The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1893-02-02
MATS HUSBAND.

MAl'S HUSDAND.
She doubtless had woman's reason
for marrying him. That kind Of reason
may not satisfy other people, but it Is in
variably sufficient for the feminine rea-
soner.
Sam Toms was what is called "wuth-
less" by his Texan neighbors. Old Bill
Bum, his father-in-law, himself not a
very energetic or useful citizen, used to
sit on the steps at the crossroads store
ana publicly bewail his sad lot in having
Sam for q member Of his family. Bill
had dramatic style of delivery that
was very fetching, and invariably inn
pressed strangers as being very much In
earnest.
He would sit ON the steps. silently
chewing an enormous mouthful of to-
bacco and apparently listening to tho
conversation OF his coloafers. If Sans
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 long breath,
puff out his fat cheeks, purse his mouth.
and give a heavy, whistling sigh; this
would be followed by large quantity
Of tobacco juice, carefully aimed at
some object in the vicinity. These pre-
lminaries accomplished, Bill would riss
to his feet, thrust one fat, dirty hand
into his shirt front, wave the other in 4
sweeping gesture as he lowered his eyes
and rolled his head sadly from side to
side, and deliver himself profoundly aft.
or the following fashion:
"Ah-hum! That Sam Toms is tn
LATEST, mos shif'less, emery, trifin cuss
ever sedan yere I've done got i'm
fr ason.'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 he
was "jes' layin off spell, t. rest up like" "
He had always been just so-distin-
guished for laziness in an easy going
communicated nobody expected him
ever to be otherwise, and it puzzled peo-
pie immensely when energetic, capable
Matte 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
1t 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 weaI
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 80 forcibly
taken by his father-in-law, and also tina,
he got drunk whenever he could posi-
bly, do so, aud was morally so weak that
any one could easily lead him astray.
.1ow Mat and Sam got along no ont
b + Mat knew. Once In great Will,
Sam would do some work and earn ,
few dollars. If he got home with /
without stopping at the saloon, well AMI
good. But oftener than not he woult
"drap In jes' t. take a nip r two," ant
that would settle it. At such times h
would stay and buy drinks for every
body present while his money lasted
Then he would come home in q maudlin
fearful state of intoxication, and inven
some tale to account for his condition
and the disappearance Of his money
winding up with the promise never t
let 1t happen again.
And Mat would pretend that she be
lieved him, and would stroke his curl
head until he fell asleep Then sh
would look at the handsome scamp 70
few minutes with love unutterable i
her eyes---the tired eyes back of whic
were world Of unshed tears. But sh
never complained-not the first wore
the firm set mouth and weary loo
might indicate, ever 80 much, but he
lips never expressed it. And Sam grai
ually grew more and more useless an
shiftless, trusting to his wife's ready w
and fertility of resource to carry thei
both over the bad places.
There were lots Of bad places to-
Twice Sam ran into debt several dolla,
at the saloon and Mat found some NEAR
to pay the debts--only herself kne,
how. But the second time she informe
the saloon man that he must trust Sal
no more. And, besides these things,
Nve--how did they do it' Nobody coul
guess. Perhaps even Mat herself coul
not have told, yet live they did--or rath'
existed-and for the most part kept o,
Of debt.
Sam sometimes worked, but never fl
very long. He always found some O.
cuse for leaving place within a fe
days. He could almost always find al
other job easily enough, for he was 9
excellent ''hand" when he chose to b
but he did not hasten about finding
new Job when he had given one up; n
until they were reduced to the very Ia
straits could Mat get him to huntir
work again.
One day Sam left home for o rant
; about thirty-fve miles distant, where
had heard they wanted help. Two da
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. no wo
came from him. Mat was not a lit
Z worried, although Sam had often be,
away for two weeks at time witho