The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-28
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aside.
Il won't give you the wristers," he
said. You'll come along all right.
For old sake's sake I'll see what I
can do for you up at"
He stopped suddenly and leaped to
one side as the gas went out, and
threw up his arm. But he was too
late. A stunning blow fell on his
head and he dropped senseless to the
floor.
When he regained consciousness he
found himself lying on the bed in
the same room, with Mike, Jakey and
Lawyer Randall standing over him.
where's Mr.. Banning?" he cried,
starting up. The gas had been re-
lighted, and he gazed around the ap-
partment In .bewilderment, a sense
of the situation coming to him slowly.
The lawyer motioned to the atten-
tive Mike and Jakey to withdraw.
Then when he had closed and locked
the door behind them he returned to
Rugersom, who was sitting on the
bedside feeling tenderly of the back
Of his head. and said:
mr.. Banning has gone home, glad
enough to escape from this foul at
mosphere. Phew! how it smells. I
suppose the place hasn't been aired for
40 years."
He paused, and then with a search
ing glance at the detective, lowered
his voice to confidential tone and
said:
"Rugersom, how did you happen to
find Mr.. Banning, or know where to
lock for him."
why" he replied, still feeling rue
fully OF his head, II have known he
was coming here for the last two
months. Nearly every afternoon at
about five o'clock he turned up here,
and then held the chairs down all the
evening blowing his bazoo-you know,
champagne, and all the fixin's. He was
in with this night clerk, Ring, and
two or three others, young fellers out
OF a job, that used him for the sup
pers and the fizz. Twas a queer
break, anyhow, him greasing the him
ges of this low-down joint when he
could have the cream, and he had me
guessing for fair, because he natur-
ally wasn't that sort. You could see
that right off. What his lay was had
me to the mat, for he was way out of
MS class here-a diamond button on
pig-sty door. Bimeby I missed him,
and when found his friends were gun
ming for him, laid it out that he'd got
what was coming to him for hitting
1t up in such company. So saw
Ring and found l was right. He had
him locked in here, and suppose he
was putting the screws on for the ma
yuma. Did Mr.. Banning say anything
to you about that?"
He paused and examined the lawyer
cunningly.
why, we said only a few words to
each other here" Randall answered.
ghbly, for he was feeling sick and
wanted to get home. We shall talk that
over later. But how did Ring escape
you? AS I understand it you and this
Mike had him cornered-didn't you?
And he got away"
mot Nike" interrupted Rugersom.
He looked at the lawyer from under
his brows. mike was not in the
room. Twas me and Mr. Banning.
What gets me is, where was Mr.. Ban
ming at when I was put out? He
could have stopped it all right"
Nonsense" the lawyer interrupt
ed. What Mr. Banning wanted was
to escape-to get away as soon as
possible, of course. He very naturally
thought of nothing else at the moment.
What he will think later is another
matter, l promise YOU"
The detective stood looking at the
| speaker half suspiciously, half ques-
| tioningly. But Mr.. Randall gave him
no heed.
WELL" he said, bustling towards
the door, II mustn't be lingering here.
It's your job to find this Ring, and l
fancy you know pretty nearly where
to look for him. Don't take him to
headquarters bring him to me first.
I'll make it right with you You un.
derstand we're going to make it hot
for that fellow, and the other guilty
ones, when he have learned from him
who they are. But we want no noise
about it,
Rugersom watched the lawyer with
narrowed eyes as he fastened away
down the dirty corridor. And for
some time afterwards he stood staring
into vacancy mechanically feeling of
his crown.
DR.. Furnivall,' said Lawyer Ran
dali, II have come to you on a singu-
lar errand. Whether your unique pow
er is what need don't know, but If
it isn't l certainly don't know what
is. And in that case should be com
PEELED to stop proceedings, which
would prove downright calamity"
THE case is this" the lawyer went
on, the doctor making no oral response
to his statement: Some two months
ago young Courtney Banning-you
know, the Childs-Bannings, that fam.
ily-began going wrong. Originally
he was fine fellow, not a vice in the
world, I'm sure, and not bad habit
even. Seemed to be just harmlf SO
sort of average youth, who would
never set the world afire, nor drown It
either. I saw good deal. of him in
his boyhood and can speak from per-
sonal knowledge. At his majority he
received three millions in his own
right and became guardian of his sis.
ter, subject to advice from a board
of trustees, of which I am one. He
conducted himself so sanely, with such
good will and ability. that we never