Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-08-29
THREE BRAVE MEN.

He is big, but never learned that he
was brave"
"And you never heard he was not
What is the matter with Ernest, the gun
smith ?"
"He's as placid as goats milk"
"Thats NO sign he is coward. There
is little Fritz, the tanner, he is quarrel
some enough for you, surely"
''He is no bigger than a bantam cock.
1t is little he could do if the house was set
upon by robbers"
"It's not always strength that wins
fight, girl. 1t takes brain as well as Drawn.
Come now, Barbara, give these fellows
fair trial"
Barbara turned her face before the mir
ror, letting down one raven tress, and
hooking up another. II will, mother"
said she at last.
That evening Ernest, the gunsmith,
knocked at the door.
You sent for me, Barbara?" he asked,
going to the girl, who stood upon the
hearth coquettishly warming one foot and
then the other.
eyes, Ernest" she replied, 'I've been
thinking of what you said the other night
when you were here"
"Well, Barbara?"
Ernest spoke quietly, but his dark
blue eye flashed, and he looked at her in
tently.
81 want to test YOU"
''How?"
81 want to see if you dare do a very
disagreeable thing"
''What is it?"
"There is an old coffin up stairs. 1t
smells of mold. They say Redmond, 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 know nothing about. Dare
you make that your bed to-night?'
Ernest laughed. 'Is that allg / will
do that, and sleep soundly. Why, pretty
one, did you think have weak nerves?"
"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."
'Good night, then. I will send you
lad to show you to your chamber If
you stay there until morning." said the
imperious Barbara, with q nod of her
pretty head, 81 will marry you"
"You VOW it?"
81 VOW it"
Ernest turned straightway and followed
the lad in waiting through the dim rooms
and passages, up echoing stairs, along
narrow, damp ways, where rats scuttled
before them, to low chamber. The boy
looked pale and scared, and evidently
wanted to hurry away, but Ernest made
him stay until he took a survey of the
room by the aid of his lamp 1t 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 crazy several years
before his death, so that this precaution
had been necessary for the safety of him.
self and others. In the center of the room
stood a coffin beside it was placed
chair. The room was otherwise 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.
Meanwhile Barbara was talking with
the blacksmith in the keeping-room.
Barney" said she, pulling her hands
away from his grasp when he would have
kissed her. '1ve test to put to you be-
fore 1 give you my answer. There is a
corpse lying in the chamber where my
grandsire died-lying in the untenanted
wing of the house If you dare sit with
it there all night, and let nothing drive
you from your post, you will not ask me
to marry you in vain"
"You will give me light and bottle
of wine, and book to read?"
Nothing"
care these all the conditions you can
offer me, Barbara ?"
"All. And if you get frightened you
need never look me in the face"
"Pll take them, then"
So Barney was conducted to his post by
the lad who had been instructed in the
secret, and whose voluntary stare at
Earnest's placid face, as it lay in the coffin,
was like a corpse. He took his seat, and
the boy left him alone with the darkness,
rats and the coffin.
Soon after young Fritz, the tanner, ar
rived, fattered and hopeful, from the
fact that Barbara had sent for him.
"Have you changed your mind, Barbara?"
he asked.
''No; shall not until know that you
can do really brave thing"
"What shall it be? l swear l shall sat
isfy you, Barbara"
'I have proposal to you. My plan
requires skill as well as courage"
tTell me-"
"Well, in this house is man watching
corpse He 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 as I require hus-
band to be-"
"Why, nothing is so easyp exclaimed
Fritz. l can scare him away. Furnish
me with a sheet, show me the room, and
go to your rest, Barbara. You will find
me at the post in the morning"
| Barbara did as he required, and saw
the tanner step blithely away at his task.
1t was then nearly twelve o'clock, and
she sought her own chamber.
Barney was sitting at his vigil and so
far all had been well. The night seemed
very long, for he had no means of count
ing the time. At times a thrill went
through him, for it seemed as if he could
hear low, suppressed breathing not fa1
away, but he persuaded himself it was
the wind blowing through the crevices OF
the old house. Still it was lonely, and
not at all cheerful.
The face in the coffin cleaned whittier
through the darkness. The rats squeaked
as if famine were upon them and they
smelled fish. The thought made him
shudder. He got up and walked about,
but something made a slight noise, as il
somebody was behind him, and he put his
chair with the back against the wall, and
sat down again. He had been hard al
work all day, and in spite of everything
he grew sleepy. Finally he nodded and
snored.
Suddenly it seemed as if somebody ha6
touched him. He awoke with start, anG
saw nobody near, though in the center o.
the room stood white figure. Course
you, get out of thisp' he exclaimed, IL
fright, using the very first words tina
came to his tongue. The figure held VI
its right arm and slowly approached him
He started to his feet. The specter cam'
, nearer, passing him in the corner.
) ''The deuce take your cried Barney
in his extremity.
Involuntarlly he stepped back; and tn
figure advanced, coming nearer and near