Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1923-05-17
The Blind Mans Eyes

4 heIOIE No EafAAA& tDAAAois TIT PtRF
critics had been almost ruined by diff
ferences between the minor men who
tried 70 run them only the calling OF
Matthew Latron into control saved
those men from themselves; they re
oulred him to govern them; his TAX
ing away would bring chaos and ruin
among them again. They knew that.
Just before he must go to trial. La
iron himself became convinced that
he faced confinement for the rest OF
his life; then fate effectively inter
yened to end all his troubles. His
body, charred and almost consumed
by fames-but nevertheless the iden-
tilted body of Matthew Latron-was
found in the smoking ruins OF his
shooting lodge. which burned to the
ground two days before his trial"
Avery was hunched In the seat
watching the blind man with grow
Ing conviction and fear.
Santoine went on "A young man
was shown to have followed Latron
TO the shooting lodge; a witness APP
peared who had seen this young man
shoot Latron; a second witness had
seen him set fire to the lodge. The
young man-Hugh- 0verton-was put
on trial for his life. /. myself. as a
witness at the trial supplied the mo-
tive for the crime: for, though l had
never met Overton, / knew that he
had lost the whole of q large fortune
through investments recommended to
him by Latron. Overton vas con-
victed, sentenced to death he escaped
before the sentence was carried out
became a fugitive without a name,
who IL he ever appeared would be
handed over for execution. For the
evidence had been perfect-complete;
he had shot Latron purely for re-
yenge, killed him In the most des-
plcable ann For there was no
doubt Latron was dead. was there,
AveryT"
None" Avery said huskily.
THAT was the time you came into
my employ, Avery, recommended to
me by one of the men who had been
closest to Latron. I was not connect
ed with the Latron properties except
as an adviser; but many papers re-
Iating to them must go inevitably
through my hands. I was rather on
the inside in all that concerned those
properties. But l could not myself
see the papers; I was blind; therefore
| had to have others serve as eyes for
me. And from the first, Avery, you
served as my eyes in connection with
all papers relating TO the Latron
properties. If anything eve appeared
in those papers which might have led
me to suspect that any injustice had
been lone In the punishment of La
irons murderer, 1t could reach me
only through you. Nothing of that
sort ever did reach me. Avery. You
must have made quite a good thing
out of IT,"
"What2"
Il say, your position here must
have been rather profitable TO you,
Avery; l have not treated you badly
myself, recognizing that you must
often be tempted by gaining informa-
ton here from which you might make
money; and your other employers
have overbid me-"
II don't understand I beg your par
don, Mr.. Santoine, but I do not follow
what you are talking about"
moi Then we must go a little fur
Their. This last year a minor reor-
ganizatlon became necessary In some
Of the Latron properties. My friend,
Gabriel Warden-who was an honest
man, Avery-had recently greatly In
creased his interest In those proper
ties 1t was inevitable the reorganiza-
ton should be largely in his hands.
During his work with the Latron prop
critics, Warden-the honest man,
Avery-discovered the terrible injuS
tice of which / speak.
~ do not need to draw -FOUR atten-
ton, Avery. to the very peculiar con-
dition which followed Warden's death.
Warden had certainly had communion
ton with Overton of some sort; Over
enemies, therefore. we're unable
TO rid themselves of him by delivering
him up TO the police because they did
not know how much Overton knew.
When l found that Warden had made
me his executor and I went west and
took charge of his affairs. their diff
were intensified, for they did
dare TO let suspicion Of what had
been done reach me. There was no
course open to them. therefore, but to
Overton before my suspicious
aroused. even IL 1t could be lone
only at desperate risk to themselves.
what / am leading up to. Avery, is
own connection with these
You looked after your W
interests rather carefully, l think, up
to q certain point. When-knowing
who Eaton was-you got him into a
polo game, Il was so that. IL your In
terests were best served by exposing
him. you could do so without reveal
ing the real source of your knowledge
Of him. But an unforeseen event
arose. The drafts and lists relating
to the reorganization Of the Latron
Notwithstanding the very facts.
no doubt. which first had aroused
warden's suspicions-were sent m-