Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1923-05-03
The Blind Mans Eyes

Eaton a been alone, or q come
alone. TO the study and had met his
enemies there.
Santoine felt that the probabilities
were that Eaton's enemies had opened
the safe and had been surprised by
Eaton. But II they had opened the
safe, they were not only Eaton's enc
mics; they were also Santoine's; they
were me men who threatened San
tones trust.
Those whom Eaton had fought In
the room had had perfect opportunity
for killing Santoine. II they wished.
But Santoine felt certain no one had
made any attack upon him at any
moment In the room he had had no
feeling, at any instant, that any of
the shots fired had been directed at
him. Blatchford. too, had been unat-
tackled until he had made It plain that
he had recognized one of the intru-
ders; then, before Blatchford could
call the name, he had been shot down.
1t was clear, then, that what had
protected Santoine was his blindness
he had no doubt that, II he had been
able to see and recognize the men In
the room after the lights were turned
on. he would have been shot down
this did not fully account for his i'm
munity. Two weeks before, an at
tack which had been meant for Eaton
had struck down Santoine instead
and no further attempt against Eaton
had been made until 1t had become
publicly known that Santoine was not
going TO die. IL Santoine's death
would have served for Eaton's death
two weeks before, why was Santoine
immune now7 Did possession OF the
contents of Santolne's safe accomplish
the same thing as Santoine's death7
Or more than his death for these menu
For what men7
II was not. Santoine was certain.
Eaton's presence in the study which
had 30 astounded Blatchford, Wallace
and Eaton had passed days together.
and Blatchford was accustomed TO Ea-
toms presence In the house. Someone
whom Blatchford knew and whose
uuuJt CdiitOilt diHU NOuiu huOW anu
whose presence In the room wal so
strange and astonishing that Batch
ford had tried to prepare Santoine for
the announcement, had been there.
The man whose name was on Batch
ford's tongue, or the companion of
that man, had shot Blatchford rather
than let Santoine hear the name.
He was beginning to find events fit
themselves together; but they fitted
lmperfectly as yet.
Santoine knew that he lacked the
key. Many men could profit by pos
sessing the contents of SantoIne's safe
and might have shot Blatchford rather
than let Santoine know their presence
there; II was impossible for Santoine
TO tell which among these many the
man who had been In the study
might be. Who Enton's enemies were
was equally unknown to Santoine.
But there could be but one manor
at most 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
pointed this man to SantoIne.
Gabriel Warden had had an APP
pointment with a young man who had
from Asia and who-Warden
had told his wlfe-he had discovered
lately had been greatly wronged.
under Conductor Connery's
questioning, had admitted himself to
be that young man SantoIne had veri-
fed this and had learned that Eaton
was, at least, the young man who had
gone TO Warden's house that night.
But Gabriel Warden had not been al
lowed to help Eaton so far from that,
he had not even been allowed to meet
and talk with Eaton; he had been
called out, plainly, to prevent his
meeting Eaton, and killed.
%satbn disappeared and concealed
at once after Warden's muir
der. apparently fearing that he would
also be attacked. But Eaton was not
4 man whom this personal fear would
have restrained from coming forward
to tell why Warden had been
killed. He had been urged to come
LOi nbIu anu DIOLulStu tndL olltTS
would give him help in Warden's
place /; still, he had concealed himself.
This must mean that others than War
len could not help Eaton; Eaton evil
iently did not know. or else could not
nope to prove, what Warden had dis
covered.
Santolne held this thought in abey-
NICE; he would see later how 1t
with the facts.
Eaton had remained In Seattle-or
rear Seattle-eleven days; apparently
md to escape attack during that time.
lie had been able to conceal himself
lie had been obliged. however. to re-
ZEAL himself when he took the train;
md as soon as possible a desperate
Ittempt had been made against him,
which, through mistake, had struck
Santoine instead of Eaton.
Eaton had taken the train at Sc
title because SantoIne was on 1t; he
lad done this at great risk to him
elf. The possibilities were that Ea-
on had taken the train TO inform San