River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-05-27

declared Jakey.
They helped put him in the wagon,
that's all" Ring volunteered.
''But who went with him to the hos
pital, then? They say there that two
men came with him and gave his
name"
Both Mike and Jakey began to talk
very fast, explaining that all they
knew was that Mr.. Banning had fall
en- down stairs, that they had lifted
him into the ambulance and then re-
turned to the dining room, where they
were sitting when the noise of his fall
startled them into rushing to the kitch-
en- to see what the trouble was. They
knew Mr.. Banning very well by sight,
as everybody around the hotel did,
he was there so often, attracting a
good deal of attention unknown to him
self by being there at all, and espe-
cially by spending SO much money.
"You two come along with me-" Ru-
gersom interrupted, grimly. "You
have the spiel too pat. Well see if
| the ambulance man and the clerk at
the Relief station can identify YOU"
ITS all right, Mr.. Rugersom. It's
jest as | tell YOU called Ring after
the detective as the three went out
"Mebbe," muttered Rugersom, "but
! there's sand in this sugar somewhere
It grits."
The instant they reached the first
cross street both men, as if moved by
one impulse, grabbed the officer by
the arm and turned the corner, out Of
sight of the hotel.
Cit outer here-Ill tell him-I have
the first word" growled Mike to
Jakey, who was feverishly trying to
whisper in the detectives ear
Rugersom shook them off and
stepped into a doorway.
go Slow" he said You'll both be
treated the same in this game, no
| matter who speaks first Out with it,
! Mike"
Jakey subsidized and Mike hastily
| took the word.
There was a gazabo lifted a couple
of plunks off fellow up stairs there
| that night" he whispered, "and hit it
for the main entrance. But the Rube
stood up to him. so he breaks away
for the back door he seen there. 1t
was barred, but he got it open and
slides through, but the stairs is cut out
and he pitches on his nut against the
kitchen floor We all hears the hula
balOO and five or six of us trails in to
see the game. Mr.. Banning was one.
We sends for the Black Maria, and Mr..
Banning says: TIL give every man
here he says, "a ten-spot,' he says,
to say that dead man on the floor he
says, is me- he says. And then he
says, who wants it?' and he flashed
a roll the size of stove funnel So
we all took it. And he hands me and
Jakey here ten more to go to the
station for to give his name. And we
goes and gives it. We all thought
the man was dead, but twas nothing
real phony, was it, Mr.. Rugersom?
You got nothin' on us"
And" put in Jakey, quickly, "you
can't get the 20 apiece back from us,
because why?-we blowed it, didn't
we Mike?"
"S'elp mel" swore Mike, throwing
out his palms.
ooh, dead surel" grinned Ruger-
som. "You two high rollers blow 20
frequent. But that's all right. All
want is Banning. Put me near and
I'm clam on everything else. Where
is he?" AS they consulted each other
with troubled eyes he added impa-
tiently. Leak, now, or I'll take you
in"
Twill cost us Ring" whined Mike.
He'll give us the run if we do it."
I'll give it to you if you don't.
Open up"
"'Tis wort ten," protested Mike.
"Ah, twenty" deprecated Jakey.
Go on along up to headquarters"
the detective burst forth, angrily,
Selling them by the elbows. This end
ed the controversy.
They gave in suddenly.
Hes in the house." said Mike hur-
riedly. Come, we'll show you. But
Ring is with him by this, and we'll
have to slide along, for he'll have him
out of that at onct now
They saw as they passed the Of
flee that Ring was no longer there,
and Rugersom snatched a precious
moment to call up Lawyer Randall on
the telephone. Then taking the stairs
with speed they ran down a foul
smelling corridor and stopped before
a door marked in black paint with the
number 20.
They're in there" he whispered. AS
he spoke there came a sudden sharp
exclamation from the room, followed
by the sounds of a fierce struggle,
and Rugersom, throwing himself again
and again upon the door soon burst
it in. Banning and Ring were rolling
on the floor pounding and clawing
each other, in the midst of torn bed
clothes, overturned chairs, a smashed
table and a mass of broken bottles
and glasses.
The detectives presence seemed to
COW the fight all out of Ring, for he at
first sat on the floor staring at him
and then arose and stood sheepishly
eying his adversary. Banning jumped
up in rage.
Arrest that mani" he cried, point
ing at Ring. He was a slim youth of
%, light haired and weak eyed, whose
naturally pale face was now pallid
from confinement except where the
clerks fingers had marked it with