The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-05-18
The Blind Mans Eyes

y
tive for the crime; for, though had
never met Overton, l knew that he
had lost the whole of large fortune
through investments recommended to
him by Latron Overton was con-
victed, sentenced to death he escaped
before the sentence was carried out
became a fugitive without name,
who if he ever appeared would be
handed over for execution. For the
evidence had been perfect-complete
he had shot Latron purely for re-
venge, killed him in the most des-
picable manner. For there was no
doubt Latron was dead, was there,
Avery?"
None" Avery said huskily.
THAT was the time you came into
my employ, Avery, recommended TO
me by one Of the men who had been
closest to Latron. / was not connect
ed with the Latron properties except
as an. adviser; but many papers re-
lating to them must go inevitably
through my hands. l was rather on
the inside in all that concerned those
properties. But l could not myself
see the papers; l was blind; therefore
l had to have others serve as eyes for
me. And from the first, Avery, you
| served as my eyes in connection with
all papers relating to the Latron
properties. If anything ever appeared
In those papers which might have led
me to suspect that any injustice had
| been done in the punishment of La
irons murderer. it could reach me
only through you. Nothing of that
| sort ever did reach me, Avery. You
must have made quite good thing
out of it."
"What?"
II say, your position here must
| have been rather profitable to you,
Avery; l have not treated you badly
myself, recognizing that you must
often be tempted by gaining informa-
ton here from which you might make
money; and your other employers
must have overbid me-"
II don't understand; beg your par
don, Mr.. Santoine, but / do not follow
what you are talking about"
mo? Then we must go a little fur
Their. This last year minor reor-
ganization became necessary in some
of the Latron properties. My friend,
Gabriel Warden-who was an honest
man, Avery-had recently greatly in
creased his interest in those proper
ties; it was inevitable the reorganiza-
ton should be largely in his hands.
During his work with the LatrOn prop
critics, Warden-the honest man,
| Avery-discovered the terrible injus-
tice of which / speak.
Il do not need to draw your atten-
ton, Avery. to the very peculiar con-
| dition which followed Warden's death.
Warden had certainly had communica-
| ton with Oyerton of some sort Over
| tons enemies, therefore, were unable
] to rid themselves of him by delivering
him up to the police because they did
not know how much Overton knew.
When 1 found that Warden had made
me his executor and I went west and
took charge Of his affairs, their diff
| culties were intensified, for they did
not dare to let suspicion of what had
been done reach me. There was no
| course open to them, therefore, but to
| remove OvertOn before my suspicious
were aroused, even if it could be done
| only at desperate risk to themselves
"What am leading up to, Avery, is
your own connection with these
events. You looked after your own
interests rather carefully, 1 think, UP
to a certain point. When-knowing
who Eaton was-you got him into a
polo game, it was so that If your in
terests were best served by exposing
him, you could do so without reveal
ing the real source of your knowledge
of him. But an unforeseen event
arose. The drafts and lists relating
to the reorganization of the Latron
properties the very facts
no doubt, which first had aroused
Warden's suspicions-were sent III.
through Warden's Office At first there
was nothing threatening to you in
this, because their contents could
reach me only through you. But in
the uncertainty 1 felt, had my daugh
ter take these matters out of your
hands.
"That night, Avery, you sent an un
signed telegram from the office in the
village, almost within twenty-foul
hours my study was entered, the safe
inaccessible to you was broken open
the contents were carried away. Dc
you suppose 1 do not know that one
of the two men in the study last night
was the principal whose agents haG
failed in two attempts to get rid OF
Overton for him, whose other agent
yourself, Avery-had failed to inter
cept the evidence which would have
revealed the truth to me, so that, nc
longer trusting to agents. he himself
had come in desperation to prevent
my learning the facts? 1 realize fully
Avery, that by means of you my blind
ness and my reputation have beer
used for five years to conceal from the
public the fact that Matthew Latror