MSGID: 2:221/6.0 601286e8   
   PID: SmapiNNTPd/Linux/IPv6 1.3 20201225   
   CHRS: CP437 2   
   TZUTC: 0200   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2020-11-09   
   Hello, all.   
      
   How have you been doing whatever you have been doing?   
      
   I  have  a question about a fictional newspaper article from   
   Ross Macdonald's "The Doomsters"   
      
     The story began in a rather stilted atmospheric style  which   
     made  me  wonder  if  Slovekin  had  been embarrassed by the   
     writing of it: "In a tragedy which may parallel the  ancient   
     tragedy  of  Cain and Abel, violent death paid a furtive and   
     shocking visit today to a well-known local family. Victim of   
     the  apparent  slaying  was  Jeremiah Hallman, 34, prominent   
     Buena Vista Valley rancher."   
      
   Why is `victim' not heralded with the definite  article?  Is   
   it  omitted  by way of telegraphic journalese? Unlikey among   
   the surrounding wordly folliage...   
      
   ---    
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