Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-06-20
Miscellany.
THE SKELETON IN MR.. BULBO'S
CLOSET.

Mr.. BULBo was decidedly nervous on
this evening. He was more than fidgety
for besides constant change of position,
! he cast quick looks behind him, as if he
heard some one, and made many vain at
tempts to whistle. His room was pleas
ant, his chair comfortable, his tobacco ex-
cellent, and his pipe coloring in most
enviable manner but he frowned as he
shifted about, and finally sprang up with
groan Behind him was small closet
where his bachelor odds and ends were
hastily thrust, and now he jerked the
door open, and eagerly examined the in
: terror. <
"Such a fool /" he calculated, as he
slammed the door, and, taking up book,
resolutely determined to read
What was the matter with Mr. Bulbo ?
He appeared to be well, being rosy and
active. He was pleasant-looking man,
not yet troubled with age, as he had not
even reached the "youth of forty sum-
mers." He was rather prosperous ia bust
ness, had a pleasant circle of friends, and
no membranes. To look into his
frank, sunny face-for Wash Bulbo (his
name was not an unfamiliar one to patri-
otic Americans, and had been thus abbre-
viated) was good fellow-to interrogate
his bright blue eyes no one would sus-
pect that Mr.. Bulbo was anything but the
Aappiest of men. But he had a secret
trouble which so preyed upon him that
he-was losing his spirits, and felt as if he
was haunted by an actual presence. II
pursued him in the street, sought him in
his office, but was most vital in its attacks
in his own room during the hitherto
cheerful hours which he had spent with
his book and pipe. If its dreadful bony
form could only be shut in his closet
fastened in !! But no sooner was he seated
:, than it would steal out, whisper its
wretched suggestions in his ear, and
would drive him on to the fell deed
against his will, unless he could find some
way to stifle it.
1t was this that stole Mr.. Bulbo's sleep
:, destroyed his appetite, and drove him
from state of blissful unconsciousnes.
to a condition of, rueful wretchedness
For more than week he had nailed uI
the closet door-gone without his over
Shoes for that length of time, as they
were there bestowed, and had caught
bad cold In consequence, as, perverselJ
enough, the weather seemed in league with
his tormentor, and storms were rife. HI
had left town and spent several nights
;. with a friend, but there had been no es
cape for him and now he had returned
to renew the conflict or die.
Here he was, as badly off as before, fol
there was no use trying to read or diver
himself in any way. Some actual plar
must be devised and put into immediate
execution and as he walked his room
having thrown open all the windows tt
give himself as much relief as possible
: he reviewed the circumstances that ha6
placed him in this unpleasant position.
"A little more than a year ago the frs
stroke had fallen upon him as he was en-
joying his pipe in the twilight TIL
postman's ring had not hitherto annoye
went to the closet for his tobacco pouch
and quietly said "Come in " in respons
to the knock which moment later jarre
his door. But his mood changed as b
read the letter which was put into hi
hands.
On breaking the envelope a daint
note, with dark lines of grief on th
edges and delicate tracery in feminin
hand within, futtered into his lap, Will
q heavy, darkly-written sheet Hoppe
boldly on the floor He read first b
from one, then from the other, in som
confusion and dismay. The gist of bot
was that Horace Francis, an old friend c
his fathers, had lately deceased, and lei
Mr.. Bulbo in charge of his daughte
Mary's property until she should attai
her majority.
Hearing such fine reports of you
business capacity, and having been S
we'll beloved of your father, I select 70
OF all other men in the world. des
Bulbo,' the dying man had written. IN
fortune was large and had MANY cumbeI
some details but Mr.. Bulbo, for the sal
of the trust, and with a certain pride
the appreciation of his abilities, glad
undertook to discharge the obligation
The lady had forwarded her fathers lette
and begged that all communication
held with her lawyer, as she hardly fe
like meeting strangers at present. N
Bulbo had acquiesced, and for year nc
had, with much trouble to himself, tax