Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-02-04


battered and hopeful nom the fact
that Barbara had sent for him.
allavo sou changed yourmind, Bar
bara he asked
"Nu aud ! shall not until / know
that YOU can do a really brave thing
"What shall it boi swear TO sat
isly You, Barbara "
III have a proposal TO make to you.
. Ny pian requires skill as we'll as
courage" "
"Tell MOI
"Well. in this house is man watch
INK by corpse. He has sworn not
/ TO leave his post until morning Ii
you can make him do il, | shall be
satisfied that you are as smart, and as
brave as | require a husband Of mine
I to be
"Why, nothing is so easy" eXclaim'
ed Fritz, 81 can scare him away,
1 Furnish me with a sheet, show me into
the room, and go to your rest, Barba-
ra. You shall find me at the post in
the morning
Barbara did rs required, and saw
the tanner stop blithely away in bis
task. 1t was then nearly twelve
o'clock, aud she sought her own cham
Der quickly.
Barney was sitting at his vigil, and
so far, all had been well. The night
seemed very long, for he had nc
means Of counting the time. AT
times a thrill went through him, tor
it seemed as if he could hear low,
suppressed breathing not far away
but he pursuaded himself that it was
the wind blowing through the crew
ces of the old house Still, it was
very lonely, and not at all cheerful.
The face in the coffin cleaned whi
ter through the darkness. The rati
squeal1ed as if a famine were upor
: them and they smelled dead flesh
Tho thought made him shudder HC
- rot up and walked about, and some
thing made slight noise as if some
body was behind him, and he put his
B.. chair against the wall, and sat dowr
9 again. lie had been hard at work al
day, and at last, in spite Of everything
he grew sleepy-fnally nodded anC
0 snored.
{ Suddenly it seemed as if somebody
: had touched him. He awoke with {
start, and saw nobody near, though il
r the centre Of the room stood white
figure.
t Course you, get out of this p hc
exclaimed in fright, using the frs
8 word that came to bis tongue.
The figure held up its right arm anC
. slowly approached him. lie started
to his feet. The spectre came nearer
nearly pressing him into the corner
] "The d-l take you p cred Barney
. in his extremity.
, Involuntarily he stepped back, still
q the figure advanced, coming nearer
and nearer, and extending both arms
( as if to take him in a ghastly embrace
: The hair started up on Barneys head
he grew desperate, and just as The
cleaning arms would have touched
G him, he fell upon the ghost like {
; whirlwind, tearing off the sheet
humping, pounding, beating anC
kicking, more and more enraged a
. the resistance he met, which told hin
the truth.
As the reader knows, he was big
q and Fritz was little, and while b,
I was pummeling the little tanner un
mercifully. and Fritz was trying il
e vain to get a lunge at Barney's stom
q ach, to take the wind out of him
both. plunging and kicking like horses
they were petrified By hearing voic,
!, cry:
t Take one of your size, Big Bar
ney 70
Looking around, they saw tn
corpse sitting up in his coffin. Tbi
Y was too much. They released eacI
other and sprang for the door
They never knew how they got out
: but they ran home in hot haste pant
/ ing like stays.
=. it was Barbara herself who cam
d and opened the door upon Earnest th
a next morling.
n "It's very earlyj one more littl
n nap" said be turning over in tn
y coffin.
1 So she married him and thougl
v she sent Fritz and Barney invitation
Il to the wedding, they did not appear
Ii they discovered the trick, the,
d kept the knowledge to themselves
d and never willingly faced Barbara
laughing ewes again.