The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-09-20
CHAPTER XII.
BANCKER TO THE FRONT

BANcKER TO THE FRONT
Foor rupert being thus peremptoril,
dlsmlssed, bowed and took his leave
passing out through the halls of Justice
eyed by a dozen or more stern mvr
midons of the law.
AS he had sat, during his brief inter
view with Mr.. Bancker, with his bacl
10 the open door, he had failed to no
tice the apparition of messenger who
made significant signal to the detec.
i've, which virtually was the cause OF
Armm,s being discharged 80 suddenly
nor dld he, being wholly absorbed in
ms own thoughts, see the elderly 0en.
tleman, OF distinguished appearances
VINO stood waiting for an audience with
Detective Bancker. ~ 'N,, won "i'
had Arnlm been of a curious turn Of
mind, which decidedly he was not. and
had he chosen to listen at the door az
|T1priyate Office after the. elderly gen
ffSI ff,s 1ffst wor,is Ie m;ebt Iavs 6ss,3
would have been:
Have I the pleasure of meeting Mr..
Bnncker, the gentleman in charge of
the Clifford murder case %
Yes, sir. And you are?"
Mr.. Edgar, the lawyer employed
by the late Mr.. Orrin Clifford Mt the
time of his DEATH"
"Then permit me to sny, Mr.. Edgar,
that you are the missing link in our
operations! Thank you for calling
upon me-"
But as Rupert did not hear all this
and the mass of vitality important busi-
ness that followed, perhaps for the
present we need not be inquisitive; let
MS, rather, return TO little Oracle Gar.
land, our long-suffering heroine, where
we left her on the preceding night in
that upper room of the old building.
PROSTATE upon the lifeless body of her
supposed father. .
The shock of the information which
Nicholas Garland had impaired with
his dying breath, coupled with the ex.
cltenent and fatigue of the night. had
bereft tho poor child of her. senses for
the time being, and like one dead she
lay there, needing not the dazzling
ray of the bull's-eye lantern that en-.
compassed the pathetic picture in its
pale of light.
Bmay be needless to state that the
lantern was held in the hand of that
astute detective, Mr.. 'Bancker, since
the reader has alrehdy suspected as
much. -- -.., !
1t was he who, by chance, came upon
Max Boyden, as he came strolling down
the avenue to keep his, appointment
with Nicholas Garland; it was he who
Ell Cfrcm hftu> thnr-Nuesst,f-te,- -tLrsi.-.lai,.i-
means of the door which Boyden had
left unlocked; it was he who had
locked the door on the inner side after
little Oracle had found admittance
there, and it was he who now knew
more than was good for certain parties
in the case.
After the terrible climax had passed,
Mr.. Dancker, in his cool, calculating
way, affixed the bulls eye to his belt,
approached and gently raised the girl
from her unsuitable resting place. Al
most his first touch recalled her to her
senses.
."Oh, what has happened? Who are
your" she walled in dazed way, strug-
Cling out of his arms and staring at him
wildly.
Always methodical and calm, if any
thing, Bancker replied to each query.
"A man has been murdered here. I
am a friend"
It all flashed back upon her now; the
desperate conflict between Garland and
an unknown man; the dying confession,
and then the silence of death!
ga mani" she cried, glancing invol-
unfairly Mt the dark, distorted form upon
upon the floor; "he was my fa- Oh,
no, no! Oh, sir, if, rs you say, you are
friend, tell me what it all means!"
"Iknow no more about it than you do,
my poor girl" replied the dete ctive,
gently; probably much less. But we
will take time and clear up the matte
"Who has done this thing?" she de.
manded, shudderingly.
'"I am not yet prepared to say" was
the evasive reply; "ali that I have to
advise is that we leave the matter ilsi
where it is for tonight"
"Whatl Leave him all alone hUre ir
the dark ?" =
"The body cannot be removed until
the Coroner is notified"
"Then shall not leave him. --,-.--
"What was he to you?"
"My--Nothing."
She could not accustom herself IL
the thought that the man for whom she
| would have sacrificed her very life, il
need be, was not her father; and the
detective, who was monument of pa
tience in such matters, was not In
! the least annoyed by her contradictory
replies; indeed, he went on systemat
ically: y.t-2' ,.
Where is your homer"
| II have no home"
"How came you here?" 49,
II do not know" .,
| "Well, we'll talk of this anothe
time, when you are rested and less ex
cited. In the mean time you had bet
ter come with me. My wife will
make. you comfortable for the night q
least"
+ ,Gracieclasped her hands, and tho ho
tears coursed one after another oveI
her pale cheeks, 60
Must i leave him ?" she sobbed.
"You certainly can't stay here; 70,
would catch your death Of cold, besides
doing no good" %5g
Il might as we'll diel What have Il
| live for?" Isl ,nS 49,