The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1910-11-17
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The Skeleton i'm His Closet
By STACY E. BAKER


nor did Jarvis try TO explain away the
misunderstanding.
Gradually the gosslps In the little
town-and there were many-grew &c.
customed to the new order OF things,
and everybody ceased to interest
themselves in the affairs OF the young
couple.
II was month after this that old
Pollit tho was a portly butcher, own.
ing the meat shop next to the drug
emporium ventured to incorporate
something OF n remark that caught
the youths puzzled interest.
What was that" demanded Jarvis,
ears metaphorically a-cock. Just re-
peat that last sentence"
IL said" came from the butcher.
that that there book I've been read.
ingA DR.. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'-re-
minds me of your doings." He poked
pudgy forennger playfully into the
ribs of the youth.
You'll have to be more explicit"
snapped the drug clerk 81 can't un.
derstand. What are you driving att"
Cant understand eh?" commented
the other, sourly. He was angry at
the tone OF the lad. We'll, | guess
| can put II palmer. all right ! mean
that you tried to play double Just like
that JekyllHyde fellor did Every
evening after you called on the girl
YOU was engaged to. you went straight
to the house of old Doc. Blyly to see
his daughter My wife she seen you
| do II time and again, she did"
The dull red stained the face Of tho
angry butcher. She's the one that
put crimp in you. too. Ethel Muir.
ray is too fine a girl to be galayanting
around with young fellow that she
| thinks thinks a heap Of her. and all
the while he don't but is making her
out n fool by sneaklng away from her
house to call on another girl"
so It was your wife that caused
this trouble between Ethel and me,
was It? Pity she can't learn to attend
to her own affairs, isn't IT."
The butcher, his mind relieved.
stamped heavily out of the drug store.
but he left a knowing youth behind
him. Mrs. Pollit was n gossip monger
| OF some notoriety In the community.
She resided just opposite tho Blyly
home, and now that the tate meat
man had given him his cue. Jarvis
could understand many things.
That evening" his heavy jaws set
firmly and his broad shoulders thrown
deilantly back. the drug clerk mount.
ed the steps to the Murray home and
rang the bell
Ethel answered the summonH. An
angry flush dotted her checks when
she saw who her visitor was, but En-.
DRY ignored these trouble signs, and
pushed by her and into the familiar
parlor
81 am here to explain" began Jar.
Wis. Mrs. Pollets loQuacIous hus.
band has Just told things, and I
think | understand"
81 don't care for explanation" In.
corrupted little Miss Murray formally.
Nevertheless" persisted Jarvis, pa.
tiently, you are about to receive
them. Listen, dear, have never
called on Mile BIyly in my lifc-let
alone after | left here. When you re-.
ferred to the skeleton IN my closet. |
took the phrase literally There is a
skeleton in my closet-a slx.foot skel'
eton OF a man that DIR. Blyly loaned
me to aid me In my studies, because
well, I'm studying medicine with him.
YOU see. don't want to be n drug
clerk all my life. /"
But here his late nancec, face
asmilo, interrupted his sentence In a
very pleasing way.