Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-05-17
Who Stole the Brides And Why!
The Night of the Wedding
By C. N and Am. WILLIAMSON
Authors of "The Lightning Conductor and other fases-
mating romonces of mystery and tove
s Copyright lsa4 by Public Ledger Company ?

could connect them and their fate
with that strange old house IN Es-
sex? And why did the aeIeet.Vs
would not have disappeared IL those
two children had not existed: All
he knew was that he felt sure II
was so; and that Hidden Hall Court
haA q tragic secret for him as web
as for Kennedy Haste. Daspn was
wild now to unravel both.
who is there? Who is calling?'
Pandora Haste cried, her ear against
the wall, as the echo-which had
seemed to her more than an echo
died away.
Again came the muffied answer-
il answer it was. But IT was very
far off. 1t sounded no nearer now
that her ear was at the wall than
when she had stood in the middle Of
the room. |
Her heart hammering. the girl
went from wall to wall. and listened
behind the screens of tapestry.
There was very little difference be-
tween one side of the room or an
other for the SQUAD, but she tmagin-
ed that the voice came more dis
tinctly from beyond the wall where
| was the locked door.
IF there's some one there, walt
long enough after I've spoken for the
echo to pass" Pandora called out
loudly and distinctly. Then an
swer, and 1 can be sure"
Nov" she thought, this will be
the test. And If there Is some one,
surely 1t must be prisoner like
myself. Otherwise, whoever 1t is
would have kept still OF. else tried
to scare me-. and stop my making a
noise"
Again the echo followed her
| words; but before there was time
| for the voice test, something moved
behind ths locked door, There was
a sound as of another door being
| opened and cautiously shut, sound
such as the aiding door of a big
| wardrobe might make in being
pushed hack and forth in it's grove.
The thought shot through the
girls brain that the mystery of her
! kidnapping would now be revealed
for better, for worse! The door was
| noise of a sliding bolt, and with a
! quick inspiration pushed her body
! close against the wall so that, even
If she could not escape. she might
| hope for a glimpse OF what lay be-
You'd the door.
| Suddenly it opened. and hardly
| knowing what she did Pan sprans
| boldly forward, striving to dodge q
thrust-o ut arm. But the arm was
strong, and pushed her back SO yio-
lently that she might have fallen had
she not caught at the tapestry. II
was so dim behind this curtain, and
so black was the space beyond the
door that she could see nothing on
l old
the arm was but a dark shadow tO
her eyes. until she had been foreibly
! detached from her hold on the hang
ing and thrust into the room. Then
In the greenish light, pan saw a tail
| stoop- shouldered man wearing a
queer, old-fashioned cape-overcoat
and a soft, wide brimmed hat. His
face was hidden with black mask
which appeared to be made of one
or two thicknesses of Grape. Even
his eyes were covered, but the g4rl
caught faint sparkle from them
like that of star filmed over by a
thin, black cloud.
once more the impression of a
cream came back; for wasn't this
ngure too fantastic to be real? And
there couldn't in any real world he
such room, with glass for a roof
and fish swimming over it in deep
green water! Above all, there
couldn't be such man as this
masked, cloaked creature, except in
queer meiodrama. And yet-Pan
felt so wildly awake now. Her
heart was beating so hard and her
breath was coming in such short
sasps. She must give up the hope
that she was caught in a dream.
! NOW the creature had turned
away; He was sticking key into
the door-and taking 1T out again
having ostentatiously grated it in a
rusty lock. Pan thought that Il
only she had hammer she would
try to stun him as he stopped, and
steal the key. But she had ne
weapon at all-unless she attacked
the enemy with a chair There was
I 70 tlne TO run across the room and
| get one, however; and besides. tbs
struggle would be too UNEQUAL, II
would be sure to end in failure 70,
| her. A''
she painted,
The man wheeled round and stood
quietly surveying her through the
grape mask, large key In his hand
should not have taken the
trouble to bring you to this place Il
wished to kill you, except unde,
great provocation," he. said In
| French. -
| What makes you think I under.
stand French?" Pan flung back in
"All Young girls of your class 4,
understand It," came the confident
Pan gazed intently at the hand
MIN the key, trying to recognize it
ihere was q great deal of characte,
IN hands, she had always Thought
ana had boosted that she co,Ilf
identify those Of any friend, thouef
ms race We're hidden and the
tnsuIe concealed. But this man,
hands told her nothing, The,
We're very brown, and curiousl,
stim looking, like the hands OF cla,
models for statues. 1t occurred r.
the girl that, II she were nearer and
could see more clearly through ths
green dimness of the room shs
would find that queer, dead lool
f., was given byN very tight fittinp
rubber gloves such as surgeons wea,
TO perform operations.
J fou do not know me-" the mar
announced. ut Is useless to starr
at my hands. It would be simple,
to ask who l am" 's'
You wouldn't tell me-. Pan said
IL you were willing for me to find
out VINO you are, you would not HI
wearing mask and-rubber gloves.
(; nevertheless there Ia a name b,
i H.