The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1923-06-15
The Blind Mans Eyes

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 If they had opened the
safe, they were not only Eaton's enc
mics; they we're also Santoine's; they
were the men who threatened San
tones trust.
Those whom Eaton had fought in
the room had had perfect opportunity
for killing Santoine, If they wished.
But SantOlne 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 40 doubt that, If 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
also. But Santolne recognized that
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 !;
on1 M ft1rthnp ofinpnyt onnincf Eatnn
had been made until 1t had become
publicly known that Santolne was not
going TO die. If Santoine's death
would have served for Eaton's death
two weeks before, why was Santoine
immune now? Did possession OF the
contents Of Santolne's 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 certain,
Eaton's presence In the study which
had SO astounded Blatchford, Wallace
and Eaton had passed days together,
and B~latchford was accustomed to Ea-
tons presence In the house. Someone
whom Blatchfosd knew and whose
name Santoine also would know and
whose presence in the room was 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 Santolne hear the name.
He was beginning to find events fit
themselves together; but they fitted
imperfectly 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; it was impossible for Santoine
TO tell which among these many the
mar who had been in the study
might be. Who Eaton's enemies were
was equally unknown to Santoine.
But there could be but one manor
at most n small group of men-who
could be ut 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 ap-
pointment with a young man who had
come from Asia and who-Warden
had told his wife-he had discovered
lately had been greatly wronged.
Eaton, under Conductor Connery's
questioning, had admitted himself to
be that young a 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.
Eaton disappeared and concealed
himself at once after Warden's MUIR
der, apparently fearing that he would
also be attacked. But Eaton was not
a man whom this personal fear would
have restrained from coming forward
later TO tell why Warden had been
killed. He had been urged to come
forward and promised that others
would give him help in Warden's
place; still, he had concealed himself.
This must mean that others than War
den could not help Eaton; Eaton evil
IDENTIFY did not know, or else could not
hope to prove, what Warden had dis
covered.
Santoine held this thought in abey.
ance; he would see later how II
checked with the facts.
Eaton had remained In Seattle-ol
near Seattle-eleven days; apparently
and to escape attack during that time
he had been able to conceal himself
He had been obliged, however. to re
veal himself when he took the train
and as soon as possible a desperate
attempt had been made against him
which, through mistake, had strucl
down Santoine instead Of Eaton.
Eaton had taken the train at Sc
attic because Santolne was on It; h,
had done this ut great risk to him
self. The possibilities were that Ea
ton had taken the train to inform San