Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1891-12-11
BARBARA'S SEVERE TEST

big Barney, the blacksmithg'
"He is big. but never learned that he
was brave"
"And you never heard that he is NOT.
What is the matter with Ernest, the
gunstnithy'
"He's rs pi I'D rs goats milk"
There Is litt. Fritg, the tanner; he is
quarrels'sn e enough fjr you, surely"
''He j, no bigger than u bantam cock.
1t is little he could do If the house was
Eet upon by robbers"
That night Ernest, tho gunsmith,
knocked carly at the door.
lyon sent for me, Barbara" no said,
going to the girl who stood upon the
hearth coquettishly warming one pretty
foot aud then the other.
"Yes. Ernest, she replied, "Tve been
thinking Of what you said the other
night when you were here"
"Well Barbara
II want to test you"
How"
Il want to see if you dare do a very
disagrecable thing"
"Whatis it,"
''There Is an old coffin upstairs. 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 ut the end Of a week, and
it was finally taken from the tomb. 1t
is upstairs in the room my grandfather
died in, aad they say grandl . does not
rest easy in his grave for some reason,
though that | know nothing about.
Dare you make that coffin your bed to-
night?'
Ernest laughed.
lis hat all? 1 viii that, and sleep
soundly. Why, pretty one, did you
think | had weak ~norvesY'
GOOD night, then, | win send q lad
TO show YOU the chamber" said imperi-
ous Miss Barbara.
Ernest turned straightway and fol-
lowed the lad in waiting through dim
oeul and passages, up echoing stairs,
along &tvDw damp ways, where rats
scuttle1 before them, to a low chamber.
The boy looked pale and scared, and evil
IDENTIFY wanted to hurry away, but Err
ne msi5 him wait until he had taken a
tine room by the aid Of his
very J 70 and full Of re-
Disl M.llows in them,
bard acre lie remem-
u.IGrindaire Ferros had been
ins .ls lor several years before his death,
so tais p|.eclution had been necessary
Tor the s,-c.y Of himself and others. In
the center 81 tine room stood a coffin, be-
side it was placed n 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 tho keeping room.
Barney" said she pulling her hand.
from his grasp when he would have
kissed her, Il have a test to put you
through before | give you any answer
There is a corpse lying in the chamber
where my g%randsire died, in the unten,
united wing Of the house. If you dare
SIT with Ii there alirlght, and let moth
ing drive yon from your post, you vii
pot ask me 10 marry You again in vain.
Ar le-e ali The conditions you car
me. ssraara
Agl & you ret frightened yor
usa Yr na The face again"
en 7en
So w abducted to his post
tae l Hu' sa -ssu instructed IL
DIE and Involuntary stare
pl a.e u.s. 30 lay in the
lu uv Barney to be
q i1e took his
lua a-sle with the
ali TIE coffin.
gpunH tHt1, the tanner, ar
sfei aud hopeful from the fact
ara had sent Tor him.
~ te you changed your mind, Bar.
baray he asked.
.No. and ] shall not until | know that
you Sam do q really brave thing"
"Nhat shall it bes swear to satisfy
you, Darbafa."
Il have q little proposal to make "a
you. Ny plan requires skin as well as
courage"
"Tell me.r
'Well, ia this house is a man watching
by q corpse. He has sworn not 10 leave
hia post TN morning II you can make
him DO Il shall be satisfied that you
are as snaiS and as brave as / require q
husband to be.
"Nhy, nothing is 50 easy" exclaimed
Fritz. can scare him away. Furnish
iae with q sheet, show me the room, and
30 to yourrest, Barbara. Yoh SINH find
me az the post ia the morning"
Barbara did as required and saw the
tanner step blithely away 70 his task. II
was then nearly 70 o'clock and she sought
her own chamber.
Barney was sitting at his Vigil and So
far all had been wall
The face 30 the colin CLEANED whitez
Through the darkness. The rats squeaked
~ ~ a famine were upon them and they
g0elled dead flesh The thought made
Dian shudden To got up and walked