The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1903-04-16


dim!y make out sort of transparent
gelatinous covering to his skeleton, but
not we'll enough to tell one feature
from another. The people in the other
rooms, those passing in the street, even
the animals which went by, were all
skeletons to me, and skeletons only.
Neither could I distinguish colors; the
world was all black, or rather drab,
and white to me.
1T was days before I could really
convince the doctor that this was SO,
days filled with every conceivable test
his ingenuity could devise; days when
first 1 fretted and chafed continually
about my condition; days passed in
longing fer the blessed night to come
and shut out in it's friendly darkness
all the gruesome sights which torment
ed me from my eyes, but as the time
dragged on l became more and more
reconciled, as I grew more accustomed
to the society Of skeleton-filled world.
And then came day when great
happiness was mine.
"'Well, old chap said the doctor,
throwing himself disgustedlt into a
chair Mt last, 4 must believe you; it's
beyond my mans comprehension; but
t must believe you. It's unnatural and
unscientifc and absolutely idiotic, but
the only guess I cail make at an expla-
nation is that that swipe you got across
your eyes has in some mysterious way
altered the retina or optic nerve SO
that they, OF one of then1 is sensitive
to what are known as the Y rays, to
the exclusion of the ordinary rays. We
know next to nothing about these y
rays, but all the tests I've been able
to make seem to support this theory:
You had better get leave aid pull out
for the States as soon as YOU can, and
consult specialist, 1 can't help you
any, and It must be q dreadful condi-
ton TO be in
"'Oh, it's not so bad, after all,' re-
piled reassuringly. You see; while
you've been testing and tinkering
around learning to believe what was
perfectly true all the time, I've been
getting used to things as they are, and
there are some consultations 1 find: I
can feel, and taste, and hear, and
smell just hs we'll as ever: Ny eye
sight is the only thing abnormal about
me, and I've got used to skeletons by
now. They're not nearly rs repulsive
as YOU might suppose; quite the con-
trary in some cases: I've learned to
tell you and ali the rest of the fellows
Who drop in here apart by your bones;
they're quite as individual as your
faces and 4 lot handsomer sometimes,
and I've learned to move around with
out falling over things with d little
care, and-and, as was saying, some
skeletons have beauties Of their own.
For instance, there's a dainty little
one comes in here every day to
straighten up the room that's-that's
just delicious. I believe I'm head over
heels in love with it, though I've never
spoken word to it. So that I don't
know that I'm so awfully keen to be
cured, after ALL
"'What?' yelled the doctor, begin
ming to grin.
"T mean every word Of IT, said,
doggedly. oh, doctor, you can't real
ize what d lovely, enchanting, tantaliz'
ing little skeleton it is. All the bones
are simply ravishing IN their perfec.
ton, and every joint works with a
smoothness and ease that are really a
poem. Why, compared with the great
coarse, clumsy bones you fellows
clump around with, all Jumps and
twists and gnarls Of cartilage, hers
for it surely is woman, are like inc
most delicate carving, an exquisite
etching, or the filmiest cobweb ossified
If only you could see it, doctor. could
only see the gentle sweep Of the collar
bone, the sweet curve Of the ribs, the
tender lines of the arm bones, the deli
cate tracery of the leg bones, you
wouldn't sit there grinning like q
Cheshire cat. I've lain here day aftel
day and watched that luscious little
skeleton move about the room Will
such grace, so perfect in form, so raw
ishingly beautiful in its matchless sym
metry, until I know those fragile little
finger bones have stolen into my
breast and are forever clinched around
nv heart. Who is she, doctor? Tel
men'
"The doctor burst into a grea
guffaw of hoarse laughter, rocking
himself back and forth where he sat.
"'Tell me who she is, doctor; tell mt
who she is, for the love of Heaven!
implored.
Again the doctor roared with laugh
ter.
"AIy temper never was of the mos
patient. and being treated in such al
important matter with such ill-tlmet
levity made it boil.
""There's nothing to laugh at, yo'
hec-hawing ass 1 growled. If yo'
could only sec those delightful bones
if you could only realize that adorabl
skull, if YOU could for minute imagin
such huggable, kissable, caressabl
little skeleton you wouldn't roll aroun'
there spluttering and splitting like
gibberins ape
again the doctor shouted wit
laughter, and my temper gave way en-
tirelE.
"'Stop it, you grinning baboon'
shouted, sprinsing on him, and windin
my fingers about his throat with all m
fury in my grip. Stop it, say: Te
me who she is, or, by Heaven, Ill tea
it from you"'
"J.et 90, you fool, you're chokin
mo" gasped the doctor, yainl