The Raymer enterprise., 1923-04-12

Lucy CduIc, NJ teust bOWe OI tUetu
came"-Santoine had risen. fighting
down bis grief over his cousins death
for what was In your safe. Har-
r!et."
II know; / saw It open"
"What 70 gone7" Santolne de.
manded.
He heard her picking up the con.
tents c: the safe from the floor and
carrying them to the table and ex.
nmlnIng them.
"why-nearly all the formal papers
seem to be gone: lists and agreements
relating to a dozen different thlngs."
"None OF the correspondence
mo: that all seems to be here"
santoine was breathing quickly: the
trust for which he had been ready to
die-for which Blatchford had died
seemed safe.
1--WE don't know whether he got It
then. or not!" II was Avery's voice
which broke In upon him; Santoine
mereiy tsteneu-
"Hei Whor' He heard his daugh.
ter's challenge.
"Why. Eaton. Il 10 plain enough
what happened here. Isn't itr' Avery
answered. -He came here to this
room for what he was after-for what
hs has been after from the first
whatever that may have been! He
came prepared to force the safe and
get III But he was surprised"
"By whomr' the blind man asked.
"ny whoever II is that has been fol.
lowing him. I don't attempt to ex.
plain who they were. Mr. Santoine |:
for don't know. But-whoever they
were-in doing this. he laid himself
open to attack BY them. They were
watchlng-saw him enter here. They
attacked him here. Wallace switched
on the light and recognized him: 20
he shot Wallace and ran with what
ever he could grab up Of the contents
Of the safe. hoping that by luck he'd
get what he was after"
ut isn't so-it isn't sol" Harriet do
MED.
Her father checked her; he stood
an instant thoughtful. "Who Il d.
recting the pursuit. DonaldT'
Avery went out at once.
"Now. Harriet" he commanded.
She understood that her father would
not move till she had seen the room
for him.
There was some sort Of a struggle
near my safe" she said. Chairs
everything there is knocked about"
"Yes."
There Is also blood there-a big
spot Of It on the noor."
II found that" said Santoine.
"There are bullet marks every.
where-above the mantel, all about"
"How was the safe opened!"
"The combination has been cut com.
pletely away: there Is an-an instru
ment connected with the electric.
light fixture which seems to have done
the cutting. There Is q hand-drill,
tool think It Is a hand-drill. The
inner door has been drilled through.
and the catches drawn back"
"Who Is thisf'
The valet, who had been sent to Ea.
tons room. had returned with his re.
port. "Mr. Eaton went from his room
fully dressed. SIR" he said to San
tolne, except for his shoes I found
all his shoes In his room"
During the report the blind man felt
his daughters grasp on his arm be.
come tense and relax and tighten
again. Then. as though she realized
she was adding to his comprehension
Of what she had already betrayed. she
suddenly took her hand from her IA.
Tiers arm. Santolne let the servants
at his daughters direction, help him
to his room. His daughter stood be
side him while the nurse washed the
blood.splotches from his hands and
feet.
"Father?" she questioned.
"Yes."
'You don't agree with Donald, dt
you?-that Mr.. Eaton went to ths
study TOTO get something, and thai
whoever has been following him found
him there and-and interrupted hin
and he killed Cousin Wallace?"
Sant0ine was silent an instant
"That seems the correct explanation
Harriet" he evaded. 1T does MOI
fully explain: but II seems correct al
far as 1t goes. II Donald asks yor
what my opinion Is, tell him II Il
that"
He felt his daughter shrink ava,
from him.
| The blind man made no move 4
draw her back to him; he lay perfect,
still; his head rested dat upon the pil
lows; his hands were clasped tight,
together above the coverlet. He hat
accused himself. In the room below
because, by the manner he had choser
to treat Eaton, he had slain the mai
he loved best and had forced friend
ship with Eaton on his daughtel
which. he saw, had gone further thai
mere friendship; II had gone. he knew
now. even to the irretrievable betweel
man and woman-had brought her
that Is, to the state where, no matte
what Eaton was or did. she must suf
fer with himi But SantoIne was no
accusing himself now; be was feelinl