The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1908-03-12

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Hts miserable words d,ed ,ctth 9urgle.
and throttled him where he sat, pin
ming him to the wall. Gienister saw
the big politician shift his fingers
slightly on Strives throat and then
drop his left hand to his side, holding
his victim writhing and helpless with
his right despite the mans frantic
struggles. McNamara's head was
thrust forward from his shoulders.
peering into the lawyers face. Struve
tore Intellectually at the iron arm which
was squeezing his life out, while for
endless minutes the other leaned his
weight against him, his idle hand be-
hind his back, his legs braced like
stone columns as he watched his VIC
TINS struggles abate.
Struve fought and wrenched while
his breath caught in his throat with
horrid, sickening sounds, but gradually
his eyes rolled farther and farther back
till they stared out Of his biackened
visage, straight up oward the ceiling,
toward the hole through which Glen
lister peered. His struggles lessened,
his chin sagged, and his tongue pro-
truded, then he sat loose and still. The
politician flung him out into the room
50 that he fell Imply upon his face.
then stood watching him. Finally, Nc
Namara passed out Of the watchers
vision, returning with water bucket.
With his foot he rolled the unconscious
wretch upon his back, then drenched
him. Replacing the pail. be seated
himself, lit a cigar and watched the
return Of life into his victim. He
made no move, even to drag him from
the pool In which he lay.
Struve groaned and shuddered, twist
ed to his side. and at last sat up weak
ly. In his eyes there was now great
terror, while In place of his drunken
ness was only fear and faintness-ab-
ject fear Of the great bulk that sat and
smoked and stared at him so f1shily.
He felt uncertainty Of his throat and
groaned again.
"Why did you do that?" he whis-
pered, but the other made no sign. He
tried to rise, but his knees relaxed.
He staggered and fell. At last he
gained his feet and made for the door.
Then, when his hand was on the knob.
Mcnamara spoke through his teeth.
without removing his cigar.
Don't ever talk about her again.
She Is going to marry me-"
When he was alone, he looked curl
ously up at the ceiling over bis head.
1.-The rats are thick In this shack" he
mused. Seems to me heard a whole
swarm Of them"
A few moments later figure crept
through the hole in the roof Of the
house next door and thence down into
the street. A block ahead was the
slow moving form Of Attorney Struve
Had stranger met them both he
would not have known which of the
two had felt at his throat the clutch of
a stranger, for each was drawn and
haggard and swayed as he went.
Glenister unconsciously turned to-
ward his cabin, but at leaving the
lighted streets the thought Of its dark
ness and silence made him shudder.
Not now! He could not bear that still
ness and the company Of his thoughts.
He dared not be alone. DeXtry would
be downtown undoubtedly, and he, too,
must get into the light and turmoil.
He licked his lips and found that they
were cracked and dry.
At rare intervals during the past
years he had staggered in from long
march where for hours he had waged q
bitter war with cold and hunger, his
limbs clumsy with fatigue, his gar
ments wet and stiff, his mind slack and
sullen. At such extreme seasons he
had felt a consuming thirst, a thirst
which burned and scorched until his
very bones cried out feverishly-not