The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-09-05

were officers trailing q horse thief, who
had stolen a valuable horse AZ q ranch
forty miles east and sold Il al Pickett
Station. and who was believed 70 have
como this way.
/ As she listened 70 the conversation
/ sudden nameless fear came upon her,
making her feel faint and III. AZ soon
Ms supper was over she took her shawl
/ aud hurried home.
Somehow she was not surprised 70
flnd tho door OPEN She cptered hastt
i ". Sam was In bed asleep and breath
1 ing stertorous ~. He had evidently
/ boon drinking, as his clothes were scat
/ tered about the floor, and Mat, looking
| cut the back door, could SEQ his pony
standing patiently where Sam had left
| him, waiting for some one 10 come and
/ feed him. Mat loaned over the sleep
/ ing man aud kissed him gently, her
/ eyes full Of love- Then she turned 70
| pick mn his clothes and put them away.
| The trousers were he nyy, and somo-
i thing jlngled In one Of the pockets.
| 1nstinctively Mat thrust her hand into
II and drew II forth clasping several
| gold pieces As she did 20 her eyes
opened Wide and she stood as II stunned
for time. hcr heart chilled with the
same strange fear that had stricken her
awhile ago and impclled hcr 70 hurry
1 home.
She rushed to the bed and shook Sam
roughly ''Sami Saml wake upis shs
almost scrca med
The IMAM turned over and looked -
her stupidiy. "Ii'lo. M-Mati Ycre, b
| YEP Gimme kiss" he said. Ia 4 dun
tone.
mot twell 70 tell me whar 70 dons
| got these ycrc thingsr Mats voice
sounded broken and shrill.
Sam sat upnnd rubbed his head, loolc
| ing at her In drunken wonder. "W-w'y.
them them thar, honey2"
She shook him tiercely, and said. In
lower tome a tone Of earnest force:
TELL me. Sam Toms whar ye done
got these yerc coinsl Quick. nowl''
| Her tone partially sobcred tho man.
whose eyes opened wider a. he asked.
querulously:
"Wbat ye 40 ail-fired fussy 'bout7
hain't done nothin'." And he laughed
/ In hulf.arnnlscn, half-nervous way.
| ''Sans char did w git emp"
| He sat dumbly staring ~ her.
''Saml'' her voice was full Of horror.
| "did you steal that thar hoss2.
No answer; but Mat saw by his eyes
abe had guessed the truth. Slowly the
coins foil from her hand TO the hoors
slowly her head bent forward until her
face touched the pillow. For minutes
| she. did not move--not until Sam, who
had been staring at her wonderingiy,
reached out his big hand and laid Il
| carcssingly on her head. Then she
/ sprang TO her feet, her hot eyes Rlaring,
/ and her form trembling with anger and
horror She did not speak. but fixed
her gaze on his face for few acconds.
/ He did not meet her look, and present.
| " she turned and ran out Of the door.
sam, almost sober now, called after
her. but she did not answer. He got
| out Of bed slowly and started TO dreas
himself. He had almost finished. when
Matt, accompanied by her father and
tho two strangers, returned.
"1'hnr he Is m thar's tn money"
she said. and passed on out through
the back door, without looking at Sam.
There was a jail Mt the crossroads;
| It was primitive affair, but solid and
substantial. 1t was dugout In the
side-hill, and had heavy oak door and
great steel hinges and lock. II waa
| plenty strong enough TO hold . dozen
men, all anxious TO escape and Sam
| Toms did not try to escape. He only
sat still In the low, damp, darksomo
room and tried TO understand how Il
had all happened. 1t must DO a drunk
en- dream--but, no. he was almost
sober, and knew where he was and
how and why he was there. But-ho
could not understand Had Mat--was
II really Mat, who had given him upe
There must be some mistake.
The big, strong man finally began to
realize 1t all, lie lay down on the
bunk and cried himself to sleep. like
child.
1t must have been about one o'clock
In the morning when some one silently
entered the house Of old Bill Bum,
constable. This some one entered BY
the back door. went stealthily into the
room where Bill and his wife slept,
rummaged about few minutes, and
then emerged from the house. It was
woman, and she had something In
her hand.
/ II Gam IONS was hWUkeucu, . LttAc
after this, by a rafting, Earring sound.
He sprang up. just ps the big oaken
doors swung back and revealed the
figures Of woman and two saddle
horses.
II come fr We. Sam" said the WON
an, with a sob. 81 done brung both
ponies an ou clo'es. Les go, Sam; We
en- git 'crost tn tivah befo' mnwnin'.
! Comet
He clasped her in his arms. and they
chung to each other q little while.
| The Mat said. more steadily:
Come, Sam. Le'sgo ovah t Mexico
\ AN mebbc we en- try m, do better
ovah thar. I"
And they rode forth In the bright,
free moonlight down towards the Rio
Grande--int new and better life.
r. Z. Ketchnn. in San Francisco Argo-
| naut
Two Facts About Ring.
An impressionable young gentleman
| in certain country town recently met
/ nL.~-.f..a, S.{~l 49,.