The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-12-16


had stolen valuable horse at n ranch
forty miles east and sold it ut Pickett
Station, and who was believed to have
come this way.
AS she listened to the conversation
sudden narnclcss fear came upon her,
making her feel faint and ill. AS soon
rs supper was over she took her shawl
and hurried homo.
Somehow she was not surprised &c
find the door open. She entered hasti.
ly. Sam was in bed asleep and breath.
ing stcctorous ly. He had evidently
been drinking, as his clothes were scat
tered about the floor, and Mat, looking
cut the back door, could sec his pony
standing patiently where Sam had left
him, waiting for some one to come anC
feed him. Mat leaned over the sleep.
ing man and kissed him gently, her
eyes full of love. Then she turned t.
pick up his clothes and put them away.
The trousers were he avy, and some.
thing jinglcd in one of the pockets
Instinctivcly 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 II 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. ''Sami Sam!-wake up!" she
almost scrca med.
The man turned over and looked al
her stupidity. lilo, M-Mat! Yere, be
We? Gimme kiss" he said, in q dull
tone.
Not twell ye tell me whar ye done
got these yere things!' Mats voice
sounded broken and shrill.
Sam sat up and rubbed his head, look
ing ut her in drunken won der. "W-w'y
thcm-them thar, honey?"
She shook him ficrcely, and said, in
lower tohe-n tone of earnest force:
Tell me, Sam Toms, whar ye done
got these yere coins! Quick, now!"
Her tone partially sobcred the man
whose eyes opened wider as he asked
querulously:
What We so ALFRED fussy 'bout2
hain't done notbin." And he laughed
in half-drunkcn, half-nervous way.
Sam! 'ohar did we git emp"
He sat dumbly staring at her.
SAM her voice was full of horror
did you steal that thar hosp"
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 wondc ringly,
reached out his big hand and laid il
caressingly on her head. Then she
sprang to her feet, her hot eyes glazing,
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 go.
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 ut Sam.
There was a Jail Mt the crossroads;
it was primitive affair, but solid and
substantial. 1t was dugout in the
side-hill, and had Il heavy oak door and
great steel hinges and lock- 1t was
plenty strong enough to hold n dozen
men, all anxious to escape-and Sam
Toms did not try to escape. He only
sat still in the low, damp, darksomc
room and tried to understand how il
had all happened. 1t must be n drunk
en- dream-but, no, he was almost
sober, and knew where he was and
how and why he was there. But-hc
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 NIL. He lay down on the
bunk and cried himself to sleep, like
child.
1t must have been about one o'clock
in the morning when some one silently
entered the house of old Bill Bum,
constable. This some one entered by
the back door, went stealthily into the
room where Bill and his wife slept,
rummaged about few minutes, and
then emerged from the house. 1t was
a woman, and she had something in
her hand.
Sam Toms was awakened, n little
after this, by rafting, Earring sound.
He sprang up, just as the big oalscn
doors swung back and revealed the
figures of Il woman and two saddle
horses.
81 come FIR We, Sam" said the wom-
all, with Il sob. 81 done brung both
ponies an on clo'es. Les go, Sam; we
en- git 'crost tn rivah bcfo' mawnin'.
Comet"
He clasped her in his arms, and they
chung to each other Il little while
The II Mat said, more steadily: