The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-07-26
DR. vANDER0ILL.
lopie P. Read, in The Curreat.l
CHAPTER l..

(nhF EN As
 Dr. Vandergill possessed strange pas sion for skeletons. A sculptor could have derived no more pleasure from graceful statuary than did this grim medical man from his collection of human bones. On black pedestals, against the walls of his library, stood skeletons, with the fixed grin of eerie chill, seeming to look down in mockery on a life which they had iound 70 be so full of disappointments :: and. near the doctors writing desk, stood aa old fellow who, in his best days, must have stood six feet three in his stockings.
 A, the age of fifty the doctor, still bachelor, fell deeply in love-or rather, Bulwer would say, rose highly into it. with plump young lady. The peculiar fact of his becoming devoted to so much flesh caused comment in the neighbor- hood, for Sallie Sylvester, in the liberal way in which sh: had been supplied with adipose tissue, exhibited no skeleton sug- gestiveness. When the doctor, deeply impassioned and forgetful of everything save the love which spilled warm glow of something all over his soul, told Sallie of his devotion, she lifted her eyes, sott as the velvet on the horn of young deer, and said:
 Doctor. do you think that you love me quite as much as you would if were a skeleton"
 Oh, yes, he loved her with love be- yonG the power of skeleton to inspire. Why" said he, '' I love you with new creation ofsomething-the sudden spring ing into life of something which hitherto has not existed within me. Now, admire fine skeleton, but do not love-do not love-plague take the indirectness of the language-do not love it."
 No indireetness, my dear doctor, for skeleton is no, necessarily masculine or feminine"
 He did not observe that she had called him dear doctor" nor, in the lingual perplexity into which he had suddenly been thrown, did he realize that she had placed her head on his shoulder.
 '' will admit" he went on, that de- rive much pleasure, to say nothing of instruction-why, bless the girl" and the arm which he had been using as an illustrator closed around the young lady's neck. Yes, she would marry him. It made no difference if he were older than she-the young maple often grew beside the old oak she could make hi. home happy-it was large and well furnished house; she would minister to every particularly her own young men were -minded-she wanted hus- band whose learning she could respect.
 They were married. The old house was charming; the old furniture % quaint and interesting. Her happiness was con- plete-,hat is, excepting the influence ex- eroised by the skeletons. Whenever she entered the library chill crept over her, and, at night, when the doctor was away, she could fancy that she heard the skeletons rattling their bones while, in loose-join,ed recklessness, they danced a horrible jig.
 " Doctor" the loving wife remarked one evening, pushing an ottoman to the sofa where the medical gentleman lay, "you do everything you can to make me happy, don't you." seating herself and proceed ing to practice the fine art of endear- ment.
 We'll, yes he replied, |" 1 did not suspect that you entertained doubt con- cerning that fact"
 "I sometimes do," brushing tobacco crumbs from his shirt bosom.
 An, my little girl, it must be that shadow of discontent which sometimes arises from lavish attention, that is for moment clouding your domestic sun." She was pleased at being called little, for she knew that she was not. Fetish women are fond of soft words, even though they imply misnomer.
 Other people may have skeletons in their closets. but ours adorn the walls. wish they were in a closet. When you persistently refuse to remove the horrid things l cannot help but think that you do not love me quite so much as you should.n
 Sallie, you know that l am devoted to you, and, knowing my peculiarisies, do not see why you should seek to de prive me of great enjoyment. have never known one of the skeletons te come out of the library. They are quiet and well-behaved, quite as much of the lady and gentleman, l am persuaded, as they were during life. You need not go rear them. This is very large house, remember"
 "l know all that, but can't help open ing the door and gazing at them, they possess for me such an awful fasci- nation.'
 You'll get over that after awhile"
 Yes, when the awful things have frightened me to death. Sometimes, when am standing in the doorway, hear them talking to each other, and the other evening that great tall fellow told me that if I did not go away he would throw one of his ribs at me-"
 The doctor laughed. "l did no, know you were so weak; you ought to be ashamed of yourself"
 ." You may just laugh as much as you please, but know that he did speak to me. Never mind you'll be sorry one of these days for treating me this way"
 Several nights later, when the shufiing footsteps of the servants were no longer heard in the hallway, the doctor went into the library to work on an article for medical journal. He had sat down and had begun to arrange his papers, when a dry, rasping voice SO near that it startled