The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-12-17


the supper, and during the course of
the meal learned that the two stran gers
were officers trailing horse thief, who
had stolen a valuable horse at a ranch
forty miles east and sold it at Pickett
Station, and who was believed to have
come this way.
As she listened TO the conversation
sudden nameless fear came upon her,
making her feel faint and ill AS soon
as supper was over she took her shawl
and hurried home.
Somehow she was not surprised 70
find the door open. She entered hasti.
ly. Sam was in bed asleep and breath.
ing stertorous ly. He had evidently
been drinking, as his clothes were scat
tered about the floor, and Mat, looking
cut the back door, could see his pony
standing patiently where Sam had left
him, waiting for some one to come and
feed him. Mat leaned over the sleep
ing man and kissed him gently, her
eyes full of love. Then she turned to
pick up his clothes and put them away.
The trousers we're he avy, and some
thing iingled in one of the pockets.
Instinctively Mat thrust her hand into
it and drew it forth clasping several
gold pieces. As she did so her eyes
opened wide and she stood as if stunned
for time, her heart chilled with the
same strange fear that had stricken her
awhile ago and impelied her to hurry
home
She rushed to the bed and shook Sam
roughly. "Sam' Saml-wake upl" she
almost screa med
The man turned over and looked at
her stupidly. "H'lo, M-Matl Yere, be
ye? Gimme kiss" he said, in a dull
tone.
Not twell ye tell me whar We 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,
them-them thar, honey2"
She shook him fiercely, and said, in q
lower tone-a tone of earnest force:
Tell me, Sam Toms, whar ye done
got these yere coinsl Quick, now!"
Her tone partially sobered the man
whose eyes opened wider as he asked,
querulously:
What ye so ALFRED fussy bout?
hain't done nothin'." And he laughed
in half-drunken, half-nervous way
"Saml sOhar did ye git emp"
He sat dumbly staring at her.
''Saml" her voice was full of horror,
'did y0u steal that thar hossP"
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-not until Sam, who
had been staring at her wonde ringly,
reached out his big hand and laid II
caressingly on her head Then she
sprang to her feet, her hot eyes glaring,
and her form trembling with anger and
horror. She did not speak, but fixed
her gaze on his face for few seconds.
He did not meet her look, and present
ly she turned and ran out of the door.
Sam, almost sober now, called after
her, but she did not answer. He got
out of bed slowly and started to dress
himself. He had almost finished, when
Matt, accompanied by her father and
the two strangers, returned,
THAR he is-an' thar's tn money,~
she said, and passed on out through
the back door, without looking at Sam.
There was a jail at the crossroads;
1t was a primitive affair, but solid and
substantial. 1t was a dugout in the
side-hill, and had heavy oak door and
great steel hinges and lock- 1t was
plenty strong enough to hold dozen
men, all anxious to escape-and Sam
Toms did not try to escape He only
sat still in the low, damp, darksome
room and tried to understand how it
had all happened. 1t must be drunk
en- dream-but, no, he was almost
sober, and knew where he was and
how and why he was there. But-he
could not understand. Had Mat-was
it really Mat, who had given him up?
There must be some mistake
The big, strong man finally began to
realize it all. He lay down on the
bunk and cried himself to sleep, like
child.
II rnuet have baav, about ono oyo1ool,