The Holly chieftain., 1923-02-15
CHAPTER xi
The Ally In the House.


and drawing on trousers and coat
over his pajamas, he seated himself
by the open window to see the house
by daylight. As 1t grew lighter. he
could see 1t was an immense struc-
ture Of smooth gray stone. Eaton was
in Its central part, his windows look
| Ing to the south. As he watched, one
| of the two nurses who had been on the
| train came to window Of the farthest
| room on the second floor of the south
wing and stood looking out; that.
then, must be Santoine's room; and
| Eaton drew back from his window as
he noted this.
The sun had risen, and Its beams,
reflected up from the lake. danced on
his ceiling Eaton, chilled by the
sharp air off the water-and knowing
now the locality where he must be-
| pulled off his coat and trousers and
| jumped back into bed. He realized
that circumstances had given him
time for anything he might wish to
do; for the nights stop at Minneapolis
into his own charge must have made
Eaton's disappearance complete; for
| the present he was lost to them
who had been following him, and to
his friends alike. His task, then, was
| to let his friends know where he was
| without letting them" learn 1t; and
thinking of how this was to be done,
he fell asleep again.
At nine he awoke with start;
then, recollecting everything, he
jumped up and shut his windows.
There was respectful, apOlogetic
knock Mt the door; evidently servant
had been waiting In the hall for some
sound within the room.
| MAY l come in, sir?'
Come in"
The man who had attended him the
evening before entered.
'Your bath. sir; hot or cold in the
morning, sir?"
"Hot," Eaton answered.
"Of course, sir; I'd forgotten you'd
just come from the Orient, sir. shall
tell them to bring breakfast up, sir |;
or will you 60 DOWN." the man asked.
Eaton considered The manners of
servants are modelled on the feelings
of their masters, and the mans defer
ence told plainly that. although Eaton
might be prisoner he was not to
be treated openly as such.
81 think can go down." Eaton re-
piled. He found the hull and the
! rooms below bright and open but un-
occupied; a servant showed him to
). blue Delft breakfast room to the
east He had half finished his bacon
! and greens before anyone else ap
peared.
! This was tall carefully dressed
man of more than fifty, with hand
some well-bred features-plalnly a
man of position and wealth but with
out experience in affairs, and with
out power. He was dark haired and
. wore a mustache which, like his hair
was beginning to gray. AS he ap
peared In the hall without hat or over
> coat, Eaton understood that he lived
in the house; he came directly into
;. the breakfast room and evidently hat
= not breakfasted.
u II am Wallace Blatchford," the
stranger volunteered as Eaton looked
1 up. 11c khNC lAG huiIC III u
which seemed to assume that he now
!, !, must be recalled; Eaton therefor,
u feigned recognition as he gave hin
his name In return.
Basil Santoine is better this morn
Ing" Blatchford announced.
= II understood he was very comfort
y able last evening" Eaton said 81
have not seen either Miss Santoin,
or Mr.. Avery, this morning"
II saw Basil Santoine the last thin,
last night" the other boasted. III,
was very tired; but when he wa
home, of course he wished me to b.
beside him for time"
"Of course" Eaton replied, as tn
other halted. There was a humilit
In the boast Of this mans friendship
for SantoIne which stirred sympathy
almost pity.
Eaton finished his breakfast but re
mained at the table while Blatchfort
who scarcely touched his food, con
tinued to boast, in his queer humilit.
of the blind man and of the blin
mans friendship for him. He checke
himself only when Harriet Santoin
appeared In the doorway. He an
Eaton at once were on their feet.
my dearl He wants to see IN
now?" the tall man almost pleaded
"He wants me to be with him thi
morning?'
"Of course, Cousin Wallace" tn
girl said gently. almost with con
passion.
''You Will excuse me then, sir.
ID Blatchford said hastily to Eaton an
I'd hurried off. The girl gazed afte
ID him, and when she turned the mex
70 instant to Eaton her eyes were wet.
Good morning, Miss Santoine. Yo
I'd are coming to breakfast?"
i'd "Oh, no; I've had my breakfast;