The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1893-05-06
BARBARA'S SEVERE TEST

gunsmithY'
"He's ~ placid as goats milk
"There Is little Fritz, the tanner; he IL
quarrelsome enough for you. surelyr'
He is 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.
lyon 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. 1--WE been
thinking Of what you said the other
night when you were here"
"Well. Barbara
u want to test you"
.HowY'
Il want to See If you dare do very
disagreeable thing"
"Whs, is it?''
There is an old coffin upstairs. II
smells Of mold They say Redmond,
the murderer. was buried in il: but the
devil came for his body and left the
coffin empty al the end OF ii week, aud
il WAS finally taken from the tomb. II
is upstairs IN the room my grandfather
died in. and they say grandsire does not
rest easy III his grave for some reason
though that know nothing about
Dare you make that coffin your bed To-
night
Ernest laughed.
lis that ALP will that. and sleep
soundly. Why. pretty one. did you
think | hsd weak nerves.
Good night, then. vii! send "A Lad
10 show you the chamber" said imperi-
GUS Miss Barbara
Ernest turned s,raighiway and fol
/ lowed the lsd in waiting through dim
I rooms and passages. up ecnoing stairs.
along narrow damp ways. where rats
scn,,lei before them. TO n low Guam Der
/ The boy looked pale and scared. and evi
IDENTITY wanted 10 hurry away. but Err
nest made him wait until be had taken a
survey Of the room by the aid Of his
lamp II was very large aud full OF re-
c-sses. with high windows in them.
which were barred across lie remem-
ber@i that Old Grandsirc ferros had been
insane for several years before hts death,
] 81 iscN'nNAS
for the safety Of himself and Others IN
the center Of the room stood a coffin, be.
side /; was placed chair, The room
was otherwise perfectly empty.
Ernest stretched hiInscl. In the coffin
BE good enough TO tell Miss Barbara
tina; it's very good ;ii. said he.
The boy went on, and shut the door,
leaving the young gunsmi;h alone in the
dark
Meanwhile Barbara was talking with
the big blacksmith in the keeping room
Barney" said she pulling her hands
from hts crap when he would have
kissed her. Il have a test 10 put You
through before give you any answer
There is a corpse lying in the chamber
where my grandsirc died, in the un;en'
Mntcd wing q the house, II you dar,
cit with IL there all night. and let moth
ing drive you from your post. you vii
no; ask me 10 marry you again IN vain.
Are these ali the conditions you car
Offer me. Barbara
All And IL You get frightened yo'
need never look the In the face again.
"I'll take them, then"
So Barney was conducted TO his pos
by the lad. who had been instructed i,
the secret. and whose involuntary stan
at Erncsts placid face as i, lay in tht
coffin WAS interpreted by Barney TO b
natural awe Of corpse, He took hi
seat, and the boy left him alone with III
darkness, the rats and the coffin
Soon after young Fritz, the tanner, al
I a., M hn,s.ft,l frn,t, IA. 70,
that Barbara had sen; for him.
Have you changed your mind, Bar
baray' he asked.
mo. and ! shall not until know tina
you can do a really brave thing"
What shall It be- swear to satisf
, you, Barbara"
IL have a little proposal 20 make {
, you. My plan requires skill as well a
courage"
Tell me-"
well, in this house is man watchin
by a corpse, He has sworn not TO lesy
E his post till morning, II YOU can MAX
him do 1t | shall he satisfied that 70
are As smart and as brave as require
7. husband 10 be-"
why. nothing is so easy. exclaime
rrita II can scare him away Furnis
me with sheet. show me the room, an
go to your rest, Barbara You shall in
me at the post in the morning"
Barbara did As required and saw Il
tanner step blithely away to his task.
y was then nearly IL o'clock and she sougl
u her own chamber
Barney was sitting at his vigil and |
far all had been well.
" The face In the coffin CLEANED whit
U through the darkness The rats squeake
"a IL a famine were upon them and the
e smelled dead aesh The thought MAJ
, him shudder. He got up and walxs
V about but solncuanR made sltgt
:, noise, rs If somebody was behind hin
k and he put his chair with its back again
is the wall. and sat down again He hs
|. been hard at work all day, and at las
,s In spite Of everything, he grew sleep,
n Finally he nodded and snored
n Suddenly 1t seemed as II somebod
|. had touched him He awoke with
start and saw nobody near. though
the center Of the room stood a viii
~ figure
= Course you, get out Of this'" he e
III claimed in fright using the first wor,