The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-04-19

Lifting an eyelldt ne SAlu: tOlu
the light in front of the pupil.
Eaton obeyed. The surgeon ex-
posed the other pupil.
What's that for?" Avery now
asked.
Il was trying to determine the
seriousness of the injury to the
brain. was looking to see whether
light could cause the pupil to con-
tract"
Gould it," Connery asked.
No; there was no reaction.
Avery started to speak, checked
himself-then said: There could
be no reaction, believe, DR.. Sin
clair"
What do you mean"
"Ilis optic nerve Is destroyed"
"Ah! He was blind?"
Yes" Avery admitted.
Blind" Sinclair calculated.
Blind, and operated upon within
two years by Kuno CART" The
gaze again searched the
features In the berth: then 1t shift
ed to the men gathered about him.
who did you say this was?" he
demanded OF Avery.
Il said his name was Nathin
Dorne," Avery evaded.
mo, no." Sinclair jerked out
impatiently. "Isn'r this" He
hesitated, and finished in a voice
suddenly lowered: Isn't this
Basil Santoine?"
Avery found 1t Impossible to
deny.
Basil Santoine!" Connery
breathed.
Basil Santoine had been gradu-
ated from Harvard at 30, though
blind. Rich, he chose to work. He
adopted law as a profession. and,
overcoming his handicap, rose step
by step. Now 81, at 46 he had
been a power in the high circles of
but 1t took the murder
of the great western financier,
Latron, to reveal San
tome to the world at large. In the
eager questioning into Latron's
Ssntoine had been
as a witness.
The drama of Santoins's exam
ination had been of the sort the
public loves. The sightless wit
ness, revealing himself as one of
the unknown guiders Of the des-
tiny of the continent and as coun-
selor to the most powerful-him-
self till then hardly heard of, but
plainly one of the nations "un-
crowned rulers"-had caught the
public sense.
1t had been reported that San
tome had come to Seattle directly
after Warden's death; this attack
upon him, so similar to that which
had slain Warden. and delivered
within IL days of Warden's death.
must be of the gravest slgnlfi-
canoe.
Connery stood overwhelmed
with this fuller recognition of the
of the disaster which
had come upon this man entrusted
to his charger then he turned to
the surgeon.
Can you do anything for him
here, doctor?" he asked.
The surgeon glanced down the
car. THAT stateroom-is 1t occu-
pied?"
1T is occupied by his daugh-
ter"
Wen take him In there, then"
The four men lifted the inert
figure of Basil Santoine, carried 1t
into the drawing room and laid it
on its bed.
Before I decide to do any
thing" Sinclair said, II ought to
see his daughter. Her consent Is
necessary before any operation on
him."
The surgeon spoke to Avery.
Eaton saw by Avery's start of
recollection that Harriet Dorne's
or Harriet Santoine's-friend
could not have been thinking of
her at all. The chance of life or
death or Basil Santoine evidently
so greatly and directly affected
Donald Avery that he had been
absorbed in them to the point OF
all other interests than
his own. Eaton's own thought
had gone often to her.
Miss -Santoine is in the obser-
vation car" Avery said. "Fll
get her."
The tone was in some way
could not tell exactly
how. Avery started down the
aisle.
"One moment, Mr.. Avery!"
said the conductor. "I'll ask you
not to tell Miss Santoine before
any other passengers that there
has been an attack upon her faith
err. Wait until you get her in
side this car"
"You yourself said nothing,
then, that can have made her
suspect it2" Eaton asked.
Connery shook his head; the
conductor clearly had resolved to
keep the attack upon Santoine
secret for the time. 81 said moth.
ing definite even to the train
men," he replied; "and I want
you gentlemen to promise me that
you will say nothing until l give
you leave" The promise was
given.
As Avery left the car. Eaton
found a seat in one of the end
sections near the drawing room.
He did not know whether he
ought to remain; and he would
have gone except for recollection