Gunnison news-champion., 1923-02-16

~" NN.FNI AA+fA
crie- ~ i--rns the voice of his
daughter she was beside hirn. where
he tr,sI' r~-' the body Of Blatchford.
snd ~he nut hack others who crcEdea
-abous
Father What has happ~nedf Why
are yoa heref Oh Father. Cousin
Wallace
-He Is dead Ssnisine said They
sho, him, They wer~ thr~e at least.
ore was no, with the OILERS They
fired n each other. believe. after .
nre sho, hlrl- Sanfoine's hand vas
stuI In Tiafchforsi's I heard Them
below lie told shortly how be had
gone fown. how Riatchfard had en-
tered and hecn shot
Tise Hind man. siiii kneeiing heard
rhe orierins and or-anizin- % Others
for the pursuit: nov women servants
from the other part Of the house
were taking charge Of Affairs In the
room There had been DO signal
heard. Santolne was told. upon nny
of IN. bells which he had tried 10 ring
from his room. Eaton WIS the only
person from the house who was miss
Ing.
They came. at least some OF them
came--Santofn~ had risen. fighting
down his grief over his cousins death
flor what was In your safe. Har-
ries.' -
Il know saw Il Open"
What is goneY' ssntoine de
manded-
He heard her picking up he con-
tents Of the safe from the floor and
carrying them 20 the table and ex-
amining them.
"why-nearly all the formal papers
seem to be gone; lists and agreements
relating to a dozen different things"
None Of the correspondence7-
"No: that all seems to be here"
Snntoine was breathing quickly: the
trust for which he had been ready to
die-for which Biatchford had died
seemed safe
I'VE don't know whether he got Il,
then. or mott" II was Avery's voice
which broke In upon him; SantoIns
merely listened.
"Hef whoy' He heard his daugh-
ter's challenge.
"Why. Eaton. II Is plain enough
what happened here. Isn't itT' Avery
answered. "Ile came here to this
room for what he was after-for what
he has been after from the first
whatever that may have beeni He
came prepared to force the safe and
get II! But be was surprised"
by whomT the blind man asked.
by whoever II Ii that has been fol-
lowing him. 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
wstching-saw him enter here. They
attacked him here. Wallace switched
On the light and recognized him: 10
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"
1T isn't so-it isn't - Harriet de-
MED.
Her father checked her; he stood
an instant thoughtful .who is d.
rectlng the pursuit. Donaldr' he
asked.
Avery went out at once. The blind
man turned to his daughter.
"Now. Harriet" he commanded
She understood that her father ould
not move till she had seen the room
for him.
There was some sort Of struggle
near my safe" she said. Chairs
everything there is knocked about"
"Yes"
There is also blood there-a big
spot OF II on the floor"
II found that" said Santoine.
''There are bullet marks every
where-above the mantel. all about"
How was the safe openedT
''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 4 hand-drill.
tool think II 10 a hand-drill. The
inner door has been drilled through,
and the catches drawn back"
'who Is thlsr'
The valet. who had been sent to Ea-
tons room. had returned with his re-
port. "Ar. Eaton went from his room
fully dressed, sir" he. said to San
toine. except for his shoes. 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. Sanfolne let the servants,
At his daughters direction, kelp him
TO his room. HIS daughter stood be-
side him while the nurse washed the
blood-splotches from his hands and
feet. When the nurse had finished,
he still felt his daughters presence;
she drew nearer to him.
81. Il.