. Cheerfully he
heard, OF seemed to hear the Professor
say, Il have found the specimen to be
excellent company; Goggs--excellent
company.
By an effort of mutua. resignation, he
and the specimen parted company.
Goggs went to see about Dick.
WHY, yes--of concentrating could
be easier. Dick in the closet, which
shares one thin wall with the other. dis
covers the point Of the long nail upon
which the Professors treasure bangs
By daylight aud opportunity loosens it;
the closet button, too. reeds a little man
ipuIation; unconscious Goggs goes to
sleep with the door--jut--fas,eued,
with the skeleton ust-hanging behind
it. One good blow from Dicks side of the
dead man sends nail, skeleton. door and
all, in and down together. Excellent.
Dick said Goggs revsrentially, you
will turn out New York Congressman
yet Every Saturday.