Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-05-16
Who Stole the Bride? And Whyf
The Night of the Wedding
By C. N. and A. NJ. WILLIAMSON
Authors of THE Lightning Conductor and other fasc
mating romdnces, of mystery and love
Copyright, 1924 py Public Ledger Company

zone would think you could read
the history OF my adopted sister
birth in that hideous little cloak,
Haste. said.
Dagon actually started. "oh,
don't go so far as that" he ex-
claimed, his sense: of humor not in
the least aroused. *But confess il
interests me-for special reasons
May ! take the cloak home. and
keep it a short time?: I'll promise
to bring it safely back In the same
condition as now. ! don't believe
Miss Haste would object, do your
"Oh. certainly, take it," said Ken
I'll be responsible. for giving you
permission. It would be differcn;
with Ewes letters ii You wanted
part with those for ten minutes"
Il remember every word in the let
tiers that / mead to remember,
Dagon assured him. 49,.
And do you think they've helped
you to draw any conclusion"
"One OF them has helped me. l be-
lieve."
which one, If I may ask"
THE one you refused to tell me
about" the detective replied dryly.
Haste frowned. BE careful you
dent jump to wrong conclusions
lie warned the other. a.. 50.
Il WILL" answered Dagon. "fll be
very careful, indeed. And now. ]
must get back to my diggings. as
nave a good deal to do. Thank you
for lending me your sisters cloak.
l do really think it has a bearing IN
the case. and 1t may actually help
me to guess where she is now"
Since the Canadian had decided to
pursue his profession in London, Ice
had sent to New York-his last
abode before me warrior his few
were now in his lodgings. His books
had. been unpacked. but he kept
many OF his things In n big A..reri-
can cabin trunk that he had covered
with a silk blanket much like Pans,
a blanket he had bought because IL
was Italian. Now he ruml1a. Led
through a mass Of papers Ind
pulled out parcel done up carefully
in waterproof cloth. This he open6 d.
spreading 1t fiat on a table and Iaz-
ing at the contents; a quantity made
little waistcoat of a size to At a
child of three or four years old. 1t
was made of scarlet cloth, had four
mother o. pearl buttons down the
front, and was lined with black
tufted, white cotton flannel that
crudely initiated erminc.
Beside this he laid the tiny cloak
which had enveloped the baby cit
at the Hastes' door. The red cloth,
the cotton flannel. and even the but
tons were precisely the same.
MY God, felt 1t. l knew it,"
Dagon cried aloud. His mind rush
ed back to picture which nc often
saw in dreams, especially IL ne were
tired or depressed, or If he feared
failure in some undertaking. He
wondered, whenever he wakei from
this dream, which always happened
suddenly, with a start, whether the
picture were not really something
remembered, something earlier in
his life than any of the more assur-
ed memories. They-the cata:ogued
memories which formed a more or
less connected chain-began in q
street. He was crying because ne
was hungry. "Vanno, povero Vnn-
no." he had walled, for he was
"Vanno," a pet name for Giovanni.
or John. How he had got into that
street he'd never known; but ne
thought he had been on a ship, and
there had been a very big man who
cSSAhCu q 6AaIASp oOlIClAuSS CTOSS dnu
sometimes kind to him. In the
street a much smaller and very d.f-
ferent man had spoken to the CRYING
child; but Dagon had not been able
to understand English then. This
man had taken his hand and they
mad walked to a house not far off,
Where the man had apparently wish
ed to keep the wanderer; but a wo.
man with loud voice would not le:
MIN stay. Out he and the man nad
gone again. and they had ridden in
tram. to a big building where a
great many children lived. 1t was
founding asylum, and there the
boy had spent several years.
the grown-ups had been good to
MN, and when he was old enough
10 go away and work on a farm,
they had given him the red waist
coat win imitation ermine lining.
~ nad evidently been made at 'some
ny some loving hand. and might
possioiy belp him to find his lest
family some day-who could tell?
The dream picture was conuacie led,
with this queer little garment. and
the oldest thing about it was that he
had had the dream before the waist
coat nad been returned to him
pefore he had recalled it's existence.
he saw himself in a garden with q
beautiful woman who was weeping.
In her arms she held baby wrap
pea IN red cloak exactly like tie
ied waistcoat he had on, and OF
WEat he was very proud. The 10
mans face was clear as a cameo b:-
fore Dagon's eyes in the dream. and
be knew that he loved her dearly.
He liked the baby, too. but only as
II 1t were a doll, and he was NOT
thinking of 1t at all in the garden.
except that it had a cloak like his
beautiful waistcoat. There were
lovely tall, straight trees, almost
niack against blue sky, and there
were many flowers hanging In
iestoons over low, pink house.
The group stopped at a gray gate
and looked back at the trees and
the house. And the dream stopped
sadness as Dagon walked.