Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1871-08-17

marry. Her mother was in conster-
nation.
"Why are you so stubborn, Barbara9
You have plenty of lovers" she said.
"But they don't suit me-" said Bar
bara, coolly toying with her curls be-
fore the mirror.
"Why not ?"
IL want, when marry, man who
is brave-equal to any emergency. If
give up my liberty, want to be tax
en- care Of"
"Silly child What is the matter
with big Barney, the blacksmith ?"
"He is big, but l never learned that
he was brave"
"And you never heard that he was
not. What is the matter with Earn
est, the gunsmithP"
"He's as placid as goats milk"
"That's no sign he is a coward
There is little Fritz, the tanner, he is
quarrelsome enough for you, surely"
"He is no bigger than bantam
chicken. 1t is little he could do if
the house was set upon by robbers"
at is not always strength that wins
fight, girl. 1t takes brains as well
as Drawn. Come, now, Barbara, give
these fellows a fair trial"
Barbara turned her face before the
mirror, letting down her raven tresses
and looping them up. II will, moth
err" she said at last.
That evening Earnest, the gunsmith,
knocked early at the door.
"You sent for me, Barbara" he
said, going to the girl, who stood up
on the hearth, coquettishly warming
one pretty foot and then the other.
"Yes, Earnest, I've been thinking
of what you said the other evening
when you were here"
"Well, Barbara"
Earnest spoke quietly, but his dark
blue eyes flashed, and he looked at her
intently.
IL want to test you"
"How?n
81 want to see if you dare do
very disagreeable thing"
"What is it?'
"There is an old coffin up stairs
1t smells of mould. They say Rec
mond, the murderer, was buried in it
but the devil came for his body, and
left the coffin empty at the end of the
week, and it was finally taken from
the tomb. 1t is up stairs in the room
my grandfather died in, and they say
grandsire does not rest easy in his
grave for some reason, though that l
know nothing about. Dare you make
that your bed tonight ?"
Earnest laughed. us that all9 I
will do that and sleep soundly. Why,
pretty one, did you think had weak
nerves ?"
"Your nerves will have a good proof
if you undertake it. Remember, no
one sleeps in that part of the house."
81 shall sleep the sounder."
"Good night, then. I will send
lad to show you the chamber. If you
stay there all night 1 will marry you,"
said the imperious Miss Barbara.
"You vow it?"
Earnest turned straightway and
followed the lad in waiting through
the dim rooms and passages, up echo
ing stairs, along narrow, damd ways
where rats scuttled before them, to a
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. 1t was
very large and full of recesses, with
high windows in them, which we're
barred across. He remembered that
old grandsire Ferros had been insane
for several years before his death, so
that this precaution had been neces-
sary for the safety of himself and 9TH
ers. In the centre of the room stood
a coffin ; beside it was placed a chair
The room was otherwise quite empty
Earnest stretched himself in the
coffin. "Be kind enough to tell Miss
Barbara that it's good ft," said he
The boy went out and shut the door,
leaving the gunsmith alone in the
dark. Meanwhile Barbara was talk
ing to the blacksmith, in the keeping
room. Barney" said she, pulling
her hands away from his grasp, when
he would have kissed her, AI've test
to put you to before give you my
answer. There is corpse lying in
the chamber where my grandsire died,
in the untenanted wing of the house.