The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1917-04-27
CHAPTER XXI
VIVA, One Can Do Without eyes

Tho blind man lay IN bed and
thought iic mus, think this prob
lem thru. lilo knew Harriet waH
conccaling something. bu, 10 knew
be couldn't force q from her lie
tried 20 reconstruct What had hap
poncd 10 tho study
II appeared probable 90 ssntoine
thA, Eaton had come alone 20 tho
study aud had met his enemies
there. Had they surprised Eaton or
had be surprised them Sanloine
VAS inclined 10 believe that Eaton
had surprised them. Eaton could
no, have carried away the contents
OF the safe without Harriet knowing
Il. santolne believed that she would
not have concealed this.
Santolnc felt. therefore. that the
probabilities we're tina, Eaion's enc
mics had opened the safe and had
BEEN surprised by Eaton. But ~
thoy had opened tho safe. they were
not only Eaton'a enemies. they
we're also Santnine'r
True. they could have shot him
BUT BlAichford had been unattached
until no had recognized ono OF the
INT rudera
WhA, had protected san,olnc
therefore. was his blindness But
Saniuinc recognized that this did
not fully account for bis immunity
Two weeks before. an attack meant
for Eaton had struck down Santolne
instead. and no further attempt
against Eaton had been made until
Il had become known tina, Santoine
was not going 10 die. II Santoinc's
death would have served for Eajon's
death two weeks before. why was
Santoine immune now7 Did posses.
sion OF the contents OF Santoinc's
safe accomplish tho same thing as
Sanioines DEATH or moro than HE
death for these men, For What
men,
II was not. Santoine was certain,
Eaton's presence In tho study which
had 90 aEtoundcd Blatchford.
Hlatchford was accustomed 20
Eatons presence In the house
Some ono whom Blatchford knew
and whose name Santoine also
would know. and whose presence In
the room was 40 Astonishing that
Biaekford had tried to prepare san
toino FOR the announcement. had
been there The man whose name
was on Blatchford's tongue. or tho
companion OF that man. had shot
Blatchford rather than let Santoino
hear tho name
Many men could prof, by possess'
Ing the contents OF SAntoine's safe.
and might have shot Blatchford
rather than let Santoine know their
presence there But there could be
nj most but one small group OF men
who could be AZ the same time
Faton's enemy and Santoine's. To
have known who Eaton was would
have pointed this man TO Santoine.
Tho blind man lay upon his back
his open, sightless eyes unwinking
in the intensity OF HIS thought.
At great risk to himself. Eaton
had taken tho train at Seattle be-
cause Snntolne was on f. There
we're but four possible reasons why
he could have taken tho train In
the manner he did. and two OF those
reasons had later been eliminated.
The two possibilities which remain
ed wero that Eaton had taken the
train 10 inform Santoine OF some
thing or to learn something from
Santolno. But Eaton had aimee had
ample opportunity TO inform San.
tome OF anything he wished: he
had not only not Informed him OF
anything. but had refused 20 an
swer any OF Santoine's questions.
II was to learn something from San.
tome, then, that Eaton had taken
the train.
The blind man felt certain now
that Eaton had gone 10 Warden
expecting to get from Warden some
Information that no needed, and
that. to prevent Warden's giving
him this. Warden had been killed.
Then Warden's death had caused
Santoino 10 70. TO Seattle and tato
charge OF Warden's affairs. Eaton
had thought that tho information
which had been I'm Warden's pos
session might now be in Santoine's.
Eaton. therefore. had followed San.
toine onto the train.
Santolne had not had the infor-
nation Eaton required. and he could
not even imagine vet what the ma
tire OF II could be. Warden had
been concerned in many enter.
prises: Snntolne had no way OF tell
ing which had concerned Eaton.