The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-01-31
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~ az A STORY DEPARTMENT. A


were officers trailing q horse thief, who
mad stolen a valuable horse at q ranch
forty miles east and sold Il at Pickett
station. and who was believed 70 have
come this way.
As she listened 20 the conversation a
sudden nameiess fear came upon her,
making her feel faint and III As soon
as supper was over she took her shawl
and hurried home.
Somehow she was not surprised to
find the door open. She entered hasti-
ly. Sam was In bed asleep and breath
ing s~tertorous ~. He had evidently
been drinking, a. his clothes were scat
tered about the floor. and Mat, looking
cut the back door. could see his pony
standing patiently where Sam Ind left
him. waiting for some M to come and
feed him. Mat leaned over the sleep
ing nan and kissed him gently. her
eyes full Of love. Then she turned to
pick up his clothes and put them away.
The trousers were he avy, and some
thing jlngled in one Of the pockets.
Instinctiyely Mat thrust her hand into
II and drew II forth clasping several
gold pieces As she did 50 her eyes
opened wide and she stood rs II stunned
for a time, her heart chilled with the
same strange fear that had stricken her
awhile ago and impelied her 70 hurry
home.
She rushed to the bed and shook Sam
roughly. SAM Sami-wake upi" she
almost screa med.
The man turned over and looked at
her stupidity. ..n'lo. M-Mati Yerc, be
ye? Gimme kiss" be said, In q dull
tone.
Not twcll ye tell me whar We done
got these yere thingsl" Mats voice
sounded broken and shrilL
Sam sat up and rubbed his head, look
ing at her in drunken wonder. .'W-w'y,
thcm-them thar, honey2"
She shook him ~fiercely. and said, in .
lower toile--a Tone Of earnest force:
Tell me, Sam Toms. whar ye done
got these ycre coinsi Quick, nowr'
Her tone partially sobered the man,
whose eyes opened wider as he asked,
querulously:
what We so ALFRED fussy bout? /
hain't. done nothin'.n And he laughed
in q h~alf-drnnken, half-nervous way.
s.Saml Whar did yc git emp"
He sat dumbly staring at her.
SAM" her voice was full OF horror,
did you steal that thar hoss?"
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 ut her wonderingly,
reached out his big hand and laid it
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 fxed
her gaze on his face for a 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 lot answer. lie 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, withoutlooking at Sam.
There was q Jail at the crossroads;
II was a primitive affair, but solid md
substantial. 1t was a dugout in the
side-hill, and had o heavy oak door and
great steel hinges and lock. 1t was
plenty strong enough TO hold q 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 II
had NIL happened. 1t must be q 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
1t really Mat, who had given him ups
There must be some mistake.
The big, strong man finally began tc
realize ii ally He lay down on the
bunk and cried himself to sleep, like q
child.
II 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 q few minutes, and
then emerged from the house. 1t was
q woman, and she had something in
her hand.
Sam Toms was awakened, a little
after this, by . rattling, EARRING sound.
He sprang up, just rs the big oaken
doors swung back and revealed the
figures 4of a woman and two saddle
horses.
Il come f'r We, SAM said the wom-
an, with a sob. Il done brung both
ponies an ou' clo'es. Les go, Sam; we
en- git 'crost tn rivah befo' mawnin.
Comet"
He claspcd her In his arms, and they
chung to each other a little while,
Then Mat said, more steadily:
Come, Sam. Le'sgo ovah t Mexico
AN mebbe we en- try m do better
ovah thar"
And they rode forth in the bright,
free moonlight down towards the Rio
G~rande--into a new and better life
r. L. Kctchum, in San Francisco Argo.
naut
Two Facts About . RiaE.
An impressionable young gentleman
l. IN n aa-@asr .arnN~,, $500 .. -