The record-union., 1891-08-01
HER THREE SUIFORS.

she asked. ''You have plenty OF lovers"
II want, when I marry, man who is
brave-equal TO any emergency. If L
give up my liberty | want to be taken
care Of"
''Silly childl 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 is not.
What is the matter with Ernest, the gun
smith?''
He's as placid as goats milk"
There is little Fritz, the tanner; he is
quarrelsome enough for you, surely"
Hes no bigger than a bantam cock.
It is little he could do if the house was
set upon by robbers
That night Ernest, the gunsmith,
knocked early at the door.
You sent for me. Barbara he said,
going to the girl, who stood upon the
hearth, coquettishly warming one pretty
foot and then the other.
Yes, Ernest" she replied. "rve been
thinking of what you said the other night
when you were here.'
well, Barbara?"
II want to test your
"How?''
II want to see if you dare do a very dis
agreeable thing"
''What is it?''
''There is an old coffin up stairs. It
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 week, ana 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 coffin your bed tonight"
Ernest laughed
rs that all? l will that. and sleep
sound. Why, pretty one, did you think
[ had weak neryes?''
''Good night, then, / will send lad to
show you the chamber said imperious
Miss Barbara.
Ernest turned straightway and followed
the lad, in waiting, through dim rooms
and passages, up echoing stairs, along
narrow, damp ways, where rats scuttled
before them, to q low chamber. The boy
looked pale and scared, and evidently
wanted TO hurry away, but Ernest made
him wait until he had taken 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 We're barred
across. He remembered that old Grand
sire FerrOs had been insane for several
years before his death, so 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 Il
chair. The room was otherwise perfectly
empty.
Ernest stretched himself in the coffin
"Be good enough TO tell Miss Barbara
that it's a very good fit" said he.
The boy went out and shut the door,
leaving the young gunsmith alone in the
dark.
Meanwhile Barbara was talking with
the big blacksmith in the keeping g-room.
Barney" said she, pulling her hands
from his grasp when he would have
kissed her. ''I have a test to put you
through before I give you any answer
There is corpse lying in the chamber
where my grandsire died, in the unten-
anted wing of the house. Ii you dare sit
with it there all night, and let nothing
drive you from your post, you will not
ask me TO marry you again in Vain.'
Are these all the conditions you can
offer me, Barbara?"
'An. And if you get frightened you
need never look me in the face again.
''Ill take them, then"
So, Barney was conducted to his post
by the lad who had been instructed in
the secret, and whose Involuntary stare
at Ernest's placid face, as it lay in the
coffin, was interpreted by Barney to be
natural awe Of a corpse. He took his seat
and the boy left him alone with the dark
ness, the cats and the coffin,
soon after young Fritz, the tanner, ar
rived, flattered and hopeful from the fact
that Barbara had sent for him.
Have you changed your mind, Bar
bara?'' he asked.
''NO; and 1 shall not until / know that
you can do really brave thing"
"What shall it be? I swear to satisfy
you, Barbara
81 have little proposal to make to
courage"
Tell me-"
well, in this house is a man watching
by corpse. He has sworn not to leave
his post till morning, If you can make
him do it l shall be satisfied that you are
as smart and as brave as l require hus-
band to be.n
Why. nothing is SO easy; exclaimed
Fritz. Il can scare him away. Furnish
me with a sheet, show me the room, and
go to your rest, Barbara. You shall find
me at the post in the morning"
tanner step blithely away to his task. 1t
was then nearly II o'clock, and she
sought her own chamber.
Barney was sitting at his vigil, and so
far all had been we'll
The face in the coffin cleaned whittier
through the darkness. The rats squeaked
as if famine were upon them and thew
smelled dead flesh. The thought made
him shudder. He got up and walked
about, but something made slight noise,
as if somebody was behind him, and he
put his chair with its back against the
wall and sat down again. He had been
hard at work all day, and at last, in spite
of everything, he grew sleepy. Finally
he nodded and snored.
Suddenly III scanned If Oahc1v bo5
touched him. He awoke with 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
that came to his tongue
The figure held up its right arm and
slowly approached him. He started to
his feet. The specter came nearer, press
ing him into the corner
THE ID take youp' cried Barney, in
his extremity.
Involuntarily he stepped back; still the
figure advanced, coming nearer and
nearer, and extending both arms. as If to
take him in a CHASTITY embrace. The hair
started up on Barney's head; he grew
desperate, and just as the cleaning arms
would have touched him, he fell upon the
ghost like whirlwind, tearing off the
sheet, humping, pounding, beating and
kicking, more and more enraged at the
resistance he met, which told him the
truth.
As the reader knows, he was big and
Fritz was little; and while he was pun
melting the little tanner unmercifully, and
Fritz was trying in vain to get a lunge
at Barney's stomach, to take the wind
out of him, both plunging and kicking
like horses, they were petrified by hear
ing voice cry
Take one of your size, Big Barneyp'
Looking around they saw the corpse
sitting up in his coffin. This was too
much. They released each other and