Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1872-09-05
Three brave men.

coolly tying her carls before the mirror.
''Why not?" u rtlI 9)Hlsel .aIygaea
81 want, when l marry, man who is
braye,squal t2 any emergency, II ! give
''Silly child! What is the matter with Big
Barney. the blacksmith" f 4.tl4r
''He is big, but | never learned that he was
brave" rss
And you never heard he was not What
is the matter with Ernest, the gun.smith?"
lies as placid as goats milk.
That is no sign he is a coward. There is
little Fritz, the tanner. he is quarrelsome
enough foryou, surely" s'7'
.'He Is no bigger than bantam cock. 1t
is little he could do if the house was set upon
by robbers" ss4.4.
''It's not always strength that wins the
fight, girl. 1t takes brain as well as Drawn.
Come, now, Barbara. give these fellows a
fair trial." /.
Barbara turned her face before the mirror,
letting down one raven lock, and hooking up
another. Il will, mother" said she at last.
That evening Ernest, the gun-smith, knock
ed at the door.
.t'You sent for me, Barbara?" he asked,
going to the girl, who stood upon the hearth,
coqucttishly warming one foot and then the
other. ~' yH3 BsU H
"Yes, Ernest" she replied. ''Tvc been
thinking Of what you said the other night
when you were here"
''Well, Barbara?"
Ernest spoke quietly, but his dark blue eyes
flashed, and he looked at her intently.
II want to test you"
How"
Il want to see if you dare do disagreea-
bic thing a7@ slI @
s.What is it?'' #H #
s'There is an old coffin up stairs. II smells
of mold. They say Redmund, the murderer,
- A. u
body, and left the coffin empty at the end of
IA week, and it was finally taken from the
tomb. 1t is up stairs in the room my grand
father died in, and they say grandsire does
not rest easy in his grave, for some reason
though that | know nothing about. Dare you
make that your bed tonight"
Ernest laughed. lis that all? ! win do
| that, and sleep. soundly.. Why, pretty one,
did you think had weak nerves."
''Iour nerves will have a good proof
if you undertake it. Remember, no one
sleeps in that wing of the house.
| RI Il shall sleep the sounder."
Good night, then. will send you q lad
to show you to your chamber Ii you stay
there until, morning" said the imperious Bar
bara, with nod OF her pretty head, F." will
.sYou vow iig'' 1.'@f
81 VOW 1t s.tfs@ 4ts6f#'#Gi at
Ernest turned straigLtway and followed the
lad i'll waiting through dim rooms and pas
sageS, mp cchoing stairs, along narrow, damp
ways, where rats scuttled before them, to a
low chamber The boy looked pale and
scared, and evidently wanted to hurry away,
but Ernest made him stay until lie took Il
survey of the room by the aid Of his lamp.
1t was very large and tull of recesses, with
high windows in them, which barred across.
tIe remembered that old grandsire Ferros had
hnp pp pra hnfn cp
that this precaution had been necessary for
the safety of himself and others. In the
centre Of the room stood IL coffin: beside it
was placed IL chair. The room was other
wise perfectly empty.
Ernest stretched himself in the coffin. "Be
kind enough to tell Miss Barbara that it's
good fit, said he. The boy went out and
shut the door, leaving the gunsmith alone in
the dark. -,.t..n....
Meanwhile Barbara was talking with the
blacksmith in the keeping room. i
'Barney, said she, pulling her hands away
from his grasp when he would have kissed
her, .Ive test to put you to before give
you my answer. There is a corpse lying in
The chamber where my grandsire dicd-lying
in the untenanted wing of the house. If you
dare sit with it there all night, and let moth
| ing drive you from your post, you will not
ask me to marry you in vain. - ~
''You will give light and bottle of wine,
and book to readT'.s .- a,i
Nothing" ~
"Are these all the conditions you can offer
me, Barbara?"
''All. And if you get frightened you need
| never look me in the face. !"
| an take them, then"
So Barney was conducted to his post by the
/ laG who had been instructed in the secret,
id whose voluntary stare at Emest's placid
race, rs ii lay in the coffin, was like corpse
! lie taos, his seat, and the boy left him alone
/ wnh Tie uur!.ncss, rats and the coffin.
/ Soon after young Fritz, the tanner, arrived,
| ilaticrcd and hopeful, from the fact that Bar
/ barl had sent for him. Have you changed
your mind, Barhara:" he asked.
'!Ne. / shall not until | know that You can
! do 4 really brave thing"
! ''What shall II be? lswear | shall satisfy
/ you, Barbara"
Il have a proposal to You. My plan re-
! quircs skill as we'll rs courage"
| ''Tell me.
''Well, in this house there is man watch
/ ing corpse. lie has sworn not to leave his
post until morning, If you can make him
do it, ! shall be satisfied that you are as smart
and as brave Il, Irequire husband to be"
f''Why, nothing is so easy!" exclaimed
Fritz. Il can scare him away Furnish me
! with sheet, Barbara. You viii find me al
| the post in the morning"
! Barbara did as he required, and saw the
tanner step blitiiely away at his task Il
was then nearly twelve o'clock, and she
sought her own chamber. m
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