Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1909-05-27

For old sake's sake I'll see what !
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
m~osphere. Phew! how it smells. 1
suppose the place hasn't been aired for
10 years"
He paused, and then with a search
ing glance at the detective, lowered
his voice to a confidential tone and
said:
"Rugersom, how did you happen to
find Mr.. Banning, or know where to
look for him?"
Why" he replied, still feeling rue
fully of his head, 81 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-
I 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
a pig-sty door. Bimeby | 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
it up in such company. So I saw
ting and found | was right. He had
MIN locked in here, and | D he
was putting the screws on for the ma
yuma. Did MI. 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.
glibly, for he was feeling sick and
wanted to get home. We shall talk that
oVer later. But how did Ring escape
you? AS understand it you and this
Mike had him cornered-didn't vou9
And he got away"
Not Mike" interrupted Rugersom.
lie 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 l 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, | promise you"
The detective stood looking at the
speaker half suspiciously, half oues-
tioningly. Bat Mr.. Randall gave him
no heed.
WELL" he said, bustling towards
the door, 81 mustn't be lingering here.
It's your job to find this Ring, and
fancy you know pretty nearly where
to look for him. Don't take him to
notwithstanding him to me first.
III make it right with you. You I'M
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 GRAND. Whether your unique pow
er Is what l need l don't know, but II
1t isn't l certainly don't know what
is. And in that case l should be COM
PEELED to stop proceedings, which
would prove a 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-B annings, that fam
ily-began going wrong. Originally
he was a fine fellow, not a vice in the
world, I'm sure, and not a bad habit
even. Seemed to be just a harmless
sort Of average youth, who would
never set the world afire, nor drown 1t
either. saw a good deal of him in
his boyhood and a speak from per-
sonal knowledge. At his majority he
received three millions in his own
right and became guardian Of his sis
for elIhiact tn aduicn frnnn q hnn.a