Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-10-28
The Spoilers.
By REX e. BEACH,.
:. copyaisht. by E.
By REX E. BEACH.


steamers, the street broke into wild
| cheering Here was man OF their
own, son Of the northland who labor
ed ana loved and fought in way they
| understood, and he had come into his
due.
But Roy. dumb and listless, stag
gered up the street. refusing the help
Of every man except Wheaton. He
heard his companion talking, but
grasped only that the attorney gloated
and gloried.
I'VE have whipped them, boy. We
have whipped them at their own game.
Arrested in their very dooryards-cited
for contempt of court--that's what
they are. They disobeyed those other
wrlts, and so got them"
II broke his arm" muttered the
miner.
Eyes. saw you do It! Ugh! 1t was
an awful thing! couldn't prove con-
spiracy, but they'll go to Jail for a
little while just tho same. and we have
broken the ring"
1T snapped at the shoulder" the
other continued duly, Just like a
shovel handle. felt it--but he tried
to kill me, and had to do It."
/ The attorney took Roy to his cabin
and dressed his wounds, talking in
cessantly the while, but the boy was
like sleep walker. displaying no ella
ton, no excitement, no Joy Of victory.
At Inst Wheaton broke out:
"Cheer up! Why. man, you act like
4 loser! Don't you realize that we've
won? Don't you understand that the
Midas Is yours7 And the whole world
with it?''
"Won?" echoed the miner. what
do you know about 1t, Bill? The
Nlldas--the world--what good are they !?
| You're wrong. I've lost-yes-I've lost
everything she taught me, and by
some damned trick Of fate she was
there to see me do 1t. Now, go away;
I want to sleep"
He sank upon the bed with its tangle
" blankets and was unconscious be-
There he lay like dead man till
late In the afternoon, when Dextry
and Slaplack came in from the hills.
answering Wheaton's call, and fell
upon him hungrily. They shook Roy
into consciousness with Joyous riot,
pommeing him with ahecttonate
roughness till he rose and joined with
them stiffiy. He bathed and rubbed
the soreness from his muscles, emery
Ing physically fit. They made him
recount his adventures to the tiniest
detail, following his description OF the
fight with absorbed interest till Dextry
broke into mournful complaint:
"Td have given my half of the Midas
to see you bust him. Lord, I'd have
screeched with soopreme delight at
that"
"Why didn't you gouge his eyes out
when you had him crippledY' question
ed Slapjack vindictively. I'D a. done
it,
Dextry continued: "They tell me that
when he was arrested he swore in
eighteen different languages, each one
more refreshin'ly repulsive an Vigorous
than the precedin'. oh, I have sure
missed a-plenty today, particular be-
cause my own dictiol is gettin' run
down an skim milky of late, showin'
sad lack of new idees, which might
have assim'lated somethin' robustly
original an expressive il I'd been here.
No, sir; nose bag full Of nuggets
wouldn't hive kept ne away"
"How did it sound when she bust
ed 2" insisted the morbid Simms, but
Glenister refused to discuss the COM
bat
"Come on. Slap" said the old pros
pector; "let's go downtown. I'm SO
bet up l can't set still, an, besides.
mebbe we can get the story the way 1t
really happened from somebody who
amt bound an gagged an chloroform
ed by such unbecomin' modesties.
Roy, don't never go into vawdyville
with them personal episodes, because
they read about as thrillin' as cook
book. Why, say, I'VE had the story Of
that fight from four different fellers
already, none of which was within
four blocks Of the scrimmage, an
they're all different an all better'n your
account"
Now that Glenister's mind had re-
covered some Of its poise he realized
what he had done.
81 was a beast, an animal" he groan-
ed, land that after all my striving.
wanted to leave that part behind.
wanted to be worthy Of her love and
trust even though never won it, but
at the first test am found lacking.
have lost her confidence. Yes, and
what is worse, infinitely worse, have
lost my own. She's always seen me at
nv worst he went on, "but I'm not
that kind at bottom-not that kind.
want to do what's right, and II have
another chance I will know l will.
I've been tried too hard, that's all"
Some one knocked, and he opened
the door to admit the Bronco Kid and
Helen.
"Wait a minute, old man," said the
Kid. I'm here as friend" The
gambler handled himself with difficult
ty, Offering in explanation:
"I'm all sewed up in bandages of
one kind or another"
HE ought to be in bed now, but he
wouldn't let me come alone, and
could not watt the girl supplemented,
while her eyes avoided Glenister's in
strange hesitation.
"He wouldn't let you. I don't under
stand"