Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-01-20

30 long Deen wanting, yet tearing, tc
ask. But Mat herself met him at the
door.
"W'y, howdy, Sam !' she calculated.
"l'm right glad t. see ye! Didn'
know, t'r sho', but what twas some
one a-comln' t. carry me off"
NIve right good notion t. do it,
said Sam, with what he considered re.
markable audacity-and then he failed
to follow up this opening, but asked
"Be ye all alone, Mat?"
81 sh'd say alone! Nav m paws
gone t. taown, Bart an ev'ry hans
aout on TIL range, an even OF Man
uela's done skipped-went ovah on tn
creek to Greaser fun'ral. But go
an put Bill up an come in. Well
have suppeb, right soon."
Sam soon returned to the kitchen,
and sat there, with eyes and mouth
open, watching Mat as she fitted
gracefully about the room preparing
supper. He took in every detail OF
the tail, 1.-the figure, the pretty face,
and the thick tawny hair, with its lit
tie curls that clustered about her neck.
he wondered II she would ever let him
handle those curls.
"Well, come n Craze, Sammy" she
said, finally. 81 reckon they amt but
us two t. eat, this time"
,'Wondeh whut she'd say ef I sh'd
tell 'er 1 wish't it was Jest us two
apays?" thought Sam. But he did not
say it, being very timid. and very hun
cry, beside. After supper, however,
they sat out in the gallery" and Mat
gave him an opportunity to speak.
"Seems funny, don't it, FIR jest us
two e be a-settin' yere?" the girl said,
smiling at him frankly.
Sam swallowed spasmodically; his
throat hurt him.
"Why not t'r al'ays, Mat2" he said,
finally, in husky voice. "Mat,
darlin', s'pose me n you fix it up t.
be t'gethah f'revah? Don't-don't
stop me-" he went on, as the girl rose
to her feet and would have spoken.
'I ben tryin' t. say it FIR two yeahs.
Mat, will ye marry me?"
The girl had one arm across her
eyes, and was sobbing. "Oh, wish't
ye hadn't, Sam! wish't ye hadn't "a
spokel I hain't treated ye right,
Sam. I hain't. L"
"Wh-why-"
81 s'pose 1 got t. tell you, SAM"
she said, more steadily, but with eyes
averted. SEE I got t. tell ye-oh,
Sam, was married t. Harry Arm
strong last winteh, wen l was ovah
on tn Pecosi"
Sam sank Imply back in his CHAIR.
aye don't mean it; ye sho' don't
mean it, Natl" he gasped. But the
girl nodded her head affirmatively,
and bit corner of the handkerchief
she held to her eyes.
81 CANT b'lieve it, Matt sho'
cain't!" said poor Sam, plaintively.
''Le' me think.
So engrossed were they that they
had not heard the sound of galloping
hoofs. and both were startled when
some one reined up suddenly, almost
in front of them, and cried, hosrsely:
Good God Mat, where can l hide?"
"Ned Flynnl" calculated Sam,
starting to his feet dazedly.
"Harry!" shrieked the girl, as the
man, pale, bareheaded and disheyeled,
threw himself from his dropping horse
and staggered toward them. One side
of his face and neck was covered with
blood.
The girl sprang forward and threw
her arms about him. "What is it,
Harry? What is II 81
Nothing" said the man, grimly-
"only they've sent out three posses
after me, and Pm caught. There's q
lot of 'em just behind. If l could get
over the Two-Mile-"
Sam started forward. "Haow fur
b'hind are they?" he asked, in a queer
voice.
"Right on my heels" replied the
other man, with the oalmness of de-
spair. He sat with his head buried in
his wife's lap, aud did not look up,
seeming to care not at all what hap
pened next.
Then Sam did something that sur
prised himself "Git inside, you two I"
he said, roughly, and tossed his hat to
Flynn. Then he ran and leaped into
the saddle the other man had just left,
jammed his spurs into the weary
horses fanks, and, with wave of
the hand, was off toward the hills
and not quarter of mile behind
him, when he struck the road, were
half dozen horsemen.
They caught sight of him crossing
the road ahead, and, with loud yells,
raced after him.
Sam knew that the horse he rode
could not last long, but he still had
time to think of what he had done,
and what would be done to him. He
knew what generally happened to per-
sons who aided the escape of men like
Flynn-but he reflected, grlmly, that
he had his revolver on, and they should
never hang him, at least.
But-why had he done it? He did
not feel sorry, really, but he could
not comprehend his own action.
''Ping!" They were shooting at