The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-08-05
A SEVERE TEST.

n SENEhE ES l.
Pretty Barbara Ferros would not mar
~, and her mother was in great conster-
nation.
& Why are you so stubborn, Barbara ?'
she asked. You have plenty of low
ers."
az want, when marry, a man who is
brave, equal to any emergency. If 1
give up my liberty want to be taken
care of"
Silly child 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 gun
smith ?'
Hes as placid as goats milk"
There is little Fritz, the tanner he
is quarrelsome enough for you, most
surely ?"
He is no bigger than bantam cock.
It is little he could do if the house was
set upon by robbers"
That night Ernest, the gunsmith, came
early to 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, " I've been
thinking of what you said the other night
when you were here"
Well, Barbara ?"
want TO test you"
"How ?'
81 want to see if you dare do very
disagreeable thing"
"What is sit?"
There is an old coffin up stairs /; it smells
of mold. They say Redmond, the mur-
derer, was buried in it but the devil
came for his body at the end of a week,
and it was finally taken from the tomb.
1t is up stairs in the room my grandfath-
er 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 tonight ?"
Ernest laughed
Is that all l will that, and sleep
soundly. Why, pretty one, did you think
/ had weak nerves ,"
GOOD night, then will send a lad
to show you the chamber, said imperi-
Gus Miss Barbara.
Ernest turned straightway and follow
ed 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 evidently he
wanted to hurry away, but Ernest made
him wait until he had taken survey oi
the room by the aid of his lamp.s 1t wa:
very large and full of recesses, with high
windows in them, which were barred
across He remembered that old Grand
sire Ferros had been insane for severa
years before his death, so this precautior
had been necessary for the safety of him
self and others. In the centre of the room
stood coffin; beside it was placed a
chair the room was otherwiselperfectly
empty.
Ernest stretched himself in the cof
fin.
Be good enough to tell Miss Barbara
that it's good fit" said.he.
The boy went out and shut the door
leaving the younggunsmith alone in the
dark.
Meanwhile Barbara was talking with
the big blacksmith in the keeping room,
Barney" said she, pulling her hands
from his grasp when he would have kiss
ed her, have a test to put you through
before give you any answer. There Is
corpse lying in the room where my
grandsire died, 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 again in vain"
Are these all the conditions you can
offer me, Barbara ?''
"All. And ifyou get frightened yor
need never look me in the face again"
all 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 Er
nests placid face as if lay in the coffin
was interpreted by Barney to he natural
awe of a 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, fiattered ond hopeful, from th'
fact that Barbara had sent for him.
"Have you changed your mind, Barba
ra?" he asked.
a No, and 1 shall not until know yot
can do a really brave thing"
"what shall it be swear to satisfy
you, Barbara"
have little proposal TO make u
you. My plan requires skill, as well a
courage"
"Tell me-"
"Well. in this house is a man watch
ing by corpse. He has sworn not L
leave his post till morning. If you cal
make him do il / shall be satisfied ths
You are as smart and as brave as l requir