Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-05-26
who Stole the Bridef And Why' !
The Night of the Wedding 1
Bye. N. and A. NJ WILLIAMSON
A.thor. Of aTks Lightning Conductor ana osHer ias-
matino ronsances of mystery and tove
ronvr,sat 1874 by Public Ledger Company

l.1ht" Dagon could not keep b.cS
the exclamation. Did you dreanl
she WAS calling for help"
II did dream that very thins
How did you guess?
II don't know. do guess things,
I generally guess right And I've
been thinking q whole lot about
Miss Haste lately"
"You have?" A note OF surpris.
perhaps OF resentment. sounded h
Wells voice. (This pleased Dagon.
HE had played for it, Why's"
Wells went on. you've never even
scen her, I Think"
'Tye seen her photograph. And
rye heard enough about her IA
know-not just to think, but 10
know. but to lSnow,-that she mus,
be about the bravest. most loyal
girl this side of-well. not to exas.
Rerate, let's say the North Pole"
"She's all Of that" agreed Raw.
don Wells. you say you-a stranger
have been thinking about her a
good deal. It isn't very strange
then. considering what she tried "a
do--what she sacrificed-for me-
that I should be thinking Of her.
| dreaming Of her, too-all the time
"No, It seems to me it would h.
q bit strange II YOU didn't, agreed
Dagon.
! "stii, hope you'll forgive nv
! butting in on your affairs. You see
I've had to make them my business
| and you've had to make me sons
condolences. You told me yourself
CAROLS marriage. So you must ba
thinking OF her some of the time,
ITO the exclusion of Miss Haste
"Not to the exclusion of Miss
| Haste" Wells caught him up. 4
don't mind any one knowing-espe-
cially you-that I've come to my
| senses these last days~these tragic
days. I've seen clearly-myself as +
am ami things as they are. II Pan.
dora Haste were In my reach at this
minute. and / weren't a suspected
! kidnapper-or worse-I should ask
her to be my wife,"
"Well! I should say you had come
| to your senses with a vengeance
Sir Rawdon!" almost gasped the de.
| tective.
"Not that I'm at all sure she'd
take me-" Wells amended. ="
"of course. that's the proper
L WIN 6OS Ol6ANB AA OAA Ine
| girl was ready to throw away her
life and everything else to SAY.
you--and without much hope 81
| gratitude" 80
She's got the gratitude. though
| broke out Wells. And a thousand
| times more!"
"Hurrah!" cried Dagon. like a
boy; then stopped, looking confused
under Rawdon Wells surprised
| stare.
you see. I'm pleased" the detec.
tive explained. Il like things to
work out right in this life. Don't
think I've got the cheek of the devil
II l ask, Are you falling in love
with Miss Haste?' Honestly, quite
q lot hangs on 1t. I'll explain. II
you'll answer"
"T will answer" said Rawdon
I'm not falling in love- | have
/ fallen in love with Pan. Since all
this happened, and what she did for
me. I've wondered IL I was ever
really in love with Miss Carroll. /
thought / was mad about her--for
] while. And that's the right word, |
was mad! Her eyes4-that snhe
or hers every one talked about-and,
and the perfume which always
nung about her, used to drive me
hat out OK my senses. Every man
wanted her. thought wanted her
too. l believed that she cared. I've
told you we weren't actually engag-
ed, but ] thought II amounted TO
that And 1t was a blow over the
heart when she wrote-she didn't
tell me by word OF mouth-that
sned changed her mind She found
| she hadn't loved me. Kennedy
haste was the only man shed ever
seen whom she wanted to marry.
The day l sent her back the letters
| sne asked for-just pretty little
| notes, nothing In them really to hurt
Ken, IL he'd seen thcm.-I did feel
could kill her and him both. But
| -" -
"Ah!" Dagon cut in sharply. "You
never told me this before. You sent
back her letters. That's why Fanny
| Gillett searched in vain for them
wnere she expected they could he
iound. Did you, by the bye. express
those sentiments to any one?" ~
| 1es' to Pan. I've been reproach.
ing myself for 1t. And II wasn't
oniy tnen. 1t was afterward. Il
| was on the day of the wedding. But
tnat time I wasn't in earnest. I'd
got over tho worst. said the thing
-weii, out OF sheer damnable idiocy,
ana to see how Pan would open her
pig eyes. Wondering why she cams
| Here that night. l remembered sud-
1enIy. II burst upon me like
Do,np. The girl came because |
sSau 70 ner. Now another wicked
SIT sr,, hawdon OF Hidden Hall Court
NIL nave his chance to make bride
ulsappear. believe the poor child
4 H. L.
thought I'd asked the Hastes here
| Tor tReir honeymoon with a fiendish
motive. That's why she came. And
snats why-on top OF all the proofs
@sahst mc--Pan believed me guilty
| -,wny she took the crime-if there's
Deen crime-on herself. Do you
~ohoer I've turned to her? That
| see 4 must unconsciously have loY-
ca her since she was n child, and
uhat shall love her all the rest Of
my nte-whether it's short or long,"
,,r,N!o, l don't wonder" said Dagon,
Lne wonder was always the other
way round. 1t wouldn't have been
my business exactly. IL hadn't
Every reason to believe that Miss
anoora Haste and I are brotherl
an1 sister. You know who II Is I.
.ook IKE now, don't you? Well l.
was rounding and she was q,
,ounonns. I've seen the cloak she
wore as q baby when she was left
st the Hastes' door. A waisteoat i
Taa on when I turned up alone inl
Cansda was made Of the tdenticali
ssun. with the same kind Of but
sons and though I've no time tol
SxPiain much more to you Just now,
IL say this; I'm tracing our origin.
Da1ck 70 your house---to your family,
cif Rawdon wells!" ~
(continssd TonorrowJ SEQ