The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1893-01-20
MATS HUSBAND.
No One But Herself Knew Why
Sho Loved Him.

She doubtless had n woman's reason
Tor marrying him. That kind Of rea-
son may not satisfy other people, but
Il is invariably sufficient for the femi-
nine rcasoner.
Sam Toms was what is called "wuth-
less" by his Texan ncighborS. Old Bill
Bunn. his fathcr.in-law, himself not
very energetic or useful citizen, used
20 sit on the steps ut the cross-road
store and publicly bcwail his sad lot in
having Sam for member of his fami-
". Bill had a dramatic style of de-
livery that was very fetching, and in
yariably impressed strangers ~ being
very much in earnest.
He would sit on the steps, silently
chewing an enormous mou.hful of to-
bacco and apparently listening 10 the
conversation OF his co-loafcrs. II Sans
name was mentioned, he would give
vent 10 four or five little falsetto
squenks. which found cgrcss through
his nose; then he would draw in long
breath puff out his fat checks, purse
his mouth, and give heavy whistling
sigh: this would be followed by "A large
quantity of tobacco juice, carefully
aimed ut some object in the vicinity.
These preliminarics accomplished, Bill
would rise 10 his feet, thrust one fat,
dirty hand into his shirt front, wave
the other in sweeping gesture as he
lowered his eyes and rolled his head
sadly from side TO side, and deliver
himself profoundly, after tho following
fashion: l.
"Ah-hum! That Sam Toms is tn
LATEST mos shif'less, o'nery, tritiin'
cuss ever sedan ycre I've done
got i'm FIR son-'n-lawr. Im-hm-hm"
Another whistling sigh would close this
peroration, and old Bill would resume
his scat, still shaking his head sorrow
fully
And Bill was more than half right.
Nominally, Sam was cowboy; but
most OF the time he would tell you he
was "ies' layin' off spell. 4 rest up
like"
lie had always been just so-distin-
guiShed for lazincss in nm casy-going
community, and nobody expected him
ever - hc otherwise; aud it puzzled
people immensely when energetic,
capable Matte Bunn accepted him for
'TcgIar cump'uy,' TO say nothing OF
the sensation created 10y their wedding
Mat, as has been suggested, probably
had some reason for marrying sam;
but it is quite certain that she never
tolG anyone what that reason was.
Sam was tall, and big, and handsome
in his careless, slouchy way; he had
always managed, no one knew how,
to wear good clothes, too. These facts
and his perennial good nature and
friendly ways were the only points in
His favor. Against him were tho points
so forcibly taken by his father-in-law,
and, also, that he got drunk whenever
he could possibly do SO. and was
morally SO weak that anyone could
easily lead him astray.
How Mat and Sam got along no one
but Mat knew. Once IN a great while,
Sam would do some work and earn II
few dollars. II he got home with it
without stopping at tho saloon, well
aud good, But oftencr than not, he
would "drap in jcs' T. take "a nip
two and that would settle it, AT
such times he would stay and buy
drinks for everybody present while his
money lasted. Then no would come
home in a maudlin, fearful state OF in
toNication, and invent some tale To ac-
count for his condition and the disap-
pearanee of his money, winding up
with the promise never Ia 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 minutes with love unutter-
able in her eycs-the tired eyes back
OF which were world of unshed tears.
But she. never complained-not the
nrSt word; the frm-sct mouth and
weary look might indicate ever 50
much, but her lips never expressed II.
Aud Sam gradually grew moro and
more useless and shiftlcss, trusting to
ms witc's ready wit and fertility of re-
source 10 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 Ia pay the debts-only 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 he rSalf could not have told; vet