Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-06-16
countenance as ne reads my last letter to

Another sum of money | have put
away in good hands where he won't have
a chance to get it, for my funeral expenses
and then you see am through w1rh the
| world. have nobody to leave b1;.s need
worry about, or who would eithn~ take care
If me or feel sorry for me If / NEEDED care
| or sympathy, which | do not 81 that is
why laugh, and that is why / come down
an3 sit on this bench In TIE sunshine, and
enjoy the posthumous ] ke."
Robbins did not appear to be aoie TO see
the Eumor Of the situation quite SO strong
y as the Liviny Skeleton did. At different
times after that when they met, Ia had
| offered the Skeleton more money if he
wanted 1t, so that he might pslloug his
life little, but the Skeleton always re-
fused.
A sort of friendship sp,ang up between
| Robbins and tae living Skeleton at least
as much of a friendship as can exist be-
| tween the living an the dead. for Robbins
was a muscular young fellow who did not
need to live at the r viera on account of
| his health but merely because he detested
an English winter Besides this. it NAV be
| added, although it is nobody's business,
that a nice girl and her parents lived in
this particular part of the south of France.
| One day Robbins took little excursion
In carriage to TouIon. He had invited
| the nice girl to go with him, but on that
particular day she could not go. There
was some big charity function on hand
and one necessary part Of the affair was
the wheedllng Of money out Of peoples
pockets, and the nice girl had undertaken
to do part of the wheedling Size was very
good at it, and she rather prided herself
upon 1t; but then she was very nice girl.
pretty as wei, and SO people found Ii very
difficult to refuse her. On the evening of
the day there was to be ball at tie princi-
pal hotel in the place, also in connection
with this very desirable charity. Robbins
had reluctantly gone to. Toulon alone, but
you may depend upon it ne Was back In
time for the ball.
well, he said to the nice girl when
he met her, what luck collecting today?"
"Oh, the greatest luck" she replied en-
Enthusiastically: land who do You think |
& 1t the most money from?'
81 AN sure | haven the slightest idea
that old English duke, he certainly has
money enough
mo, not from him at all; the very last
friend the Living Skeleton"
"Oh, found him on the bench where
he usually sits, in the avenue of palms.
told him all about the charity, and how
useful it was, and how necessary, and how
we all ought to give as much as we could
toward it. and he smiled and smiled at me
in that curious way of his. Yes, he said
in whisper, L believe the charity should
be supported by every one. | will give
you eighty francs Nov, wasn't that
very generous of him? Eighty francs.
that wassten times what the duke gave, and
as he handed me the money he looked up
at me and said, in that awful whisper of
his-'Count that over carefully when you
get home and see If you can fnd out what
else have given you. There is more than
eighty francs there. Aud when | got
home /"
But here the nice girl paused when she
looked at the face of Robbins, to whom she
was talking. That face was ghas5Iy pale,
and his eyes were staring at her but not
seeing her. Eighty fraucs,' he was
whispering to himself, and he seemed TO
be making mental calculation in sub
traction. Then noticing the girls amazed
look at him, he said:
"Did you take the money!"
OF course | took it, he said. "Why
shouldn't I2''
Great heazens!' gasped Robbins, and
then he turned and fed, leaving the nice
girl transfxed with establishment and
staring after him with frown ON her
pretty brow.
What does he mean by such conduct ?"
she asked herself But Robbins disap-
deated from the gathering through in the
large room of the hotel, dashed down the
steps. and hurried along the narrow pave
ment toward the Golden Dragon. The
proprietor was standing in the hallway
with his hands behind him, usual atti-
tude with the Dragon.
Where gasped Robbins, lis Mr.
Mr.. -" and then he remembered he
didn't know the name. Where sis the
Living Skeleton?'
"He has gone to his ROOM" answered
the Dragon: che went early tonight-he
WASH feeling well, think"
"What is the number of his room?''
''No. 49, and the proprietor rang a
loud, jangling bell, whereupon one of the
chambermaids appeared. "Show this gen
tleman to NJ. 40''
The girl preceded Robbinssup the stairs.
Once she looked over her shoulder and
whispered, SIS he worse?"
II don't knew" answered Robbins;
that's what | have come to see
At No 40 the girl paused and raped
lightly on the door panel. There was no
response. She raped again, athis time
louder. There was still no response.
TRY the door, said Robbins
Il am afraid to, said the girl,
Why"
"Because be said if h3 were asleep the
door would be locked, and if he were dead
the door would he open"
when did he say that?''
''He said it several times, sir, and about
a week ago the last time
Robbins turned the handle of the door;
it was not locked A dim light was in
the room, but screen before the door hid
it from sight. When he passed around
the screen, he saw, upon the square mar
bletopped arrangement at the head of the
bed, candle burning, and its light shone
on the dead face of the Skeleton, which had
grim smile on its thin lips, while in its
clincfed hand was letter addressed to the
proprietor of the hotel.
The Living Skeleton had given more
than the eighty francs to that deserving
charity.
LUKE SHARP.