The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1908-05-28
The Spoilers.
By REX E. BEACH.
:: copyrisht. Rex E. Beach x
IContinued from last week.

late in the afternoon, when DeNtry
and Slapjack came in from the hills.
answering Wheaton's call. and fell
upon him hungrily. They shook Roy
into consciousness with joyous riot.
pommeling him with afectionate
roughness till he rose and joined with
them Stiff1y. He bathed and rubbed
the soreness from his muscles. emerS-
ing physically tt. They made him
recount his adventures TO the tinieSt
detail, following his description of the
hght with absorbed interest till DeXtry
broke into mournful complaint:
Id have given my half Of the Midas
to see you bust him. Lord. Id have
screeched with soopreme delight at
that"
"Why didn't you gouge his eyes out
when you had him crippled!' question
ed Slapjack vindictively. I'D a done
H."
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, have sure
missed a-plenty today, partic'lar be-
cause my own diction Is gettin' run
down an skim milky of late, shown
sad lack of new idees, which might
have assim'lated somethin' robustiy
original an expressive II I'd been here.
No, sir; a nose bag full Of nuggets
wouldn't have kept me away"
"How did II sound when she bust
sdr' insisted the morbid Simms, but
Glenister refused to discuss the COM
bat
"Come on, Slap" said the old pros
rector; "let's go downtown. I'm so
bet up I 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 60 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 dif'rent an all better'n your
account"
Now that Glenster's mind had re-
covered some of its poise he realized
what he had done.
~ was beast. an animal he groan-
ed, "and 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 l am found lacking. |
have lost her confidence. Yes, and
what Is worse. infinitely worse. have
lost my own. She's always seen me at
my worst" he went OH, but I'm not
that kind at bottom-not that kind. l
want to do what's right, and IL have
another chance 1 will know l will.
pve been tried too hard, that's ALL"
Some one knocked, aud 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
", Offering in explanation:
"I'm all sewed up in bandages of
one kind or another"
"He ought to be in bed now, but be
wouldn't let ME come alone, and l
could not wait" the girl supplemented,
while her eyes avoided Glenister's in
strange hesitation.
"He wouldn't let you. l don't under
stand"
"I'm her brother" announced the
Bronco Kid. I've known it for long
time. but I-I-well, you understand. l
couldn't let her know. All can say Is,
I've gambled square till the night
played you, and 1 was as mad as
dervish then, blaming you for the talk
I'd heard. Last night l learned by
chance about Struve and Helen and got
% the roadhouse In time to save her.
Tn sorry 1 didn't kill him." His long
white fingers writhed about the arm
Of his chair at the memory.
"Isn't he desdT" Glenister inquired.
NO. 1uS UOCtoTS nave uiON6ht hAa1
n, and he'll get well. He's We half
The men in Alaska-here because the
sherifs back home couldn't shoot
straight. There's something etse. I'm
not a good talker, but give pne time
and IN manage 1t 90 you'll understand.
! tried to keep Helen ADom coming on
this errand. but she said it was the
square thing and she knows better
than I. It's about those papers she
brought In last spring. She was afraid
you might consider her party to the
deal, bot you don't, DO your he glar-
"a belfiserentfy, and Roy replied with
fervor:
''Certatnly not. Go on"
~Eak she learned the other day that
those documents told the whole story
and contained enough proof to break
vp this conspiracy and convict the
fudge and Mcnamara and all the rest,
bat Etruve kept the bundle In his safe
and wouldn't give It up without price.
That's wig she went away with him.
0ho thos,ohf II was right and-that'S