The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1893-01-12
Mat get him to hunting work again.

about thirty-flve miles distant, where
he heard they wanted help. Two days
three four-tve-and no
word came from him. Mat was not q
little worried, although Sam had
often been away for two weeks at q
time without sending word 10 her.
But this time 1t was different; there
was 10 excuse for his not sending
message, as the stage came by the
ranch he had gone to three times a
week. II he had found work there,
as he expected, he could easily have
could easily have notified her. So,
late In the afternoon Of the fifth day,
she threw her shawl over her head and
went down to her fathers to find If
they had heard anything of Sam.
The old fellow was standing in the
doorway talking to couple of stran-
gers.
"No," he was saying, "they h'aint
ben no person long yere las few
days, but what b'longs yere. Mebbe,
though. be mout ben seed over yere
t. Bacon's. Ben thar? NoI Wa.al,
my boys comm in FIN thar purity
soon, an he en- tell ye. Come in an
feed; Jack'll be yere right soon."
Mat stayed TO help her mother with
the supper, and during the course Of
the meal learned that the two strangers
we're officers trailing horse-thief,
who had stolen valuable horse at a
ranch forty miles east and sold 1t 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 to
find the door open. She entered
hastily. Sam was in bed, asleep and
breathing stert orously. He had evi-
IDENTIFY been drinking, as his clothes
were scattered about the floor, and
Mat, looking out the back door, could
see his pony standing patiently where
Sam had left him, waiting for some
ono to come and fnad hin, Mat
leaned over the sleeping man and
kissed him gently, her eyes full of
love. Then she turned to pick up his
clothes aud put them away. The
trousers were heavy, and something
jingled in one of the pockets. In
sinctively Mat thrust her hand into
it. aud drew it forth, clasping several
gold pieces. As she did 80 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 impellet
her TO hurry home.
She rushed to the bed and shook
Sam roughly. SAN! Sam wake
up!" she almost screamed.
The man turned over and looked at
her stupidity. "H'lo, M-Mat! fere,
be ye? Gimme kiss" he said, in
dull tone.
"Not twell ye tells me whar yc done
got these yere things!' Mats voice
sounded broken and shril.
Sam sat up and rubbed his head,
looking at her in drunken wonder.
"W-w'y, them-them thar, honey"
She shook him fiercely, and said in
lower tone--a tone Of earnest force:
"Tell me. Sam Toms, whar ye done
got these yere coins! Quick, now''
Her tone partially sobered the man.
whose eyes opened wider as he asked
querulously:
"What ye SO all fired fussy 'bout5
| hain't done nothin'." Aud he
laughed In half-drunken, half-nerv-
GUS way.
"Sam! whar did We git 'em"
He sat dumbly staring at her.
"Sam!" her voice was full of hor-
ror, "did you steal that thar hoss
No answer; bat 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 rntli
Sam, who had been staring at hef
wonderingly, reached out his blg mana
and laid it caressingly on her heau
Then she sprang TO her feet, her not
eyes glaring, aud her form trembling
with anger and horror. She did not
lAtn