Evening star., 1925-10-04
Who Stole the Bride? And Why!
The Night of the Wedding
By C.. ". and A. NJ. WILLIAMSON,
Authors of Lightning fascinating
by Pubh Ledoer ConDon
By G. ". and A. NJ. WILLIAMSON

| ''heart'i NOtn1nR COulu pe oiSco'0ieo
that had not been discovered already;
! the hidden door in the tapestry bou-
| doir, and the concealed staircase be-
hind this door. which led to the
cellar, and had there an equally well
concealed exit behind a stone pillar
apparently solid, moving outward In q
groove.
1t was admitted odd that so much
trouble should have been taken 10
make secret way down into this
cellar, which was connected by arch-
ways with two newer cellars under
| wings of the house. Logically, the
hidden staircase should have led to
something important which might
| need be reached secretly and In haste
| but no mea aSuringS or conJecturlneS
brought to light that something I'M
portant." The architect, accordingly:
gave It as his opinion that nothing OF
the sort existed. There might have
been a plan, he suggested. which was
never carried out. If so, the stairway
| with It's hidden doors at top and bot.
| tom would be satisfactorily accounted
| for.
with this opinion-which was that
| of a great expert, and made after eX-
haustive research--Haste had to be
satisfied. But Dagon had one of his
| lunches" that for once the archi-
| feet was wrong. He felt that he was
going to find out something at Hidden
Hall Court-something. perhaps, which
would make the whole mystery clear.
And for Dagon the whole mystery
did not begin on the night OF the
Haste wedding. To find the real be-
ginningNwhich might account for
much of the rest-he believed that he
must go back a good many years.
In the hope of getting at that be
ginning, he had made friends" with
Sir Rawdon Wells. and had convinced
himself that, innocent or not. in the
case of Eve Carroll, Wells was una
ware Of any further secret in the con.
struction of the house. II Mrs. haste
were a prisoner in some hidden hall,
Rawdon Wells had not put her there.
AS for Pandora. Wells had no motive
for hiding the girl. She asserted that
she had "done away with Eve" and If
Sir Rawdon could be cleared she was
the one to clear him. NO, 1t was a
very different person who needed to
suppress Miss Haste; and Dagon clung
TO his belief that this person was re-
sponsible for both disappearances.
His clues were few, and excepting
the skeleton which was that of man
thus indicating a plot against Wells)
not satisfactory. His conclusions were
based on ideas, rather than proofs.
and if he had been forced by his su.
periors at Scotland Yard to lay his
cards face uppermost upon the table,
he might not have received support on
the lines he had laid down for him.
self Fortunately for him. however,
he had done amazingly brilliant work,
and was called behind his back the
Infant prodigy" When he begged to
be trusted without questions for a few
days, he was thus trusted; and it was
due to his earnest request that Raw
don Wells was not arrested on sus.
picion, despite the favorable evidence
Of the skeleton.
This being the state of affairs, Da-
gon knew that he must soon make
good in some way, and justify him
self: otherwise--as he put it mentally
for every one concerned the fat
was in the fire." Besides, it would be
impossible to keep the secret of Mrs.
Haste's and Pandora S disappearance
from the public much longer.
All the servants at Hidden Hall
Court were pledged to silence, but
some one was sure to talk, or Mrs.
Payntor would confide her anxiety to
a friend. and there would be a news
paper sensation in England and Amer
lea. This would be terrible for Capt.
Haste. whom Dagon encouraged to
hope that al would end we'll and with
out scandal. 1t would also be dis
astrous for Sir Rawdon Wells. Even
if Wells were proved innocent, the
story would follow him like snarl
ing dog. throughout his life. He would
be the man who had been accused of
kidnapping or numbering Eve Carroll.
and many people would always be-
lieve that something had been hushed
up"
Constant dancing attendance upon
Mrs. Gillett had gained Dagon a point
or two. She had confided to him that
she was 'mediumistic. All her life,
since childhood. she had ''seen things"
How and why she had come to Hidden
Hall Court as housekeeper IA post in
which she appeared to be an amateur)
Dagon could not find out to his salts
faction. She had done some services
for Sir Rawdon Wells family in the
past; he had always kept track of her,
she said, vaguely. Investments of
hers had gone wrong. She had been
in temporary trouble. Just then. the
housekeeper's place had been vacant.
Continued Tomorrow