'Uttermost Farthing' Summary

Humphrey Challoner, a solitary man obsessed with the study of skeletal anomalies, spends his life amassing a unique collection for his private museum. His collection features an assortment of mammals exhibiting unusual skeletal features, alongside an unsettling collection of 24 human skeletons, all perfectly normal. His friend, Dr. Wharton, a compassionate physician, finds Challoner's obsession peculiar but remains a devoted companion, caring for him in his final days. Upon Challoner's death, Wharton inherits the museum and the intriguing collection. As Wharton delves into the museum's contents, he stumbles upon a haunting secret that binds the collection together. The skeletons, he discovers, are not just random specimens but hold a chilling connection to a series of unexplained deaths that plagued the area. Challoner's meticulous collection is revealed to be a macabre record of his investigation into the mysteries surrounding these deaths, leaving Wharton with a chilling realization of the darker side of his friend's passion and the unsettling truth behind the seemingly normal skeletons. The story unfolds through Wharton's perspective, revealing the eerie details of Challoner's investigations and the chilling discoveries that unravel the enigma of his museum and its unsettling contents.