Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1923-04-19

board, and he rang at the same time
for the nurse outside his door and
for the steward.
Santoine did not consider the pos
sibility of robbery of plate or jewelry
long enough TO have been said to con
slider II at all: what he felt was tina,
the threat which had been hanging
vaguely owe himself aver since War.
denis murder was being fulfilled. But
IL was not Santoine himself that was
being attacked 1t WIS something San
tome possessed. There was only one
sort Of valuable article for which one
might enter that room below. And
those articles
Santoine pressed all the bells again
and then got up. He had heard abso-
lutely no sound outside. as must be
made by anyone escaping from the
room below; but the battle seemed
over. One side must have destroyed
the other.
The blind man stood barefooted on
the floor. his hands ciasping In one of
the bitterest moments of his rebellion
aEGAA4olr unu uCu6bCt VA LIE aCiRtSoS-
of blindness Below him-as he
beiieved-his servants had been sacri-
icing life for him there I'm that room
he held In trust that which affected
the security, the faith. the honor OF
others; his guarding that trust I'm
volved his honor no less. And partic-
ularly. now, he knew he was bound.
at whatever cost, to act; for he did
not doubt now but that his half-pris-
oned guest, whom Santoine had not
sufficiently guarded, was at the bot
tom of the attack. The blind man be
lieved, therefore. that II was because
Of his own retention here Of Eaton
that the attack had been made, his
servants had been killed, the private
secrets of his associates were In dan
ger. Undoubtedly there was danger
below: but hat was why he did not
call again at the other door for some
one else to run a risk for him.
He put his hand on the rail- and
started TO descend the stairs. He was
almost steady In step and he had firm
grasp on the rail he noticed that now
TO wonder at 1t. When he had aroused
at the sound of firing. his blindness.
as always when something was hap
pening about him, was obtruded upon
him. He felt helpless because he was
blind, not because he had been In
Jured. He had forgotten entirely
that for almost two weeks he had not
stirred from bed he had risen and
stood and walked. without staggering,
to the door and TO the top of the
stairs before, now, ne remembered. SO
what he already had done showed him
that he had merely again to put his
injury from his mind and he could
go on He went down the stairs al
most steadily.
The blind count stairs, and he had
gone down twenty-one-and realized
fully his futility; but now he would
not retreat or merely call for help.
who Is here7' he asked distinctly.
"Is anyone here7 Who is hereT'
No one answered. And now San
tome knew by the sense which let him
feel whether It was night or day, that
the room was really dark-dark for
others as well as for himself; the
lights were not burning. SO an exal-
~tation. a sense of physical c%apability,
came to Santoine; In the dark he was
as fit. as capable as any other man.
He stepped down on the floor, and
in his uncertainty as TO the position
- <ha (rx~a <aIt otor- che mall 1
There were bookcases there. but he
felt and passed along them swiftly,
until he came to the case which
concealed the safe at the left side Of
the doors. The books were gone from
case his bare toes struck against
down on the floor. The blind man, his
pulse beating tumultuously, put his
hand through the case and felt the
panel behind. That was slid back,
exposing the safe; and the door of
the safe stood open Santoine's
hands felt within the safe swiftly. The
safe was empty.
He recoiled from II, choking back
IN ejaculation. The entry to this
Dom had been made for the purpose
he supposed and the thieves
must have succeeded In their errand.
The blind man. In his uselessness for
could delay calling others to
let for him no longer. He started
oward the bell, when some scrape on
he fioor-not of the sort to be ac-
for by an object moved by
he wind-sounded behind him. San
oine swung toward the sound and
TODD listening again and then, Crop
ng with bis hands stretched out be-
ore him, he left the wall and stepped
the center OF the room He
ook two steps-three. four-with no
then his foot trod into some
thick and sticky and not cold
Santoine stopped and put a finger
Ip into the fluid and brought 1t near
is nose. 1t was what he supposed 1t
rust be-bIood. He could near now
omeone breathing-more than one
erson- From the house, still shut
Il by its double, sound-proof doors
e could hear nothing; but someone
the house was hurryfng up TO
ne open window at the south end Of
room. I