The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-12-18
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I.fWhy are you SO stubborn, Bar
barap" she asked, you have plenty
Of lovers, / know" e s5i6d9 GIsku !
t.But they do not suit me, y said
Barbara, eoolly, tying back her curls
t.Why not?" 4 II gssasjGl 4 i.fis.y
ST want, when I marry, a man who
.is brave, equal to any emergency. IF
I give up my (, liberty, sa I want to be
taken care off, yitu,e oo.o.;-J sasa Is
''Silly ohildl what,tis thematter
with big Barney, the biacksmith?"- g. :,
''He' is big, but I never learned
thass he gee hrave.n
Sand you never heard that he was
not. What is the matter, with Ear
nest, the gunsmith ?n0,'sae
'.He's as placid as goats milk?"
'"That is no sign that he is q
coward. There is little Fritz, the
tanner, he is quarrelsome enough for
you, surely?" Eiea5 % :
HE is no bigger than a bantam
cock. 1t is little he could do if the
house was set upon by robbersp"
cts not always strength that wins
a fight, my girl. It takes brains as
well as Drawn. Come, now, Barbara,
give these young fellows fair trial"
Barbara turned her face before the
mirror, letting down one raven tress
and looping up another. r iii
ttIwill, mother" said she at last.
That evening, Earnest, the gun
smith, knocked early at the door.
''You sent for me, Barbara2" he
said, going to the girl, who stood
upon the hearth, coquettishly warm
ing one pretty foot and then the
other. .,a'i
eyes, Earnest" she ereplied. 'I've
been thinking OF what you said the
other night when you were here"
'sWell, Barbara" ,7e
Earnest spoke quietly. but his dark
blue eyes flashed, and he looked at
her intently..
t'I want to test you"
'tHow?", r'0.I :, ,l-l-.
'I want to see if you dare do
very disagreeable thing"
''What is it?' .d
'There is an old coffin up stairs.
It smells Of mold. They say Red
mond, the murderer. was buried in
it; bnt the devil came for his body
and left the coffin empty at the end
of week; and it was finally taken
from the tomb. It is up stairs in the
room my grand-sire died in, and they
say grand-sire does not rest easy in
his grave for some reasen, though
that I know nothing about. Dare
you make that coffin your bed to-
nlgntf -sslEst - :: 4
Earnest laughed. - - ~
els that all? I will that, and sleep
soundly. Why, pretty one, did you
think / had weak nervesP"
"Your nerves will have good proof
if you undertake it. Remember, no
one sleeps in that wing of the house."
81 shall sleep the sounder. I will
send a lad to show you the chamber.
If You stay until morning." said i'm
perions Miss Barbara, with q nod of
her pretty head, "I will marry YOU"
"You VOW it?"
Earnest turned straightway and
followed the lad in waiting through
dim rooms and passages, up echoing
stairs, along narrow, damp ways,
where rats scatter before them, to q
low chamber. The boy looked pale
and scared, and evidently wanted to
hurry away; but Earnest made him
wait until he took survey of the
room by the aid of his lamp. It was
very large and full of recesses, with
high windows in them, which were
barred across. He remembered that
old Grand-sire Ferros had been in
sane several years before his death,
80 that this precaution had been me-
cessary for the safety of himself and
others. In the centre of the room
stood coffin ), beside it was placed
chair. The room was otherwise per-
fectly empty. 49,,
Earnest stretched himself in the
coffin.
"Be kind enough to tell Miss Bar
bara that it's very good ft," he
said. -
The boy went out and shut the
door, leaving the young gunsmith
alone in the dark.
Meanwhile, Barbara was talking
with the big blacksmith in the keep
ing-room.
Barney" said she, pulling her
hands away from his grasp, when he
would have kissed her, GIVE test
to put to you before I give you any
answer. There is o corpse lying in