The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-04-27

1t appeared probable to San
tome that Eaton had come alone
to the study and had met his enc
mics there. Had they surprised
Eaton or had he surprised them?
Santoine was inclined to believe
that Eaton had surprised them.
Eaton could not have carried away
the contents of the safe with Har-
riet knowing it. Santoine believ-
ed that she would not have con-
cealed this.
Santoine felt, therefore, that the
probabilities were that Eaton S
enemies had opened the safe and
had been surprised by Eaton. But
if they had opened the safe, they
were not only Eaton's enemies;
they were also Santoine's.
True, they could have shot him.
But Blanchford had been unat-
tackled until he had recognized
one of the intruders.
What had protected Santoine
therefore, was his blindness. But
Santoine recognized that this did
not fully account for his immun-
| ity. Two weeks before, an at
tack meant for Eaton had struck
down Santoine instead; and no
further attempt against Eaton had
| been made until it had become
known that Santoine was not go
| ing to die. II Santoine's death
would have served for Eaton S
death two weeks before, why was
Santoine immune now? Did pos
session of the contents of San
tones safe accomplish the same
thing as Santoine's death? Or
more than his death for these
men? For what men?
1t was not, Santoine was GER
tain, Eaton's presence in the
study which had so astounded
Blatchford; Blatchford was accus-
toned to Eaton's presence In the
house. Some one whom Batch
ford knew and whose name San
tome also would know. and whose
presence in the room was so as
tonishing that Blatchford had
tried to prepare Santoine for the
announcement, had been there.
The man whose name was on
Blatchford's tongue, or the COM
panion of that man, had shot
Blatchford rather than let San
tome hear the name.
Many men could profit by pos
sessing the contents of Santoine' S
safe, and might have shot Blatch-
ford rather than let Santoine
know their presence there. But
there could be at most but one
small group of men who could be
at the same time Eaton's enemy
and Santoine's. To have known
who Eaton was would have point
ed this man to Santoine.
The blind man lay upon his
back, his open, sightless eyes UNI
winking in the intensity of his
Thought.
At great risk to himself, Eat
on had taken the train at Seat
tie because Santoine was on it.
There were but four possible
reasons why he could have taken
the train in the manner he did,
land two of those reasons had lat
er been eliminated. The two pos
sibilities which remained were
that Eaton had taken the train
to inform Santoine of something
or to learn something from San
Itoine. But Eaton had since had
ample opportunity to inform San
tome of anything he wished; he
had not only not informed him
of anything, but had refused to
answer any of Santoine's ques-
lions. 1t was to learn something
from Santoine, then, that Eaton
had taken the train.
The blind man felt certain now
that Eaton had gone to Warden
expecting to get from Warden
some information that he needed
and that, to prevent Warden's
giving him this, Warden had beer
killed. Then Warden's death had
caused Santoine to go to Seattle
, and take charge of Warden's at
! fairs; Eaton had thought that thu
, information which had been IL
| lWarden's possession might nov
t be in Santoine's; Eaton, there
fore, had followed Santoine ont