Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-05-21

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| lieye both those women are In Ii.
nav OF my Unknown They're d
| mis- house for a special purpose, Ii,
| Young one and the old. But TN,
secret belongs to the mother alone
II she'd wanted her daughter IA
| know. she'd have told long ago. 81.
won't tell now. The girl might be.
| tray her to Haste. Shed do any.
| thing to please him."
II the detective had hoped that
I! FANNY could wheedle anything from
her mother, he might have given her
| the chance she wanted, and PLAYED
| eavesdropper. But, believing ther
| was little TO gain thus. he FINGERED
on.
you're both kind enough to ny
you'd gladly help in my researches"
he said, when the thimble had been
returned. This is a baff1ing case
| The most difiicult job ever tackled
So hope you won't mind. Mrs. Gil.
lett, explaining what you meant
| about seeing ghosts in this house,"
The pale woman made q despersts
effort at self-control. Seeing
ghosts" she stammered. i don't
remember saying-any such thing
| to you
e, at wasn't to me-" Dagon volun.
| teered. some one-I forgot who
| mentioned hearing you, the night Of
Mrs. Haste's disappearance. 1t was
/ in the music room OF the tapestry
| boudoir. l wanted to ask when Il
1 met you first, but you seemed col
| nervous / waited. You're all RICH,
| again now. or l wouldn't upset YOU
| She looked family relieved, as Il
glad that he supposed her TO be ali
right"
Il don't know what ! said then
! she replied. Il was so Mortified by
the blood and-and everything"
| What | was told was like this
Dagon persisted. That ghosts had
appeared to you here at the Court
That you believed in the haunting
of the tapestry boudoir. That you
! hadn't wanted the Hastes TO spend
their honeymoon in the house be-.
cause of warnings you'd had-and
Of what you'd SEEN"
IF l said that l must have been
hysterical." cried Mrs. Gillett
Though I confess, do believe in
apparitions on scene where 4
| crime has taken place"
! OIlg w d III AihC has ldhtu
place at the Court
Is so old"
Had you any one particular Grim,
| in your mind"
| She looked hunted. but was driven
to answer, The bride who disap.
peared."
You don't mean Mrs. Haste?"
| 'Oh. no, The bride in the eigh
teenth century. about the time they
lost knowledge of the secret rooms
If there are any. She was the
first Lady Wells at Hidden Hall
| Court" ..
And an ltalian?"
| Yes; I've heard So"
! Strange how many Italians have
helped to make history for this old
| place!"
Mrs. Gillett looked up, a flush On
her cheekbones, but Dagon's face
was ,eXpressionless, and she mad,
no answer. Instead. she bent in.
! tently over her work. The detectiys
: watched her for moment. then
flung double question at her
head: And Mr.. Paolo Magnani-I
you know him: He comes here
The eyes Of the mother and,
daughter met. 1t was the younger
woman who replied: Il know M
| Masnani. Mother doesn't. She liy.,
ed here only a short time. and he's
been too busy with a picture hs
company's making TO visit hil
cousin. l met him while was
nursing Captain Haste And he was
! at the wedding. What brought Mr.
Magnani to your mind?
| well, he can't be mixed up In the
] disappearance anyhow" cried the Y.
! A. ID. He told me at the wedding
reception that he was leaving ali
once for Skye. There was some.
thing in the paper next day, too
about his going. So YOU cant
suspect him of having a hand In the
! business"
WHY should he l1ave?" Dagon
shrugged. He wasn't in love with
Miss Carroll, VAS he?"
Certainly not" snapped Fanny. |
II he ever did admire her, 10
changed his mind. wouldn't be sur
prlsed II he married the aunt. She's
got pots of money"
| And she'd have more II Mrs
Haste died and left her something
| the canadian remarked. What did,
MI. Magnani do in the war;"
He was exempted. on account Of
a. weak heart" said Fanny.
It's an Ill heart that does no one
good," garbled Dagon. "Was he In
ms own country or England while
The war was on"
| Mostly in England, acting I be-
iieve, but England is his own coun'
Try now. Mr.. Magnani has been
naturalized as an Englishmen. Li'
ing here SO much. 1t gives him ad' |
Vantages. l suppose" I
Dagon agreed. He had got all he
Gould hope to get in one interview
| from the mother and daughter. andt
~ seemed from what he heard on ally
sides that no theory which includedS
! Magnani In the list of suspectsI
would hold water. A man couldnq
pc doing moving picture stunts IN
SKYE and numbering or kidnappingI
girls at the same time!
| Apparently the cinema star wasI
innocent and Dagon must look
farther for his unknown" Yet het
was not satisfied with that con-
| clusion.
OF course, it might be al
coincidence, but 1t was odd that
nearly all the old servants had gone
ABOUT the same time. 1t was easy
10 account for the footman. They
| nad Joined up" and women hao
taken their places. Lately, nwA
lootmen had been obtained. Th:(
| COOK had received a legacy alsN
given up" service. Mrs. Gillett IN
becoming housekeeper, had swtg,I
away housemaids like cobwebs. an
imported proteges of her OWE
Davis. the butler had left suddsblsY
and Marianti had been found throusa&
( the - recommendation of Magnan
Though Rawdon Wells had be-
smashed up" in the autumn Of lsls
ne mad done war work Of some kr
ana had spent much time in Londes
IL was then that his "palship" Va
Pandora Haste had been cements
and the cirl had xaarLa a. Una einlW