The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-08-24
had the job Of baryin' the dead on both

had the job of buryin' therdead on both
Sides ,f.,s .4 az
"You were going to tell me where
you met your second husband, the-the
skeleton, timidly suggested her fellow
Traveller. fr
"Met him at the grave Of the giant, "
said the show woman, with an embtion
that did her credit 81 was takin' the
last sad look at me husband, prepare
tory TO the coffin benz lowered into the
grave by the derrick that had been
erected for that purpose, VIXEN l
CHANGED TO look up, aud there stood the
skeleton the other side of file coffin.
was prostrated, with grief at the loss of
me husband and the. Dustin up Of the
show, and here comes this walkin'
shadow right across me path like a
beam of lightf-though it was avery
light beam, | am forced TO say. 1t
flashed across me in . minute what a
card he would be To work the fairs, aad
what a reduction | could make below
previous expenses. You know you kin
run dozeHllvin' skeletons for what it
costs to keepR giant II. p a : ..z
The timid man didn't know, but he
Ventured 10 say "Of course. -
81 would have to git out a new lot of
/ bills. for him. continued the stout
woman; g but reflected that | might
use the eiant cut toFshOw how big he
was before ne fell away to a liyin' skele-
ton. This may seem a little queer to
you, speculatin' in that way at my hus-
kbAusl' lgravey but business Is business,
and it's all circus, anyhow, ---;g. \.
The timid man answered her that it
appeared to him to be the most natural
thing,in the world. 81. au.i ,<
"Well, the upshot of the matter was, :"
continued the stricken widow, "the
skeleton walked back to the hotel with
me from the grave, and secured him
at once for the remainder of the tenting
season for 81 a week and found, though
it was hard work TO find him sometimes,
he was so thin. He could double him
self up and hide in one of my first hus-
bands vest pockets. One day he offer
ed me his hand l told him it was ''tOo
thin;'' but as he wouldn't have it, and
as another show was tryin' to hire him
away from me, j accepted, and view
married-made bone of one bone and
flesh of one flesh, though had all the
flesh and he ali the bone. You would
have laughed to have seen him try to
wear my first husbands clothes. After
he got into them it took a search war
rant to find Eiml"E fii .f.t-i-t' -i'-
Sand you say he died, too9pt said
her companion. me-. e..
eyes, poor George petered out after
a few years. He kept grewin' thinner
and thinner until l had. to 90 to the eX-
pense of a calacium light to show him
atiall. Twas arrested once by a doctor
who had missed a skeleton out of bis
office and swOre | had it."
'sWhat killed George, as you call
him ?n asked the timid man. H.. .sl-
<; Didn't any thing kill MIN. He grew
SO thin that the breath he drew into his
hangs passed right out between his ribs
without dOin' him any good whatSom-
ever. l showed him three days after
he was dead before discovered he was
no more. Hi The doctors tried to buy his
body Of me-said they wouldn't. have
to touch him at all with a knife, as it
would be only necessary to fasten his
Joints together with wire, and brace
MIN up in a glass case, But wouldn't
consent, and he sleeps by the side of
the giant. l had a'mOnument erected
over their remains bearin' the followin'
epitaph, which 1 writ myself:
Dearest husbands, you have left me,
And your-lOss much deplore; -.
Gone are all your days of shown,
For you're where you'll fake no more.
Fold away their little canvas,
Where we took the public in; ....
Gone are all those DAYS OF giadness,
Making blunt through thick and thin.
.....-.f Gone to meet the What-is-it -
The timid man wanted to ask her if
she had any idea She would be able to
find pair of Siamese twins to marry
next, as a matter of business; but his
timidity made him hesitate too long, for
at the next stopping-plase she got off
the train.--FIat Contributor. .r ON. ...