Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1891-07-16
BARBARA'S SEVERE TEST

w ny are you SO STUBBORN, BarDaraf
she asked. "You have plenty of lovers. F."
'I want when marry, man who is
brave, equal to any emergency. If /
give up my liberty want to be taken
care Of"
"Silly childi What is the matter with
big Barney, the blacksmith"
''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
gunsmith?'
'He's as placid as goats milk"
"There is little Fritz, the tanner; he is
quarrelsome 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"
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, ''Pye been
thinking of what you said the other
J uiS5lb NueA you were utIe.
''Well, Barbara
II want to test you"
"How?"
II want to see if you dare do very
disagreeable thing"
"What is it?"
''There is an old coffin upstairs. 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 week, and
it was finally taken from the tomb. tt
is upstairs 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 coffin your bed to-
night?"
Ernest laughed.
SIS that all2 | will that, and sleep
soundly. Why, pretty one, did you
think | had weak nervesg'
"Good night, then, 1 will send lad
to show you the chamber" said imperi-
Gus Miss Barbara
Ernest turned straightway and fol-
lowed the lad in waiting through 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 eYi-
IDENTIFY wanted to hurry away, but Err
nest 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 re-
cesses, with high windows in them,
| which were barred across. He remem-
bered that old Grandsire Ferros had been
insane for several years before his death,
SO this precaution had been necessary
for the safety of himself and others. In
the center of the room stood coffin, be-
side it was placed a chair. The room
was otherwise perfectly empty.
Ernest stretched himself in the coffin.
'Be good enough to tell Miss Barbara
that it's 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 i'll the keeping room.
Barney" said she pulling her hands
from his grasp when he would have
kissed her, II have test to put you
through before give you any answer.
There is corpse lying in the chamber
where my grandsire died, in the unten-
anted 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 again in vain.
"Are these all the conditions you can
offer me, Barbara"
"All. And if you get frightened you
need never look me in the face again"
"Tll 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 corpse. He took his
seat, and the boy left him alone with the
darkness, the 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, Bar
bara" he asked.
you can do really brave thing"
"What shall it be? swear to satisfy
you, Barbara"
II have little proposal to make to
you. Ny plan requires skill as well as
courage
ssTell 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 shall be satisfied that you
are as smart and as brave as require
husband to be-"
"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"
Barbara did as required and saw the
tanner step blithely away to his task. 1t
was then nearly - o'clock and she sought
her own chamber.
Barney was sitting at his vigil and SO
far all had been well.
The face in the coffin CLEANED winter
through the darkness. The rats squeaked
as If famine were upon them and they
smelled dead flesh. The thought made
him shudder. He got up and walked
about, but something made a digit
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 it seemed as if somebody
had touched him. He awoke with q
start and saw nobody near, though in
the center of the room stood white
figure.
Course you, get out of this" he ex-
claimed in a 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,
pressing him into the corner.
ssThe ID take you'll" 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 q ghostly embrace The
hair started up on Barney's head; he
nrAuz dnanAratn ard inst tho niaasn-