Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-04-26
The Leaend of the Hall


"Isn't It the, most wonderful old
house?" asked Evelyn Haste, who
had been Eyie Carroll no longer ago
than the morning. g.
/ She looked all around the beauti-
full diuing-room, with its dark walls
of ..linenfold'' paneling, and then
flashed one of her dazzling smiles at
Kennedy Haste, her husband of few
hours. NOW aren't you glad I
would accept the loan of it from Sir
sDon? 1t just is Romance"
Its certainly a wonderful house
But-no. I'm not very -glad-yet,"
said Haste. ut doesn't seem play
ing the game, somehow! . Poor old
you. 1 believe you'd have married
kim if"
IF / hadn't met you." laughed
Eve. "Well, If had married him,
it would have been to get this place.
I've got you instead, which is about
million times better. But the
next best thing to- being mistress of
Hidden Hall Court is having it lent
to one-for ones honeymoon with
the most thrilling man on EARTH"
When the most beautiful girl in
the world called one the most
thrilling man on EARTH" and one had
just snatched her away from dozens
of other men who wanted her, one
had to throw off the shadow of
gloom, Kennedy smiled adoringly
across the dinner table at his
American bride.
All the same it was pity, to
have the smallest blot on such hap
piness as his. which should have
been perfect, and Haste felt that he
would rather have spent his honey
moon in 4 workman's cottage at
Chaplain than at Sir Rawdon Wells
famous old place in Essex.
Rawdona was his friend, and Ken
liked and admired him. j." But in
Rawdon's place. If he'd had such a
house. he would rot have offered to
lend 1t for the girl he loved to pass
her honeymoon with another man.
Besides, it wasn't like Rawdon to do
such a thing. He was. rather a
brooding, revengeful sort of fellow,
more like his Italian mother than
any of the extremely English ances-
adorn) these walls. Why, then, had
he made such point of Evie ac-
cepting the loan of Hidden Hall
Court. Haste couldn't rid himself Of
the heavy prosentiment OF something
queer-something which would make
them both repent coming here to
stay. Stupid, perhaps. But there it
was,
why is it called Hidden Hall
Court?' Eve was asking. So IT'S such
queer name, isn't it? Sounds like
secret rooms and things"
Shouldn't wonder If there are
secret rooms and things" said
Haste. "But the place wasn't called
after anything of that sort. Hid
den was an old family, name Of
some ancestors Of Don Wells, who
died out for good in the eighteenth
century. That's when, the Court
came to his branch, and was sup
posed to bring bad luck with it,"
AS it such a glorious place could
bring bad luck" laughed Eve.
That's the story, anyhow. And
the Weilses-nlen and women-are
always having some tragedy or
other in their lives. From genera
tion to generation"
b $50 there Is story" said Eve.
Somebody told mo there was. l
can't think who now, unless it was
your dear V. A. d.. Miss Gillett. j
ttasked Sir Don,. and he pretended
never to have heard anything
1 When did you have that conversa-
ly. WAS it when he offered to lend
| the house,"
Yes, believe it was then" Eve
reflected.
"Oh."
'Why one"
well, he wouldn't crab the place
II ne wanted you to inhabit it,,
Eve laughed. You're n Jealous
boy, Ken. You look gloomy and
cross whenever we have to mention
Sir Don. What il 1 glared or
shifted when. you spoke of Pandora
or even of Miss GILLETTE"
landlords my adopted sister,"
said Ken. And poor Miss Gillett
why, compared to you she's what
penn. penny dip is to the planet Venus"
They both hate me like poison,
all the same" said Eve. Not that
| mind. It's compliment. And /
loved having Pan for my bridesmaid,
ana inviting Miss Gillet to the we'd
ding. You can't say you loved ask
Ing Sir Don and his thrilling Italian
cousin, Paolo Magnani!"
Ken laughed now. "A man doesn't
exactly love having two chaps
who'd joyfully see him struck by a
thunderbolt, wishing him at the
Devil while he's being married, And
look here, If I'm thrilling" you're
anybody else. - ,,..0..-'-
i adore you!" cried Eve. "Now.
if you really know it, tell me the
story of this house."
Il know the story, but don't know
it's TRUTH" said Haste. Its prob
ably tommyrot. You've heard the
ballad of The Mistletoe Bough.'
haven't you? The bride who ran
away from her friends on her we'd
ding day, and hid in an old oak
chest? Well, once something of
the sort happened here, they say.
She was Italian, like Don's mother.
ana q beauty-a princess or some-
thing.
Her husband, the first Sir
Rawdon Wells who ever lived at the
Court. brought her home directly
after their marriage, though the girl
didn't want to come, had heard there
was a curse on the place. What
happened exactly seems never to
have been found out, whether there
was quarrel through jealousy, and
the bride was murdered by the
bridegroom; whether she simply ran
away; or whether she was be-
witched.' But at all events she van
lshed and was never seen again
not even in skeleton form, like the
bride in the ballad. They do say
she haunts room called the Tapes
try Boudoir, however, which was
given to her as her own sitting room.
Her namewas Blanca. She ought to
be a beautiful ghost, but I'm not
keen on seeing her."
I'D love to. IL you were with me-"
said Eve, with a delicious little
SILVER. Not Il / were alone. I'm