Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-06-18
DEArH coMErn sooN nR LArE.

Detroit Free Press
1t was Alick Robbins who named him
the Living Skeleton, and probably remorst
for having thus given him Il title so de-
scrlptively accurate, that caused Robbins
to make friends with the Living Skeleton
a man who seemed to have 10 friends,
Robbins never forgot their first CONVEX
satIon. 1t happened in this way. Ii wa,
the habit of the Living Skeleton to leave
his hotel promptly every morning at II
O'Clock, if the sun was shining, and tc
shuttle rather than to walk down the
gravel street to the avenue ut palms
There, picking out a seat Ola which the
sun shone, the Living Skeleton would 81;
down and seem to wait patiently for some
one who never came. He wore a shaw
around his neck and a soft cloth cap on
his skull. Every bone in his face stood
out against the skin, for there seemed tc
be no flesh, and his clothes hung as loosely
on him as they would have upon skele-
ton 1t required no second glance at the
Living Skeleton to know that the remain
der of his life was numbered by days OF
hours, and not by weeks or months. He
didn't seem to have energy enough even to
read, and so IL was that Robbins sat down
one day OH the bench beside him and said
sympathetically' 81 hops you are feeling
better to-day. "
The Skeleton turned toward HIM and
laughed low noiseess and mlrtlless
laugh for q moment, and then said, in a
hollow, PARKWAY voice that had no lungs
behind it, 81 am through with feeling eli
ther better or worse. v
| t|nh | bO,,s - % 10 s,s
said Robbins; "the climate is doing 20
good down here, is it not2"
Again the Skeleton laughed silently,
ard Robbins began to feel uneasy. The
Skeletons eyes were large and bright and
they fastened themselves upon Robbins in
a way that increased that gentleman un.
easiness and made him think that perbap,
the Skeleton knew he had 10 named him
Il have no more interest in climate, F"
said the Skeleton. 81 merely seem t
live because have been IN tue habit o.
living for some years; | presume that it
IT, because my lungs are nearly gone
Why can talk or why | can breathe is
mystery to me. You are perfectly certain
you can hear me2'
"Oh, hear you quite distinctly sale
Robins.
"Well, if it wasn't that people tell ,mC
that they can hear me, | wouldn't believe
that ! am really speaking, because, vol
see, ! have nothing TO speak with. Isn't il
Shakespeare who says something about
when the brains are out the man is dead
Well have seen some men who make mC
think Shakespeare was wrong in his dag
nosis, but it is generally supposed that
| -
To tell the truth am dead, practically
You know the old American story about
a man who walked around to save funeral
expenses; well it ism t quite that way with
me but can appreciate how the mau
felt Still take keen interest in life
although you might not think so. You
see, haven & mucn time left; / am going
to die at O'Clock on April 30-8 O'Clock
at night, not in the morning, just afts'
table d note is done with. "
you are going to what ?' cried Rob
bins, in astonisbment
I'm going to die that day. You see
| have got things to such point that
can die any time | want to. ! could die
right hear now if | wished, If you have
any mortal interest in the matter IN dc
II, and show you that what say is true
! | don't mind much, you know, although
/ have fixed on April 30 as the limit Il
woudn { matter bit for me to go off
now if it would be of any interest to you.
al beg you, said Robbins, very much
alarmed, mot to try any experiments on
my account. am quite willing to believe
anything you say about the matter-oi
/ course you ought to know.
eyes, | do know, " answered the Living
Skeleton, sadly. "Of course, ! have had
my struggle with hope and fear, but that is
ali past now, as GU may well understand
/ The reason that have fixed the date for
/ the 30lh of April is tnis You see ! have
only a certain amount Of money! do moi
know why should make any secret of il
Il have exactly 240 francs to-day, over
and above the 100 francs which have sci
aside for another purpose. am paying
francs day at the Golden Dragon; that
you see will keep NE exactly thirty days
ard then ! intend TO die. "
The Skeleton laughed again, without q
4 sound, and Robbins moved uneasily on the
seat.
at don't see, " be said finally, what there
is TO laugh about in that condition OF af-
! fairs.
Don't you?" said the Skeleton. We'll
| don't suppose there is very much; but
there is something else that consider very
llsughable, and that will tell you if you
will keep it secret You see, the old
/ Golden Dragon himself always call ouI
innkeeper the Golden Dragon, just as you
call me the Living skeleton.
"0h, beg your pardon, said Robbins
stammering,
"Oh. it doesn' matter at all. You are
perfectly right, and consider it very APP
term. Wei, the Golden Dragon makes q
great deal Of bis money by robblng tn,
dead. You didn't know that, did you
You thought it was the living that sup
ported him, and goodness knows be rob
them when be has a chance. Well, yCi
are very much mistaken. When a mar
dies in the Golden Dragon he, OK hi
friends, rather, have to pay very ssweeiii
for it. The Dragon charges them for re
furnishing TIE room. Every stick Of fur
niture il charged for. ali the wall paper
and SO on. suppose il is right to charg
something, bat the Dragon Is not conteni
with what il right He knows be has los
a customer, and so be makes all he can GU
of him. The furniture SO paid for Is no