The Red Cloud chief., 1885-07-10
CLAIMING HIS SKELETON.
A Weird Story of the Michigan
University.


University.
When John Wentworth put his last
touches TO his work he stood back and
regarded it with admiration. He stood
with his hands in his pockets and his
cap well back on his head, and he felt
that glow of self-satisfaction which q
man feels who has just finished a long
and arduous task.
Well" he said, as he turned his
head, now this way and then that Il
call that q first-class job, by George"'
1t was certainly q most complete
piece of mechanism. every joint perfect
" fitted, yet perfection is never alto
gether appreciated, and when Mrs.
Jones, the landlady. deceived by the 81
lence into supposing that Wentworth
had gone out. and thinking the present
a good time to fix up the room, came
in. she gave a scream of terror, and On
catching her breath, cried:
Laws, Mr.. Wentworth. what a start
that horrid thing did give me. Your
not going to keep that in the house,
MIR. Wentworth"
Mrs Jones. let me present you to
our distingu shed fellow lodger. j. w.
Stodgers. | venture to say that a more
complete or q handsomer skeleton can
no. be found in Ann Arbor. Mrs. Jones.
ii ! did wire him myself. John w. will
give you little trouble. Mrs. Jones. and
If; when we're out. You give him a little
touch up with the buster. he will not
only appreciate it. but you will also
oblige Mr.. Smile and myself. for we are
partners IN j. w. StOdgers."
Mercy sakes, I'll never come into
this room if that skeleton is to be here"
''Oh, John w. is harmless. Besides.
he has been in that box here for some
weeks. I've only helped him to collect
himself. as it were"
At this moment the lower law of the
skull dropped with q click to an angle
of forty-five, and Mrs. Jones gave an.
other little shrek as she looked with
averted gaze ut the sort of dry. bony,
silent. fixed laugh Of the skeleton.
That" said Wentworth. with par
donable pride. lis a little device of NV
own. That jaw stays in place about
half an hour and then drops. BY the
way. just notice what q lovely set of
teeth John w. has. That's the fault |
md with most of our American skele-
tons. They have poor teeth. 1t seemed
to Smile and me that this fellow must
have been an Englishman, he had such
good grinders. SO we christened him
Stodgers. an aristocratic name over
u.ere, / am told"
1T gives me the chills to look at it."
said Mrs. Jones The fading afternoon
light threw deep shadows in the eyeless
sockets that gave Mrs. Jones an uneasv
feeling that the skeleton was looking at
her.
That's because you ALWAYS had
Lifts to board here instead of Needless
You'll get used to John w. He's An
unobtrusive cuss. neverybody minded
his " business with the exclusiveness
j. W. does there wouldn't be much
trouble in this world"
Wentworth bitterly remembered this
remark later on.
At this moment young Smile came
in.
by Jove." said Smile, in admirs-
6on. you've done that up tiptop. John.
Thunder, I call that Q triumph" And
he walked around and took . side view
of It That's what I call . deuced
good job for . 6rst attempt Did YOU
ever see anything Landowner. Mrs
Jones?"
Mrs Jones thinks she has" said
Wentworth.
..lt's awful" shuddered Mrs Jones'
Ito think that that Wa alive and
walked around like the rest of us!"
".And thou hast walked about, how
strange . story" quoted Smile.
.'Thst's %. it's rough OF J. W.. isn't
it?''
Mrs Jones wont down stairs and the
medical students closed the door.
His jaw droops . little. john" said
Smile.
That's al right; shows the action.
you know" md Wentworth with q
ruler touched John ". under the chin.
and the two cleaning rows Of teeth
came together and remained In that
fixed grfn % cAaracteristic Of Ill skele-
tons
WentwostA had placed . MARROW
table againgt he val. and On Is John
~. ct With his skull fastened TO the
v1ll % = to keep him upright while
1~assplndly white legs dAng1edd down and
u1ayekge1fly % and M. wAsa The
dor opened e hcee1e came thfo1kh
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