Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-05-29

he has written on his card just the cost of
mattress, sheets, pillows and all that sort
of thing, and the amount comes up to about
nifty francs. ! have put in an envelope a
fifty franc note, and with it the card of the
/ furniture man. have written also in the
letter, telling the old Dragon just what
the things will cost that he needs and
have referred him to the card of the fur
niture man who has given me the figures.
This envelope / have addressed to the
Dragon, and he will find it when / am
dead. This is the joke that old man Death
and myself have put up on the Dragon,
and my only regret is that / shall not be
able to enjoy look at the Dragons coun-
tenance as he reads my last letter to him.
Another sum Of money | have put
away in good hands, where we won't have
chance to get it, for my funeral expenses,
and then you see am through with the
world. have nobody 20 leave that need
worry about, or who would either take
care of me or feel sorry for me If needed
care or sympathy, which do not. So that
is why | laugh, and that is why | come
down and sit on this bench, in the sun
shine, and enjoy the posthumous Joke"
Robbins did not appear TO be able TO see
the humor of the situation quite as strong
iy as the Living Skeleton did. At differ
ent times after that, when they met. he
had offered the Skeleton more money if he
wanted it, so that he might prolong his
life a little, but the Skeleton always re-
fused.
A sort of friendship sprang up between
Robbins and the Living Skeleton--at least,
as much of a friendship as can exist be
tween the living and the dead, for Robbins
was muscular young fellow who did rot
need to live at the Riviera on account Of
his health, but merely because he detested
an English winter Besides this it may
be added, although it is really 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 Toulon. He had invited
the nice girl to 90 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 wheeling of money out of the peoples
pockets, and the nice girl had undertaken
to do part Of the wheedling. She was very
good at it, and she rather prided herself
upon 1t, but then she was very nice girl,
pretty as well, and so people found it very
the day there was to be a ball at the 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 he was back in
time for the ball
well" he said to the nice girl when he
met her, "what luck collecting todayy"
"Oh, the greatest luck" she replied On
Enthusiastically, and who do you think
got the most money fromY"
Il am sure / haven't the slightest idea
that old English duke, he certainly has
money enough"
NO, not from him at all; the very last
person you would expect it from-youz
friend the Living Skeleton"
"WhatW cried Robbins in alarm.
"Oh, found him on the bench where he
usually sits, in the avenue of palms. told
him all about the charity and how use
full it was, and how necessary, and how we
all ought TO give as much as we could 10
ward it, and he smiled and smiled at me in
that curious way Of his. Yes, he said, in
whisper, i believe the charity should be
supported by every one; will give you
eighty francs Now wasn't that very gen
erous Of himi Eighty francs-that was
ten 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 find out what else |
/ have given you. There is more than !
eighty francs there Then after 1 got
home p
But here the nice girl paused when she |
looked at the face OF Robbins, to whom she |
was talking. That face was ghastly pale !
and his eyes were staring at her, but not
seeing her. Eighty francs" he was wills |
pering to himself, and he seemed to be
making mental calculation in subtrac
tion. Then, noticing the nice girls amazed
look at him, he said:
"Did You take the money!"
"Of course l took it," she said. ''why
shouldn't II"
Great heavensr' 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- |
peared from the gathering throng in the |
large room of the hotel, dashed down the |
steps and hurried along the narrow pave |
ment toward the Golden Dragon, The |
was standing in the hallway |
with his hands behind him, n usual atti- /
tude with the Dragon.
Where" gasped Robbins, sis Mr.-Mr." |
and then he remembered he didn't know
the name Where Is the Living Skele-
TOM"
He has gone to his ROOM" answered the
Dragon. ale went early tonight. He
wasn't feeling well, think"
what Is the number of his roomyu