The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1908-02-13
The Spoilers.
By REX E. BEACH.
Rex E. Beach

Every well. l wish to find Mr.. Struve
of Dunham & Struvc. lawyers"
"I'll take YOU to their offices" said
Glenister. You see 10 the baggage,
DeX. Meet me at the Second Class in
half an hour and We'll run out 10 the
Midas" They pushed through the tam
gle of tents, past piles of luphcr and
emerged. upon the main thoroughfare.
which ran parallel TO the shore.
Nome consisted Of one narrow street.
twisted between solid rows of canvas
and half erected frame buildings. its
every other door that Of saloon.
There were fair looking blocks which
aspired to the dizzy height Of three
stories, some sheathed in corrugated
iron, others cleaning and galvanized.
Lawyers signs. doctors, surveyors,
were in the upper windows. The street
was thronged with men from every
land. Helen Chester heard more dia-
lects than she could count. Laplanders
In Quaint three cornered padded caps
idled past. Men with the tan OF the
tropics rubbed elbows with yellow
haired Norsemen, and near ber care
fully groomed Frenchmen with riding
brooches and monsefe was in panto-
mime with q skin clad Eskimo. TO
her left wss the sparkling sea, alive
with ships Of every elsss. TO her right
lowered timberless mouHtsins. unpeo-
pled, une1ploced, forbiading and desc
late, their hollows inlsid With snow.
On one hand were the HE and the
world she knew, On the other silence,
mystery, poesible adventure.
The roadway where she stood was q
crush Of sundry vehicles from bicycles
to dog hauled wster carts. and on all
sides men we're iaborinS busily, the
echo Of hammers mingifng with the
cries Of teamsters and the tinkie Of
music within the saloons.
Sand this is midnightr' exclaimed
Helen breathesely. DO they ever
rest%
There isn't time. This is q gold
stampede. You haven't caught the
spirit Of 1t yet"
They climbed the stairs IN huge
iron sheeted building to the Office Of
Dunham & Struve. and in answer to
their knock a red faced, white haired,
tousled man in shirt sleeves and stock
ing feet opened the door.
"What dye wan':'. he bawled, his
legs wavering uncertainty. His eyes
were heavy and bloodshot, his lips
loose, and his whole person e1haled al
coholic fumes like gust from still
house. Hanging to the knob. he strove
vainly to solve the mystery Of his sus-
penders, hiccoughing intermittently.
"Humph! Been drunk ever since l
ieftT' questioned Glenister.
Somebody mus have top you" the
lawyer replied. There was neither Gu
riosity, recognition nor resentment in
his voice In fact, his head dropped
so that he paid no attention to the
girl, who had shFunk back at sight Of
him. He was a young man. with
marks Of brilliancy showing through
the dissipation betrayed by his silvery
hair and coarsened features.
"Oh, I don't know what to d." Ia
mented the girl g.:
Anybody else here besides you"
asked her escort Of the lawyer.
"No. I'm runnin' the law business
unasssted. Don't need any help.
Dunham's in .Wash'n'ton. D. c., the
Ian Of the home. the free Of the brave.
What can l DO for your
he made to cross the threshold hos
pitabiy. but trtpped. plunged forward
and would have rolled down the stairs
had not Glenister gathered him up and
borne him back into the Office, where
be tossed him upon bed in rear
room.
"Now what, Miss Chsster!' asked
the young man, returning.
"Isn't that dreadfulT' she shudde1ed.
"Oh, and I must see him tonightw
She stamped impatteatiy. Il must see
him alone"
NO, you uucSu y sosu SsOAADtSA'
with equal decision. I'm the first
place, be wouldn't know what you
were talking about. and, in the second
place, l know Struve. Hes too drunk
to talk business and too sober to
we'll, to see you alone"
"But I must see him." she insisted.
'Tts what brought me here. You
don't understand"
II understand more than be could.
He's in no condition to act on any
important matter. You come around
tomorrow when he's sober"
'Tt means so much" beeathed the
girl. "Tbe beast!'
Glenister noted that she had not
wrung her hands nor even hinted at
tears, though plainly her disappoint-
ment and anxiety were consuming her.
well, / suppose IN have to walt,
but / don't know where to go-some
hotel. I suppose"
There aren't any. They're building
two, but tonight you couldn't hire a
room in Nome for money. l was about