The Glenwood post., 1923-02-01
CHAPTER X
Publicity Not Wanted,

y
The alarm of the cry came to
answer Eatons question early the next
morning He threw up the curtain
and saw vagrant newsboy, evidently
passing through the railroad yards
to sell to the trainmen. Eaton, hail
ing the boy put out his hand for
paper. He spread the news-sheet be.
fore him and read that Santoine's con-
dition was very low and becoming
rapidly worse. But below, under
Montana date-line, Eaton saw it pro-
claimed that the blind millionaire was
merely sick; there was no suggestion
anywhere of an attack. The paper
stated only that Basil Santoine, re-
turning from Seattle with his daugh-
ter and his secretary, Donald Avery,
had been taken seriously Ill upon a
train which had been stalled for two
days in the snow in Montana. The
column ended with the statement that
Mr.. Santoine had passed through
Minneapolis and gone on to Chicago
under care Of DR.. Douglas Sinclair.
Eaton stared at the newspaper with
out reading, after he saw that. He
had not realized, until now that he
was told that Harriet Santoine had
| gone-for If her father had gone on,
of course she was with him-the ex-
| tent to which he had felt her fair
ness, almost her friendship to him. At
least he knew now that, since she had
spoken to him after he was first ac-
cused of the attack on her father,
he had not felt entirely deserted or
friendless till now,
But why, II santoine had been
taken away, or was dead or dying,
had they left Eaton all night in the
car in the yards? Since Santoine was
dying, would there be any longer an
object in concealing the fact that he
had been murdered?
He dressed and then paced back
and forth the two or three steps his
compartment allowed him. He
| stopped now and then to listen; from
outside came the noises Of the yard;
but he made out no sound within the
car. If it had been occupied as on
the days previous, he must have heard
some one coming to the washroom at
his end. Was he alone in the car
now, or had the customary moving
about taken place before he awoke?
| Finally, to free himself from his
nervous listening for sounds which
never came. he picked up the paper
again. He read:
The news of Mr.. Santoine's visit
of a week on the Coast, If not known
already in great financial circles, is
| likely to prove interesting there. For
years he has been the chief agent
| in keeping peace among some Of the
great conflicting interests. and more
| than once he has advised the declar-
| ing of financial war when war seemed
| to him the correct solution. Thus,
five years ago. when the violent death
of Matthew Latron threatened to pre-
| cipitate trouble among western
| capitalists, Santoine kept order In
| what might very well become
/ financial chaos. If his recent visit
| to the Pacific coast was not purely
! for personal reasons but was also
| to adjust antagonisms such as charged
| by Gabriel Warden before his death,
| the loss of Santoine at thfs time may
| precipitate troubles which, living, his
advice and information might have
| been able to prevent"
/ Having read and reread this long
paragraph. Eaton thrust the sheet
| out the window. AS he sat think
ing. with lips tight closed. he heard
| for the first time that morning foot
steps Mt his end of the car The
door of his compartment was un-
locked and opened. and he saw Doc
tor Sinclair.
| "Mr. SantOine wants to speak to
you" the surgeon announced quietly.
This startling negation of all he
imagined, unnerved Eaton. He
started up. then sank back for bet
ter coInposure.
| "Mr. Santoine is here, theuT
"Here? OF course he's here?"
"And he's conscons2"
"He has been conscious for the
better part of two days. Didn't they
tell your
Eaton looked toward the window,
breathing hard. g. heard the news
boys"
Sinclair shrugged. "The papers
print what they can get and in the
way which seems most effective to
them" was his only comment.
The surgeon led Eaton to the door
Of the drawing room, showed him in
and left him.
Harriet Santoine was sitting on the
little lounge opposite the berth where
her father lay. She was watching
the face Of her father and as Eaton
stood In the door he saw her lean
forward and gently touch her fathers
hand; then she turned and saw Eaton.
Here Is Mr.. Eaton, Father" she
said.
"Sit down." Santolne directed.
The blind man was very weak and
must stay quite stll1; and he recog
nized 1t: but he knew too that his