The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-09-05
MATS HUSBAND.
No Ono But Herself Know why
Sho Loved Him.

Eok1o AsOVpQs kdlfus
she doubtless had woman's reason
for marrying him. That kind OF rea.
son may not satisfy othor people. bu,
IL Is invariably sufficient for tho femi.
/ nine reasoncr
Sam Toms was what Is called s'wuth-
less by his Texan neighbors Old Bill
| Bum. his father.in-law, himself not a
very energetic or useful citizen, used
/ 10 sit on the stops at the cross-road
store and publicly bcwail his sad lot in
having Sam for member Of his faml.
~. Bill had dramatic style OF do.
livery that was very fetching. and In
yariably impressed strangers rs being
very much In earnest.
He would sit on the steps, silently
| chewing an enormous mouthful OF to-
bacco and apparently listening to the
/ conversation Of his co-loafers. II Sans
name was mentioned, he would give
/ vent to four or i've little falsetto
| squeaks, which found egrcss through
his nose; then he would draw In long
breath, pun ont his fat checks, purse
his mouth. and give heavy whistling
sigh; this would be followed by large
quantity 81 tobacco juice, carefully
aimed at some object IN tho vicinity.
| These preliminarica accomplished, Bill
would rise to his feet. thrust ono fat
4 dirty hand into his shirt front, wave
tho other in n sweeping gesture rs he
lowered his eyes and rolled His head
| sadly from side to side, and deliver
himself profoundly, after the following
! fashion;
"Ah--huml That Sam Toms IA tn
LATEST mos shif'iess, emery. triflin'
cuss / ever seed AN yere I've done
| got I'm f'r son-'n-lawr. lm-hm. hml'
Another whistling sigh would close this
pcroration. and old Bill would resume
his seat. still shaking his head sorrow.
| fully.
/ And Bill was more than hnH right.
Nominally, Sam was cowboy; but
most OF the time he would tell you he
was sjos' layin' Off spell. Z rest up
| like"
i He had always been Just so-distin-
| guishcd for laziness In an easy going
| community. and nobody expected him
! ever TO be otherwise; and Il puzzled
! people Immensely when energetic,
| capable Matte Bum accepted him for
.'reg'lar comply" TO say nothing OF
the sensation created by their wedding.
Mat as Inns been suggested. probably
| had some reason for marrying Sam;
! but Il Is quite certain that she never
told anyone what that reason was.
| Sam WINS tall and big. and handsome
/ In his careless. Alouchy way, he had
always managed, no one knew how,
to wear good clothes. too. These facts
and his perennial good nature and
friendly ways wprn tho only points In
his favor. Against him were the points
30 forcibly taken BY his father-in-iaw,
and. also. that he got drunk whenever
he could possibly do SO, and was
morally so weak that anyone could
easily lead him aatray.
How Mat and Sam got along no ono
/ but Mat knew. Once In q great while,
| Sam would do some work and earn q
| few dollars. II he got home with Il
| without stopping at the saloon, we'll
and good. but. oftener than not, he
would "drap In jcs' y take nip r
| two" and that would settle It. At
such times he would stay and buy
drinks for everybody present while his
money lasted Then he would como
home In maudiin, fearful state OF In
toxication, and invent some tale to ac-
count for his condition and the disap-
| pearance OF his money, winding up
with the promise never to let II happen
again. And Mat would pretend that
she believed him, and would stroke his
curly head until he fell asleep. Then
che would look at the handsome scamp
for few minutes with love unutter-
| able in her eyes--the tired eyes back
Of which were world OF unshed tears.
| But she never complained-not the
first word; the firm-set mouth and
weary look might indicate ever so
much. but her lips never expressed It.
And Sam gradually grew moro and
more useless and shiftless, trusting to
| his wifc's ready wit and fertility OF re-
source to carry them both over the bad
| places.
There were lots Of bad places, too.
| Twice Sam ran into debt several dol
lars at the saloon, and Mat found some
| means to pay the debts herself
knew how. But the second time she
informed the saloon man that he must
trust Sam no more. And. besides these
things, to live--how did they do II?
Nobody could guess, Perhaps even
Mat herself could not have told; yet
live they did-or, rather, existed-an
for the most part, kept out Of debt
Sam sometimes worked, but never
for very long. He always found some
excuse for leaving place within few
days HeEcould almost always find an
other job easily enough, for he was an
excellent hand" when he chose TO be
but he did not hasten about finding .
| new job when he had given one up; not
until they were reduced to tho very
last straits could Matlget him TO hunt
| ing work again.
One day Sam left home for ranch
about thirty-five miles distant, where
he had heard they wanted help. Two
days passed thrce-four fve-and no
word came from him. Mat was not q
little worried, although Sam had often
been away for two weeks alta time
| without sending word to her But this
time 1t was different; there was no ex-
cusc for his not sending q message, as
! the stage came by the ranch he had
| gone to three times week, # he had
found work there, as he expected, he
could easily have notified her So, late
In the afternoon Of tho fifth day. she
threw her shawl over her head and