Cruel As The Grave

"Heaven save us! There's no mistaking his sex, or identity either,"

gasped Mr. Joe, backing himself away from this diabolical figure until

he was stopped by the wall, from which he cried out, "Here, Jerry, show

the--Enemy--into the gentleman's dressing-room."

The shuddering boy, shaking in every limb, shrank away and merely

pointed out the door of the dressing-room.

Miss Tabby had merely time to raise her hands and eyes in mute appeal to

heaven, before a shoal of new arrivals--"flower girls," "strawberry

girls," "match girls," "morning stars," "evening stars," "springs,"

"summers," "nuns," "bacchantes," etc., claimed her attention; while a

troupe of "brigands," "monks," "troubadours," "clowns," "harlequin,"

"kings," "crusaders," et cætera, demanded the guidance of Mr. Joy.

And after this thicker and faster they came, crowding one group behind

another, until the ushers were nearly demented. When drove after drove

had divided and passed to the right or the left, that is, to the ladies'

or gentlemen's dressing-rooms, and the stream began to slacken a little,

so that they could distinguish individuals, Mr. Joy in turn received

and passed a "puritan preacher," a "cavalier soldier," a "Highlander," a

"knight," a "minstrel," the "vailed prophet," a "Switzer," a "Chinese

mandarin," a "Russian serf," and black, white, and gray, red, yellow,

and blue dominoes, he suddenly exclaimed: "Good Lord deliver us! What's that?"

Miss Tabby, who, to her infinite disgust, had been receiving and passing

any number of "fairies," "fisher girls," "soubrettes," "sultanas,"

et cætera, turned around, and in a quavering voice, inquired: "What's what?"

"Why, that!" shuddered Joe, pointing to a ghastly figure that was

standing quite still, a few paces from where they stood, trembling.

"It's a skeleton! Oh, my goodness! how did ever IT get here?"

"Yes, it is a skeleton! Oh, this is too horrible!" gasped Joe,

shrinking up against the wall. And his female companion clung close to

him.

Meanwhile the "skeleton" stalked towards them.

We, reader, have seen the figure before. But so distinctly was the

skeleton of the human body painted in white upon that tight-fitting

black suit, that the illusion was perfect; and the wonder was not great

that the two poor ignorant servants trembled and gasped, and shrank

back.

"Why, if you were not afraid of the Devil, why should you shrink from

Death?" demanded the stranger: "Grinning horribly a ghastly smile."

"I--was not--afraid; only it gives one such a turn!" replied Joe, with

chattering teeth.

"Then direct me to a dressing-room," ordered the stranger.

"But--are you--a gentleman's skeleton, or a lady's?" gasped Joe.

"I am neither. I am Death," curtly replied the stranger.

"Lord save us!" ejaculated Miss Tabby.

"Are you going to direct me to a dressing-room?"

"Yes, sure, as soon as I know what sort of a one you want. Are you a

gentleman's death, or a lady's?" faltered Joe, who could by no means

command his nerves.