The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1892-06-03
COMETH SOON OR LATE.

It was the habit of the Living Skel-
stOn to leave his hotel promptly every
morning at 10 o'clock. if the sun was
shining. and to shuI ,e rather than to
walk down the gravel street to the
ven OF palms. There. picking out
a seat on which the sun shone, the
Living Skeleton would sit down and
seemed to wait patiently for some M
who never came. He didn't seem to
have energy enough v to read. and
SO it "a that Robbins sat down one
day on the bench beside him and said
sympathetically, Il hope you are feel
ing better to-day"
The Skeleton turned toward him
and laughed q low. noiseless and
mirthless laugh for Il moment and
then said, in a hollow. far-away voice
that had no lungs behind it: Il am
through with feeling either better n
worse"
oh. | hopeit IS not as bad as that"
said Robbins; the climate is doing
you g.0i down here, is it not?"
Il haze no more interest in eli
mate" sad the Skeleton. Il merely
seem to live because l have been in
the habit Of living for some yeaya; 1
presume that is il. because my lungs
are eriisaly gone. Why.I can talk or
why | a breathe is a mystery to me.
You aIo perfectly certain you can
hear me:?'
'Oh. l hear you quite distinctly"
said Robbins.
10 tell the truth, | am dead.
practically. You know the old Amer
lean stcry about Il man who walked
around 10 save funeral expenses; we'll,
it isn't quite that way with me, but l
can appreciate how the mar felt. Still,
I take a keen interest in life. although
you might not think SO. You see, 1
haven't much time left; | am going to
die at 8 o'clock on April 30-S o'clock
at night. hot in the morning. just
after table d hote is done with"
You are going to what?" cried
Robbins. in establishment
I'm going t o die that day. You
see, | have got things to such a point
that | can die any time l want to. l
could die right here now if [ wished.
If you have any mortal interest in the
matter I'll do it. and show you that
what l say is true. l don't mind
much, you know. although | have
fixed ON April 80 as the limit 1t
wouldn't matter a bit for ne IT, go off
now if it would be of any Interest to
you"
II beg you" said Robbins very
much alarmed. mot to try any ex-
periments on my account. l am
quite willing to believe anything you
say about the matter-of course you
ought to know"
Yes, l do know" answered the
Living Skeleton, sadly. .'Of course, 1
have had my struggle with hope and
fear. but that is all past now. as you
may well understand. The reason
that | have fixed the date for 30th of
April is this: You see l have only a
certain amount of money! do not
know why l should make any secret
of i'll have exactly 24O francs to-
day, over and above the 100 francs
which l have set aside for another
purpose. I am paying 8 francs a day
at the Golden Dragon; that you see
will keep me just thirty days. and
then Intend to die"
The Skeleton laughed again. with
out sound, and Robbins moved un-
easily on the seat.
Il don't see," he said finally,
what there is to laugh about in that
condition of affairs"
Don't your" said the Skeleton.
We'll, I don't suppose there is very
much; but there is something else that
l consider very laughable, and that I
will tell you if you will keep 1t a
secret. You see. the old Golden
Dragon himself always call our
inn.keeper the Golden Dragon. just
as you call me the Living Skeleton"
'Oh. l beg your pardon, said Rob-
bins, stammering. Il"
.'Oh. it doesn't matter at all. You
are perfectly right and l think it a
very apt term. Well. the Golden
Dragon makes a great deal of his
money by robblng the dead. You
didn't know that, did you? You
thought it was the living who
supported him. and goodness knows
he robs them when he has a chance.
When a man dies in the Golden
Dragon he. or his friends rather.
have to pay very sweetly for it. The
Dragon charges them for refurnishing
the room. livery stick of furniture is
charged for, all the wall paper. and
so on. Isuppose it is right to charge
something, but the Dragon is not
content with what is right He know,
he has lost a customer. and so he
makes all he can out of him. The
furniture so paid for is not repla' ell
and the walls are not papered aga n
but the Dragon doesn't abate a penn,
of his bill on that account.
Now. l have inquired OF the fur
nishlng man on the street back OF thH
hotel. and he has written on his car
just the cost of mattresses, sheets. pi
lows and all that sort of thing: ;nl
the amount comes up to about
francs. have put in an envelor'
50-franc note. and with it the Car >
the furniture man. l have wr.' t..
also in the letter. telling the old lr
on lust what the things will cost tn: