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

the Living skeleton, and probably re-
morse for having thus given him a title
so descriptively accurate caused Robbins
To make friends with the Living Skele-
ton, a man who seemed to have no
friends.
Robbins never forgot their first CONVEX
sation. 1t happened in this way. 1t was
the habit Of the Living Skeleton to leave
his hotel promptly every morning at 10
o'clock if the sun was shining, and to
shuttle rather than to walk down the
gravel street to the avenue of palms.
There, picking out a seat on which the sun
shone, the Living Skeleton would sit down
and seem TO wait patiently for some one
who never came. He wore a shawl
around his neck and a soft cloth cap on his
skull.
Every bone in his face stood out against
the skin, for there seemed to be no flesh
and his clothes hung as loosely on him as
they would have upon a skeleton 1t re-
quired no second glance at the Living
Skeleton to know that the remainder Of his
life was numbered by days or hours, and
not by weeks or months. He didn't seem
10 have energy enough even to read, and
so il was that Robbins sat down one day
on the bench beside him and said sympa-
thetically, II hope you are feeling better
today"
The skeleton turned toward him and
laughed a low, noise1ess and mirthless
laugh for a moment. and then said in
hollow, PARKWAY voice that had no lungs
behind it, II am through with feeling
either better or worse"
"Oh, hope it is not as bad as that, ;" said
Robbins; "the climate is doing you good
down here, is it nots"
Again the Skeleton laughed silently, and
Robbins began to feel uneasy. The Skele
toms eyes were large and bright, and they
fastened themselves upon Robbins in a
way that increased that gentleman's un-
easiness and made him think that perhaps
the Skeleton knew he had so named him.
Il have no more interest in climate"
kafd the Skeleton. II merely seem to live
because have been in the habit of living
for some years; | presume that is it, be-
cause my lungs are entirely gone Why |
can talk or why can breathe is a mystery
to me. You are perfectly certain you hear
met"
"Oh, hear you quite distinctly" said
Robbins.
"Well, IL it wasn't that people tell me
that they can hear me | wouldn't believe
that / am really speaking, because, you
Shakespeare who says something about
when the brains are out the man is deadi
Well, have seen some men who make me
think Shakespeare was wrong in his dag
nosis, but it is generally supposed that
when.the lungs are gone man is dead. To
tell the truth, am dead practically. You
know the Old American story about the
man who walked around to save funeral
expenses well, it isn't quite that way with
me, but / can. appreciate how the man felt
Still ! take a keen interest in life, al
though you might not think so. You see,
/ haven't much time left; am going to
die at s o'clock on the Both of April-s
o'clock at night, not in the morning, Just
after table d'hote is done with"
You're going to whats" cried Robbins
In astonishment.
"rm going to die that day You see,
have got things to such point that | can
die any time ] want to- i could die right
here now If | wished. II you have any
mortal interest in the matter III do it,
and show you that what l say is true |
don't mind much, you know, although l
had fixed on April 30 as the limit. 1t
wouldn't matter bit for me to go off now
II it would be Of any interest to you.''
81 beg YOU" said Robbins, very much
dldIultus lob W Nig any on
my account. ! am quite willing TO believe
anything you say about the matter; of
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 all
past now, as you may well understand
The reason that have fixed the date for
the Both Of April is this: You see have
only certain amount Of money! do not
know why ! should make any secret Of it
Il have exactly 240 francs today, over aud
above the 100 francs which have set aside
for another purpose. | am paying eight
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, without
sound, and Robbins moved uneasily on the
seat
81 don't see" he said finally, what there !
is to laugh about in that condition of af- |
fairs"
Don't your" said the Skeleton. "Well, !
don't suppose there is very much, but [
there is something else which l consider !
very laughable. and that will tell you if |
you will keep IL a secret. You see the old /
Golden Dragon HIMSELF always call our
innkeeper the Golden Dragon, just as you |
call me the Living Skeleton"
ooh, beg your pardon" said Robbins. |
stammeriDg. "p'-
"Oh, it doesn't matter at all. You are |
perfectly right and / think il very apt /
tenn. Well the Golden Dragon makes a
great deal Of his money by robbing the |
dead. You didn't know that, did your /
You thought it was the living who sup
ported him, and goodness knows he robs |
them when he has a chance. Well, you ]
are very much mistaken. When 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. Every stick of furniture is
charged for, all the wallpaper and so on.
suppose it is right TO charge something, |
but the Dragon is not content with what
is right He knows he has lost customer,