Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-12-13


meal learned thst the tvo s6xsngex:
were o<&sers trailing horse thief. wh<
h.sd stoisn valuable horss ct ranch
forty miles s.ss and sold il a. Pickett
station and VINO was believed 70 have
come this way.
As sac listened 70 the conversation q
sudden nansless fear came upon her,
making her feel Ill and faint. As soon
a supper Was over she took her shaw
and harrled home.
somehow she was not surprised 10 find
the door opsn- She entered hastily.
Sam Was ia bed. asleep and breathing
sterrorousiy. He had evidently been
drinking. as his clothes were scattered
aboas the door. anu Mat. looking out
the back door. could sse his pony stand
ing patiently where Sam haeu # aim.
waiting for some one 70 come and feed
him.
Mat leaned over the sleeping man and
kissed him gently. her eyes full Of love.
Then she turned to pick up has clothes
and put them away. The trousers were
heavy, and something jingled in one Of
the pockets. lnstinctively Mat thrust
her hand into it and drew il forth, clasp
ing several gold pieces. AS she did so
her eyes opened wide, and she stood rs
II stunned sor time, her heart chilled
with the same strange fear that had
stricken her awhile ago and iinpelled her
To hurry home.
She rushed 10 the bed and shook Sam
roughly. sam! Sam. wake mp" she
almost screamed.
The man turned over and looked at
her stupidity. '.Hlo, M-Alatl Yers, be
We? Girame kiss" he said in . dull tone.
Not tweli We tells mo whar ye done
got these yere things!" Mats voice
sounded broken and shrill.
Sam SAT- up and rubbed his head, look
ing at her in drunken wonder. ..W-w-y,
shen-them thar, honey
She shook him fierceiy and said in q
lower tone-a tone Of earnest force:
'srell me. Sam Toms. whar ye done
got these yere coins! Quick noww
Her tone partially sobered the man,
whose eyes opened wider IS he asked
qusrulously:
What n hell ye 90 all fired fussy
bouts hain't done nothin," and he
laughed in half drunken, half nervous
way.
Sam. whar did 70 git 'emr
He sat dumbly staring At her.
"Sam"-her voice was full Of horror
"did you steal that thar hoss2'
No answer; but Mat saw by his eyes
she had guessed the truth. Slowly the
coins fell from her hand to the floor:
slowly her head bent forward until her |
face touched the pillow. For minutes
she did not move-nor until Sam. who |
had been staring at her wonderingly,
reached out his big hand and laid it |
on her head. Then she sprang
to her feet. her hot eyes glazing and her
form trembling a nth anger and horror.
She did not speak, but fixed her gaze ON
his face for few seconds. He did not
meet her look. and presently she turned
and ran out of the door.
Sam, almost sober now, called after
her, but she did not answer. He got ont
II bed slowly and started to dress him.
'elf. He had almost finished when Mat,
by her father and the two
strangers, returned.
Thar he is-an thar's tn money, /" she
aid, and passed on out through the back
ioor without looking at Sam.
There was . Jail at the crossroads: it
vas primitive affair, but solid and sub
1t was dugout in the side hill,
md had heavy oak door and great steel
hinges and lock. 1t was plenty strong
nough to hold dozen men, all anxious
o eecape-and Sam Toms did not try to
scape. He only sat still in the low,
amp, darksome room and tried to un-
erstand how it all happened.
1t must be drunken dream-but. no.
. was almost sober, and knew where
Q was and how and why he was there.
'ut-he could not understand. Had
lat-was 1t really Mat who had given
i'm mp? There must be some mistake. :
The big, strong man finally began to
salize it all. BE lay down on the bunk
nd cried himself to sleep LIKE child.
1t must have been about o'clock
the morning when some one silently
ltered the house of old Blu Bum. con- {
able. This some one entered by the !
sck door, went stealthily into the room 9
here Bill and his wife slept, rummaxed
bout few minutes, and then emerged c
ON the house. IL was woman. and !
e had something in her band.
Sam Toms was awakened little af- 9
this by rafting, jarring sound.
9 sprang up just ~ the big oaken
'ors swung back and revealed the fig
IS Of a woman and two saddle horses.
II come FIR We, SAM said the woman o
It'll sob. II done bring both ponies q
on clo'es. Les go, Sam; we en- git o
'ost tn rivah befo' mawnin. Gomez n
He clasped her in his arms. and they
ing to each other little while. Then n
at said. more steadily: W
Come, sam. Les 10 ovah & Mexico j.
m meebe we en- try an do better ovah a
ar fe
And they rode forth In the bright. free
'onlight down toward the Rio Graude
nto new and better iife.-R. l..
tchum in Argonaut "
Anecdotes Of General rws~~~