Connecticut western news., 1893-01-19
MATS HUSBAND.

She doubtless had a woman's reason for marrying him. That kind of reason may not satisfy other people, butt is in- variably sufficient for the feminine req soner.
 Sam Toms was what is called "wuth less' by his Texan neighbors. Old E : Bum, his father-in-law, himself not ; very energetic or useful citizen, used ' sit on the steps at the crossroads stof and publicly bewail his sad lot in havi Sam for member of his family. E t had dramatic style of delivery tna was very fetching, and invariably i,' pressed strangers as being very much h, earnest.
 He would sit on the steps, silently chewing an enormous mouthful of to bacco and apparently listening to tlc conversation of his coloafers. If Sam name was mentioned he would give vent to four or five little falsetto squeaks. which found egress through his nose; then he would draw in a long breath, puff out his fat cheeks, purse his mouth, and give heavy, whistling sigh; this would be followed by large quantity of tobacco juice, carefully aimed at some object in the vicinity. These pre- liminaries accomplished, Bill would rise to his feet, thrust one fat, dirty hand into his shirt front, wave the other in a sweeping gesture as he lowered his eyes and rolled his head sadly from side to side, and deliver himself profoundly aft CT the following fashion:
 "Ah-hum! That Sam Toms is tn laziest, mos shif'less, o'nery, triflin cuss 1 ever seed-an yere I've done got i'm fir son-'n-lawr. Hm-hm-hmp' Another whistling sigh would close this perora- tion, and old Bill would resume his seat. still shaking his head sorrowfully.
 And Bill was more than half right. Nominally Sam was a cowboy, but most of the time he would tell you be was "jes' layin off spell, t rest up like. :
 He had always been just so-distin- guished for laziness in an easy goirg community-and nobody expected him ever to be otherwise, and it puzzled peo- pie immensely when energetic, capable Mattie Bum accepted him for "reg'lar comp'ny," to say nothing of the sensa- ton created by their wedding.
 Mat, as has been suggested, probably had some reason for marrying Sam, but it is quite certain that she never told any one 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 the points so forcibly taken by his father-in-law, and also that he got drunk whenever he could possi. ply do so, aud was morally so weak that any one could easily lead him astray.
 How Mat and Sam got along no one but Mat knew. Once in great while Sam would do some work and earn a few dollars. If he got home with il without stopping at the saloon, we'll and good. But oftener than not he would ''drap in jes' t take nip r two," and that would settle it. At such times he would stay and buy drinks for every body present while his money lasted Then he would come home in amaudlin fearful state of intoxication, and invent some tale to account for his condition and the disappearance of his money winding up with the promise never tc let it happen again.
 And Mat would pretend that she be lieved him, and would stroke his curly head until he fell asleep. Then she would look at the handsome scamp fol a few minutes with love unutterable il her eyes-the tired eyes back of which were a world of unshed tears. But sht | never complained-not the first word | the firm set mouth and weary look might indicate ever so much, but hel | lips never expressed it. And Sam grad | ually grew more and more useless anC | shiftless, trusting to his wife's ready wi | and fertility of resource to carry then both over the bad places.
 There were lots of bad places too | Twice Sam ran into debt several dollars at the saloon and Mat found some mean, | to pay the debts-only herself knew how. But the second time she informed the saloon man that he must trust San no more. And, besides these things, tt live-how did they do it? Nobody could guess. Perhaps even Mat herself could not have told, yet live they did-or rather existed-and for the most part kept ou | of debt.
 Sam sometimes worked, but never fol very long. He always found some ex cuse for leaving 8 place within few days. He could almost always find an other job easily enough, for he was ar excellent 'shand" when he chose to be but he did not hasten about finding new job when he had given one up; no until they were reduced to the very las straits could Mat get him to hunting work again.
 One day Sam left home for rancl about thirty-fve miles distant, where ht had heard they wanted help. Two day passed-three-fou no wor( came from him. Mat was not httl, away for two weeks at time withou sending word to her. But this time i was different; there was no excuse fo his not sending 8 message, as the stag, came by the ranch he had gone to thre, times 8 week. If he had found worl there, as he expected, he could easil, have notified her. So, late in the after noon of the fifth day, she threw he shawl over her head and went down t her fathers to find if they had hear anything of Sam.
 The old fellow was standing in tn doorway talking to a couple of strangers
 "No," he was saying, "they hain' ben no person Tong yer las few day but what b'longs yere. Mebbe, though he mout "a ben seed over yere t Bacon't Ben tharf No? Waal, my boys comi in i'm thar purity soon, an he c'n tell ye Come in an feed; Jack'll be yere righ soon."
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