Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-05-31
Who Stole the Bride? And Why?
The Night of the Weddinq"
By c. N. and A. NJ WILLIAMSON
Authors of 1.-THE Lightning Conductor and other fasc
mating romamees of mystery and love
Copyright Ledger Company

lishman. He had wanted Rawdon
to die; but when he learned Mrs.
Gillett's secret, he would have tried
to marry Pan for the sake of the
Court If the papers proving her
rights had not been destroyed. AS
for the. money, it could come to him
only through Rawdon's death. for it
had mostly been made by Rawdon's
father. Then Eve Carroll arrived
upon the scene, and Magnani had
fallen in love with her-in the one
way he knew how to love. Besides,
she was a great heiress. Even Raw
don's fortune was nothing compared
with hers. But she had flirted q lit
tie, and-engaged herself to another
man.
Mrs. Payntor was left as a last re-
sort, but by this time Magnani was
deeply involved in q plan that, with
luck. should win him everything he
wanted: Hidden Hail Court; Rawdon
Wells money Che meant to change his
name legally to Wells later, for he'd
already been naturalized as a British
subJect and perhaps Eve Carroll, the
great heiress, for his own; all with
out fear of suspicion falling upon
him.
The awkward part where his plans
for Eve and himself were concerned,
lay in the fact that they could not
mature till the day she had become
the wife Of another man. This was
because she could not be brought
down to the Court until then. Her
marriage to Haste, however, would
not be an insuperable objection for
Maghani looked far ahead. He hon.
estly believed Gf it were in him to
do anything honestly that Eve had
liked him once. All women liked him.
Besides, he had discovered about her
that was not physically brave.
Once he got her into the place he
had prepared. and threatened her
with violent death IL she resisted.
he could force the girl to follow out a.
certain program. When it should be
safe to do so, he would smuggle her
in disguise out Of her hiding place,
and out of England. With his own
mother (who still lived in a small
town near Naples, supported by him)
Eve could be safely left until Rawdon
had been hanged for murder, and he
-Paolo Magnani-had come into his
inheritance.
After that-months after, when the
affair had been half forgotten-the
dead could return to life. Even that
act in the drama was arranged in
sAoS hahI hAhu. MTS. 11aSte was TO
be found in a village in France, hav-
ing lost her memory. What had hap
pened on the night Of the wedding
would forever remain a mystery.
She would recall nothing since a GER
tain moment when she had left-t the
music room and run t-of doors to
brighten Kennedy Haste, because they
had talked of an old ghost story
the tale OF the vanished bride. She
would have taken q bitter distaste
for her husband, and would refuse
to return to him. She would 20 to
America with her aunt, spend some
months in a sanatorium. She would
desire a divorce and get one in Reno,
where such matters can be settled
easily. No one would blame her for
Kawdons rate. as apparently she
would have lost her reason temper
arily.
After a decent interval, he, Paolo.
would make love openly to Eve, and
they would be married.
To bring these results to pass,
Magnani had worked with care and
ingenuity. Gwen when all had fail
ed at last, he still seemed proud of
thatD lie was popular in the neigh
borhood Of Hidden Hall Court and
had get hold Of" a constable at
Ardry ie- Mare without difficulty,
Fanny Gillett had promised her help
for love of Kennedy Haste. ct was
she who took Pandora back to the
Court from the police station at
Ardry lie Mare, where the girl had
been drugged) And at first the plar,
had worked on oiled wheels.
Magnani had suggested the honey
moon Invita- ton to Don, urging that
it would heap Goals Of fire" on Ewes
head.
AS for the brides disappearance,
that had been brought about with the
utmost simplicity. He had been on
the spot, playing the part of Mari
att, and had discussed with Fanny
several ways of stage managing the
vanishing" act. But having over
heard Ewes suggestion to sing to her
husband while the latter remained in
the dining room, il had seemed as IL
Fate were playing into his hands.
While the pair talked at the table OF
their first meeting at the Ritz, hur-
riedly he took off wig and makeup.
And In his own character he had 81
lently shown himself to Eve at the
secret door in the paneling, his fling
er on his lip. Then, with smile and
an air of playful mystery, he had
beckoned. Entering into the supposed