The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-03-23
CHAPTER XIII
IL Grows Palmer.

Basil SantOineS bedroom was so
nearly sound-proof that Anything
going on in the room could not be
heard in the hall outside it. even close
TO the double doors. Eaton, as they
approached these doors, listened
vainly, trying to determine whether
anyone was in the room with San
tome; then he quickened his step tc
bring him beside Harriet.
"One moment, please, Miss San
tome" he urged.
She stopped. "What Is it you
want?'
your father has received some an
swer to the inquiries he has been hav-
ing made about me?"
II don't know, Mr.. Eaton"
us he alonew
"Yes."
Eaton thought minute. THAT is
all l wanted to know, then" he said.
Harriet opened the outer door and
Knocked on the inner one. Eaton
them to come in, and as Harriet
opened the second door, he followed
her into the ROOM
"Am 1 to remain, Father?" she
asked
YES" Santoine commanded.
Eaton waited while she went to a
chair at the foot of the bed and seat
ed herself-her clasped hands resting
on the fOotboard and her chin upon
her hands-in position to watch
both Eaton and her father while they
talked; then Eaton sat down.
Good morning, Eaton" the blind
man greeted him.
Good morning, Mr. Santoine," Ea-
ton answered.
Santoine was lying quietly upon
his back, his head raised on the pill
lows, his arms above the bed-covers.
his finger-tips touching with the fin
gers spread.
You recall, of course. Eaton, our
conversation on the train," Santoine
said evenly.
"YeS.'
81 want to call your attention in a
certain order to some of the details of
what happened on the train You had
| rather a close call this morning, did
you not?"
Rather, / was careless"
you were careless?" Santoine
smiled derisively. perhaps you
were-in one sense In another. how.
ever, you have been very careful, Ea
| ton. You have been careful to act
as though the attempt to run you
| down could not have been DELHI.
crate attack; you We're careful to call
it an accident; you were careful not
to recognize any of the three men in
| the motor"
81 had no chance to recognize any
of them, Mr.. Santoine," Eaton re
| piled easily 81 did not see the cal
coming; / was thrown from my feet
when l got up, it was too far away
for me TO recognize anyone"
perhaps so; but were yoI sur
prised when my daughter recognized
one of them as having been on the
| train with us?'
Eaton hesitated, but answered al
most Immediately:
"Your question doesn't exactly fl
the case. l thought Miss Santoint
had made a mistake"
But you were not surprised; no
What would have been a surprise t.
you, Eaton, would have been-if yol
! had had a chance to observe the men
| to have found that none of them
none of them had been on the train =
Eaton started and felt that he haC
colored. How much did Santoin,
know? Had the blind man received
as Eaton feared, some answer TO, hi
inquiries, which had revealed, O.
nearly revealed, Eatons identity? O.
was it merely that the attack mad
on Eaton that morning had given San
tome new light on the events tina
had happened on the train and par
DECENTRALIZATION guessed-on the eli
4 pher telegram which Santoine claimed
to have translated.
"You assume that, Mr.. Santoine,
he asserted, because" He checked
himself and altered his sentence
"Will you tell me why you assum
that?"
THAT that would have surprise,
you? Yes; that is what / called yol
in here TO tell YOU"
AS Santoine waited a moment be
fore going on, Eaton watched hin
anxiously. The blind man turne,
himself on his pillows SO as to fac
Eaton more directly.
"Just ten days ago." he said event.
and dispassionately, Il was found III
conscious in my berth-Section Thre
of the rearmost sleeper-on the trans
continental train, which / had take
with my daughter and Avery at Sc
attic. / had been charlottesville
during my sleep some time in tina
first night that / spent on the train
and my condition was serious enoug
so that for three days afterward
, was not allowed to receive any of tn
particulars of what had happened t
me. When / did finally learn then
! naturally attempted to make certai
deductions as to who it was that ha
| oil