The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1908-04-23
The Spoilers.
BY REX e. BEACH.
. c.pyrisht 1908 Rex E. Beach .
[Continued from last week.

r,"." >!"is Ken object. The girl was
.!a:! tc cnuiG not Ike seen from below.
I'VE wen; hurt you this time. judge.
!ut vod'vc .one far enough. Well
give vn,; another chance: then. II you
don't make good. we'll stretch you to
a lamp post Take this rs a warning"
81 s-shall do my d-d-duty." said the
Judge.
The men disappeared into the dark
ness. and when they had gone Glenis-
ter CLOSED, the window. pulled down the
shades aud lighted a lamp. He knew
by how narrow a margin tragedy
had been averted. II he had fired on
these men, his shot would have kindled
q feud which would have consumed
every vestige Of the court crowd and
himself among them. He would have
fallen under a false banner. and bis
life would not have reached to the
next sunset. Perhaps It was forfeit
NOW. He could not tell. The vigilantes
would probably look upon bis part as
rsitoruus. and at the very least be
Iad cnt himself OF from their support,
te only support the northlsnd offered
aim. Renceforth he was a renegade,
Il parish. hated alike By both factions
He yurposely avoided sight Of Stillman
and turned his back when the judge
extended his hand with expressions Of
gratitude. Hts work war done, and he
wished to leave this house. Helen fol-
lowed him down to the door and 40 he
opened It laid her hand upon bis sleeve.
Words are feeble things, AID can
never make amends for all you've done
for u.s."
"For usr' cried Roy, with break In
bis voice. do you think sacrificed
my bonor. betrayed my friends. killed
nay last hope. Ostrscised myself, for
'usT This Is the lsst time III trouble
you, perhaps the last time I'll zee you.
No matter what else you've done. how.
ever. you've taught me lesson, and !
thank you for II. have found myself
at last. I'm not an Eskimo any longer.
I'm man"
you've always been that she said.
"I don't underst" nd as much about this
affair as want to, and it seems to me
that no one will explain it. I'm very
stupid. guess But won't you come
back tomorrow aud tell 1t to meT'
NO" he said roughly. You're not
OF my people. Mcnamara and his are
no friends Of mine. and I'm no friend
Of theirs He was half down the
steps before she said softly:
Good night, and God bless you
friend"
She returned TO the judge, who was
in q pitiable state. and for long time
she lahored TO soothe him as though
he were a child. She undertook to
question him about the things which
lay uppermost in her mind and which
this night had half revealed. but he
became fre;ful and irritated at the
mention of mines and mining. She sat
beside his led till he dozed OF. pnz
cling to discover what lay behind the
hints she had heard till her brain and
body matched IL absolute weariness.
The reflex of the days excitement sap
ped her strength till she could barely
creep to her own couch, where she
rolled and sighed. too tired 10 sleep
at once. She awoke finally. with one
last nervous flicker. before complete
oblivion took her. A sentence was on
her mind-it almost seemed as though
she had spoken 1t aloud:
"The handsomest woman In the
north-hut Glenister ran away"