The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1917-01-11

clock this fellow up until police
come from the city," he ordered.
But Hargraves and interposed.
"What's the trouble, jim" call
ed to O'Rorke.
The prefect tried to keep him
from replying, but Jim cried: ale
stole the scnora's necklace. It's in
his pocket"
At this the prefect turned on him
with a string of oaths. VILLAIN,
he Kissed. 'You took the neck
lace, anG if it had not been for me
the sonora might have Jared worse.
Thank heaven | arrived in time to
save her from your stiletto."
The retainers wrenched the knife
from O'Rorke's hand, and the crowd
surged up Kissing, for nothing ex-
cites the Latin mind like the sight
of naked weapons. The affair was
becoming desperate for O'Rorke.
but luckily at this moment Mr..
Cuthbert pushed through the crowd,
which fell back sullenly as they
recognized the consul.
"Hold on there" he called as the
walters tried to drag Jim away.
"There must be some mistake, pre-
feet. I know Mr.. O'Rorke quite
well, and no doubt We can settle
this affair in a moment"
The prefsst interrupted angrily,
but the consul turned his back on
him and asked Jim to explain what
had happened.
"I had gone up to my room for
this stiletto, curio which I wished
to show my friends on the porch"
Jim explained, "and on my rstrn
from the head of the stairs Fsaw the
sonora in the hands of man who
held her by the throat. I shouted
to him to let 60 and was surprised
to see it was the prefect, who by
that time had wrenched loose her
necklace and slipped it into his
pocket. Then, realizing that he was
caught, he rushed at me as though
1 was the culprit."
The prefect stamped his foot and
shouted "Liarw But the consul held
the floor, aud Jim in proof OF his
honesty turned his pockets inside
out. As he emptied his right hand
pocket 4 glimmering gold chain fell
from it, at the sight of which he
staggered as though he had been
struck. 1t was the diamond neck
lace. But entangled in the meshes
of the chain was the projects police
whistle engraved with his own
name, "Pedro 4snendos." Un-
known to him, it had clang to the
necklace during the scufle when,
in order to throw the blame on
0'Rorke, he had transferred it to
the latter's pocket.
The face of the prefeet hanched,
but he fell back on the dignity of
his Office. 'This proves nothing"
he said haughtily.
cit proves the necklace was in
your pocket~ Hargraves called out,
and what might have been q general
riot was at that moment prevented
by Sonora Garcias regaining con-
sciousness.
For an instant she swept the
crowd with a bewildered glance;
then as her eyes fell on the pre-
feet she realized the situation and,
with cry of anger snatched her
necklace from his hands.
"Oh, you ingrate!" she e1claim-
ed. "You pretended to love me,
but it was only for my jewels. owe
my life no doubt to this young
man." And she turned to o. Rorke.
"He arrived just in time to save
me-" Then as her hands caught
the police whistle she disentangled
it from the chain and hurled it in
the projects face.
ut is a liew he reiterated, and,
drawing the dress sword that hung
at his side, he brandished it in a
circle at arms length. In this man
ner he fought his way through the
crowd and made his escape by q
rear door.
Later Hargraves and I laughingly
suggested that Jim might supplant
the prefect in the senofa's afec-
tions, but he declared he had bad
enough of South American dealings,
and we left the next morning on q