The Bessemer indicator., 1893-02-04
MATS HUSBAND.


p sam Toms was ~hat is called
'wuthless' by his Texan neighbors.
Old Bill Bum. his father-in-l
himself not very energetic OR
useful citizen. used to sit on the steps
ut tho cross. roads store and publicly
bewai! his sad lot in having Sam for
II member OF his family. Bill had
dramatic style ut delivery that was
very fetching. and invariably i'm
pressed strangers as being very much
in earnest.
He would alt on the steps silently
chewing an enormous mouthful OF
tobacco and apparently listening TO
the conversation of his co-loufers.
If Sans namo was mentioned he
would give won't to four or five litlle
falsctto squoaks which found cgYess
through his nose; then he would
draw in long breath, puff out his
lat checks. purse his mouth. and give
Il heavy whistling sigh; this would
be followed by n largo quantity of
tobacco juice carefully aimed Mt
some object In the vicinity. These
preliminarics accomplished, Bill
would rise TO his feet thrust cto fat,
dirty hand into hin shirt. front wavo
the other in Il sweeping gesture as ho
lowered his eyes and rolled his head
sadly from side to side. and deliver
himself profoundly after tho follow.
ing fashion:
''Ah-hum That sam Toms Is
the lazicst mos shift less. merry.
triilin cuss ever seed and yere I've
mi ' I.,,
hm-hm." Another whistling sigh
would close this peroration. and old
Bill would resume Els scat still shak.
ing his head sorrowfully.
And ELL was more than halt right
Nominally. Sam was cowboy; but
most OF the time he would tell you
he was '..es' layln' of a spell, T. rest
up like"
He had always gaoh just so-dis.
tinguished Tor lazines, in an easy
going community-anl nobody ex.
pcc,cd him over to be otherwise; and
it puzzled people immensely when
energetic capable Muttio Bum ac-
cep,ed him for 'reg'lar eomp'ny." To
say nothing of the sensation eeased by
their wedding s1s
Mat rs hnd been suggested. OBJ
ably had some reason foc marrying
Sam; but it is quite certain that shs
never told any one what that reason
WAS. Sam was tall. rnd Big. and
handsome IN Mis- careless s!ouchy
way, no had always managed. no one
knew how. 10 wear good clothes. too.
These facts and his perernit., Sood
nature and friendly ways wcro tho
only poin;s In his favor. Against
him were the points so forcibly taken
by his father-in law. and also that
he got drunk whenever ho could pos
sibly do so. and was morally SO
weak that anyone could lead him as.
tray.
How Mat and, SAT-, got along no
one but Mat Know. Onco in q great
while Sam would do somo work and
earn fow dollars. II he got home
with ii without stopping at tho saloon
we'll and good. But tcncr than npt
he would drap in jos Z take u nip
r two nnd that would settle it. At
suca times he would stay and buy
drinks for everybody present while
his money lasted. Then ho would
come homo in mnudlin. tearful
state of intoxication. and invent somo
tale 10 account for his condition and
the disappearance OF his money, wind
ing up with tho promise mover to let
it happen again. And Mat would
pretend that she believed him. and
would stroke his curly head until he
fell asleep. Then she would look at
the handsome scamp for few min.
utcs with love unutterable in her
eyes-tte tired eyes back OF which
were q world of unshcd tears. But
she never complnincd-not tho first
word; the tirm-sct mouth and weary
look might indicnte ever so much but
her lips mover expressed it, And Sam
gradually grew more and more use.
less and shiftlcs1 trusting to his
wife's ready wit and fertility of re-
source TO carry them both over the
bad places.
Tho wero lots OF bad places too.
Twice Sam ran into debt several
dollars at the saloon and Mat found
some means to pay the dcbts-only
herself knew how. But the second
time sho informed the saloon man
that he must trust Sam no more.
And. besides these things, TO live
how did they do IL? Nobody could
guess. Perhaps oven Mat herself
could not hive told; yet live they did
or rather existed-and for tho
most part kept out OF debt
Sam sometimes worked but never
for very long. lie always found some
oxcusc for leaving the place within
few days. Ho could almost always
find auoLher job easily enough. for be
was an excellent .'hand" whom he
chose 10 be-but he did rot hasten
about finding IL new job whom he had
given one up; not until they were re-
duced to tke very last straits could
Mat get him to hunting work again.
One day. Ssm left home for ranch
about thirty-iiy, miles distant whero
he had heard they wanted help. Two
days passed-three- ee--four-fve-and
no word came from him. Mat was
not u-siittle worried. although Sam
had often been away for two weeks at
time without sending word TO her.
But this time /. was different; thero
was no excuse for his NOT sending
message as tho stage Came by tho
ranch he had gone to three times
week. III he had found work there
a. he expected. he could eusily have
notified her. So Toto in the after
noon OF tho fifth day. she threw her
shawl over her head and went down
to her fathcr's 10 find II they had
heard anything OF Sam.
The old fellow was standing In tho
doorway. talking TO = couple OF
strangers.
mo" he way sey,Ez, ''shey hain't
bon no person long yore las fow
duys but whHo'lopgs yere. Mebba
though. he ,o..t = ben seed over
vere Hcon's- Bon thnr' No?
Wa.al rs boys comm In I'm thar
uurty s.6n. an he en- toll 70. Come