Delta chief., 1883-09-12

DarDara, WIN nou Oh Her pretty neau,
Il will marry you
"You vow itp"
Ernest turned straight away, and fol-
lowed the lad in waiting through dim
rooms and passages, up echoing stairs,
along narrow damp ways, where rats
scuttled before TO low chamber. The
lad looked pale and scared, and evil
dently wanted to hurry away, but Ern-
est made him wait till he took survey
by the aid of his lamp. 1t was very
large and full of recesses which had
been barred across. He remembered
that the old grandsire Ferron had been
insane for several years before his death,
so that this precaution had been neces-
sary for the safety of himself and others.
In the center of the room stood a coffin.
beside il stood chair. The room was
otherwise perfectly empty.
Ernest stretched himself out in the
coffin.
BE kind enough to tell Miss Barbara
it is very good fit" he said.
The boy went out and shut the door.
leaving the young gunsmith alone in the
dark
Meantime Barbara was talking with
the big black smith in the sitting-room.
Barney" said she, pulling her hand
away from his grasp, 1--we a test to put
you TO before / give you an answer.
There is a corpse lying in the chamber
where my grandsire died, in the en-
chanted wing of the house. If you dare
sit with it all night a, let nothing drive
you away from your lost, you will not
ask me again in vain.
you will give me light and bottle
- hook 20 ra.I9''
Nothing"
Are these all the conditions YOU can
offer me, Barbara
.All. And if you are frightened you
need never look me in the face again.
So Barney was conducted TO his post
by the lad. who had been instructed in
the secret, and whose involuntary start
at Ernest's placid face as he lay in the
coffin was attributed by Barney to the
natural awe of "a corpse. He took his
sea, and the boy left him alone with the
darkness, rats and the coffin.
Soon after, young Fritz, the tanner,
arrived. battered and hopeful from the
fact that Barbara had sent for him.
Have You changed your mind. Bar
bara?"
NO: and shall not until | know
that you can do really brave thing"
What shall it be? swear to salts
fy You. Barbara.
II have proposal TO make to You.
Ny plan requires skill as well as cou-
rage.
.'rell me
well. in this house there is n man
watching corpse. He has sworn not
TO leave his post till morning. II you
,aly Ist,, "A I shall 40 salts tal
that YOU are as smart and brave as ! re-
quire husband Ia be-
why. nothing is so easyr' cNclaim-
ed Fritz Il can scare him away. Fur
nish me with sheet, show me the room
and 90 to your rest, Barbara. You
shall find me Mt the post in the morn
ing"
Barbara did as required and saw the
tanner step lightly away to his task. Il;
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 counting the time. At
times a thrill went through him. for /,
seemed as IL he could hear low sup
pressed breathing not far away. He
persuaded himself that il was the wind
blowing through the crcviceS of the old
house. Still ii WAS very lonely and not
AT all cheerful.
The face in the coffin cleaned white
still. The rats sgucaked rs If there was
n famine upon them and they smclled
dead flesh. The thought made him
shuddcr. He got up and walked about,
but something made a noise behind
him, and he put his chair with its back
against the wall and sat down again.
He had been at work all day. and at
last grew sleepy. Finally he nodded
and snorcd.
Suddenly it seemed as If somebody
had touched him. He awokc with n
start. and saw nobody near, though in
the center of the room stood white
figure.
Curse you, get out of this he ex.
claimed, in fright, using the first
words tha; came to his tongue.
The figure held out its arm and slow
IL approached him. He started to his
feet. Tho specter came nearer, press
ing him into the corner.
"Thc mischief take your cried Bar
ncy. in his extremity.
1nvoluntarily he stepped back; still
the figure advanced. coming nearer and
nearer, as IL to take him In n ghostly
embrace. The hair started on Barney's
head; he grew desperate, and just rs
the cleaning arm would have touched
him he fell on the ghost like whirl-
wind. tearing the sheet. humping.
IL.