Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-04-30
Who Stole the Bride? And Why?
The Night of the Wedding
By C. N. and A. M. WILLIAMSON
Authors of "The Lightning Conductor and other fasci-
mating romances of mystery and love
1924 Ledger Company y
By C. N. and A. M. WILLIAMS

Kennedy Haste, married to Eve Car.
roll. q charming and rich girl. is start.
Court. 1t is gloomy and legended
castle lent to the bridal pair by Sill
Rawdon Wells, an unsuccessful sutton
for Ewes hand.
The Touch Of Rose
But it must be touched" Ken
cut in. Wen avoid destroying the
traces il we can, but I've got to
open that door and see what's on the
other side"
The butler stood respectfully aside.
Haste pressed the spring, vaguely
conscious that other servants had
come to the door of the octagon room
and were standing crowded together
in awed silence on the threshold.
Ewes maid, josephine, was there,
and over the shoulders of the huddle
woman the head of taller woman
craned-Fanny Gillett.
Ken had not realized that strength
had gone out of him until he tried TO
push that spring imbedded in a
depression halfway up the secret
door.
But his arm was shaking. and his
hand was clumsily stiff, as If frozen.
The thought that he must touch
fresh blood, not yet dry--Eve's blood,
perhaps-made him deathly faint for
the first time in his life. Even when
he had been badly Wounded IN the
war, he hadn't felt like that.
But the spring yielded. The .oor
slid back into Inc wall, showing u
recess and a circular stone stairway
darkness
Il Will get candles. sare,' offered
Marianti. One OF Zose slivCr can
delahra from re dinner table
Wait" broke in Haste. What S
this! % He was peering into the uim-
ness of the wall recess. Some one
seems to have installed electricity
here" lie pressed a button, and to
the surprise of those who looked on,
flooded the staircase with light. #
1t was then that vague suspicion
became certainty in his mind. Who
could have had electric light put IN
to this hidden place, except the mas
ter of the house who knew its
STANDARDIZATION Wells, who had
loved Eve, and implored her to
spend her honeymoon under his
roof:
Rawdon was supposed now to be
in Liverpool waiting Tor the snip ON
which he would SAL early tomorrow
morning for New York. But with a
rush OF black hatred Ken told him
self that the proposed trip was
camOut1age. Heaven knew how long
Wells must have been planning this
coup! But clever as he thought
himself, he hadn't covered his
tracks. What about the tingermarks
and the footprints:
Shall | so down wiz you, sare""
asked Mariantj.
Haste did not answer, did not even
hear. He began to descend the
circular staircase. The butler
hesitated for an instant. and then
followed.
Fanny Gillett had pushed past the
servants and come into the room.
She stood by her mother, and slip
ped an arm round the waist of the
Shivering woman
"Oh, felt felt something would
happen if they came here" moaned
the housekeeper. You know what
have seem"
shut up" Fanny whispered
sharply. They're all listening"
She threw glance at Pandora
Haste, for Pandora disliked her and
uiSlIhSu cltiuold bul tue gu l
was staring at the red footprint on
the floor as if hypnotized. She had
not heard that speech of the house
keepers. And she had told nobody
yet of the handkerchief she had
found, with the strange odor on it,
mingling with Ewes own perfume.
At the foot of the circular stairs
was a door. Haste opened 1t, and
saw q passage of undIstinguiShable
length. II was dark. but another
electric button at the entrance flood
ed the place with light, showing
walls, floor and roof of stone. All
was very clean. and there was APP
parently no lack OF ventilation.
Haste walked on for a dozen yards.
his shoulders touching the sides of
the corridor, which must, he
thought, have been built into the i'm
inense thickness of the house wall.
AT the end was third door. This
also was operated by spring.
Haste pressed, and the door sliding
back, he stood on the threshold of a
brightly lit room.
A man turned at the click of the
spring, and the two stared into each
others eyes.
Good heavens, Rawdon Wells"
Ken cried, you here?"
why not?" the other challenged.
This is my laboratory"
You were supposed to be on board
ship, sailing for America" Haste
said duly.
Il beg your pardon Wells an
swered. My ship doesn't sail till
tomorrow. | shall be on her in time.
l have my car. and I'm just ready
to start
He had apparently thrown off his
first annoyance at the sudden in
trusion of his friend. His face re-
laxed-an extremely handsome dark
face, with eagle features, and
splendid brown eyes under long,
arched brows that dreamily con-
tradicted the fierce energy of other
features. He smiled a very pleasant,
disarming smile. But it did not dis
arm Haste, who continued to stare
and frown.
You'll not start till you've shown
me where my wife is, and I've made
sure no harm has come to her." Ken
said. What have you done with
Eve?"
What have done with Eve >"
Eawdon Wells echoed, utter blank
ness on his face. Il don't know
what YOU mean"
Haste had spoken from the
threshold. Now he walked into the
room. He had always been curious
about Don's laboratory, which was
meyer shown to any one. even init
mate friends like himself; but now
ne entered unseeingly. hardly aware,
despite all the paraphernalia of the
chemist. that he was in a laboratory.
His nostrils, however, noted a
peculiar odor of burning, as he
strobe in and stopped close to Wells.
You do know what / mean" he
said. There's no use pretending
The whole things been a monstrous
plot. Ynu invffad La hn.. -. :,