Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-07-26

down TO count his pile. With the pro
ceeds of the sale of the brand in the range,
and the sum received for the drove of
steers, ii figured np thirty eight thousand
dollars. A pretty good live years work
from a start with three hundred So
Matt took the money and put il in the
bank In two seperate deposits, one ordi
nary, the other In special package. The
first was TO the credit of Matt Grisby.
The last was labelled "Depositcd by Matt
Grishy, for George Adams" There was
nineteen thousand 4 dollars in each
deposit.
Then Old Matt went out about town
with all the serenity Of man who has
large balance In bank. lie bought
fine gold watch and chain, and the latter
contrasted quantity enough in Its new
glitter with the rusty hue Of his old cor
duroys. He lowed to stay around day
or two and sort o. git used to this, and
then he would 90 back to Kentucky sand
make his old, blind dying mother com
Portable. lie was going back TO her
after forty years. lie wondered how be
would find her 2 whether she would
know him If her mothers ear could
detect in the voice that had been
hushed to her forty years, the accents Of
her hoy who went away while yet his
cheeks were smooth end red, and his hair
untouched by the irOn-gray of time and
tempest 2 And then he would stop on his
way in Illinois, where Mrs. Adams lived;
and tell her as he could how he had bur
led her boy with his boots on beside the
cattle-trail, and render unto her the
means of comfort for her old age that he
bad died in winning. George Adams had
made no will. None was needed. The
firm of Grisby & Adams had no terms Of
agreement beyond a verbal proposition to
do and a verDal response "I'll do 'er,"
with mutual "shake" and n ''let's
liquor" to bind the bargain. Still old
Matt never dreamed of taking out letters
Of administration nor of probate proceed
ings. lie could divide $4,000 10y two, and
he knew where his dead partners mother
lived. To his rude uncivilized mind was
all the administration that was needed
NJ on the estate of George Adams. So he
sald nothing to nybOdy about the matter.
But Matt was not IL saint. And "A
painted siren who waited to ensnare near
the Kansas City Levee found this out.
The fact was that Matt got on a terrible
bender. Texans frequently do. He drank
champagne. He rode about town in a
hack. lie leased ''for himself and his
friends" whole house Including its fix
ture and Its frail tenanlry as well-and
the rental was exorbitant. This was
very uuseemly behavior in u man of his
age. Then he toyed with the tiger, and
that playful animal bereaved him of many
dollar. One night a youngster said
something which Matt construed into dis
respect TO a girl who was an ing ate of a
certain popular resort. She was one OF
those whom society WASHES its hands Of,
but whose vocation society makes ne
cessary item IN its economy. Society
thinks II is impossible to insult a woman
of this class by any epthet however foul.
| Not so old Matt. He was not civilized.
So he swore that no one in the shape OF
woman should be insulted in his pres
rnce, and, the youngster persisting, old
Matt rebuked him upon the head with
the heavy barrel of his dtagoOn pistol.
Then to avoid prosecution for assault
with intent to kill, Matt prodigally paid
the fellow two thousand dollars TO "settlC
it," This spree lasted two weeks, closing
up with a protractcd and desperate en-
counter with iaro-bank, aud old Matt,
little fortune of nineteen thousand dol
lars was gone where all the other it'll,
iOfluut uG uhh llliht llhu Iitftuth IT,
Matt had bet his last white chip ant
eot up and walked away from the table
He went ever and sat down on the win
dow sill, folded his arms, and bent hi
head forward on his breast. But he die
not murmur. A gentlemenly "capper'
approached him and asked him to take O
drink. Tkey went up to the sidebOard
and while they stood there the latter said
] fsV..,t -, In Haviliah had 1uaL -
"Yen," said Matt.
"How much are you loser ~
"Flat broke" said Matt.
But the fellow seemed to know al
about Matt's affairs. "1he devil you are,
he said how eau a man be ilat brOk
when ne has twenty thousand to his credi
in the bank :"
"'Spose II h'longs 10 somebody else ?
quclird old Matt, cycling the fellow ca
Tiouslv.
Well, what's to hinder you taking
} couple of thousand out Of il and payinl
your losses back again ~
"Thar's id sight TO hendcr."
; Whatl You might keep il all 70
that matter, aud nobody'd be the wise
for it."
" You reckln 2"
] "Why, of course why not -
Matt slowly straightened up to his ful
, height, rested his two hands on his hip
, and looked the fellow square in the eye
while his own gllttered with ugly sparklcs
"f'll tell you why not" he auswerc
= huskily; that money b'lOngs to an oil
widder over in IliiLoy leastways tn
2 boy that Il b'longed to b'longed to her
and reckon she needs itpoweifully, MOI
he's gone"
"What of that :"
7 Look here, mister, ! reckin yo
e don't know me, do youi You advise M
g TO rob poor old widder and a couple c
. little gals, jist because things is so sit
D waited thut kin do II aud not git haule
c upl DO You take me for that sort Of
+ man Now eff you do, why all lve g'
to say is, jist pull yer iron and step u
c steps, for nobody ever called me thi'
G before Aud I'll be ID ef you she
S do it aud git away !"
f Old Matt's Indignation fairly blaze'
,, The fellow skunk away apologizing an
{ laughing, but glad to change both u
# subject snd the customer.
j.. Then Matt walked out and went avs
= to his hotel The next morning he g
v up and the first thing he did was to
S aud send niueteen thousand dollars, |
G express, to George Adams old mothe
e in Illinois. Then he sat down and wro
IS in his cramped, rough scrawl, leltc
" telling Mrs. Adams how her boy slept
.e his shroudless sepulchre by the cattl
a trail, and that he had sent her what ht
,r belonged TO him, with the charges pal
IS This is all | can do, he wrSte at u
z close "I wish | could send your b.
Is along with it, but l can't. But II II
le any satisfaction to you to know 1t, Il
y, dear madam, he died as game as ey
was"
When lie had mailed that letter,
thought of his own mother, lingcri
"a through her last years In old kentue
X "I can't 20 to her now," be said to hi
ie self. "'cause I'm broke Pll 20 back
10 the range and see ei can't make anotl
- raise. Mebbe God III spare the old la
le a few years longer, and Ill git to see
{ once more after ALL" Then he drew
"a sleeve of his coat across his eyes a
, turned away to 20 down to the stO
" wards, and see If he couldn't strike son
10 thing in the way of a job. He sold
" new watch to pay his hotel bill, aud tn
lh started back TO the old cattle-trail aga
le and that was the end of five years ha
~ patient work.
y, With nineteen thousand dollars OF
" Widows money iu his hands, old Nj
= Grlgsby had been Flat Broke.
iTs But then, he was only Texas Cat
ns man.
ed Force OF Imagination.
'S -, Al large dinner party once, the p
" Rogers was speaking Of the inconv
u r suHtstI nj Z