Evening star., 1925-09-22
Who Stole the Bride? And Why?
The Night of the Wedding
By c. ". md A.. W. WILLIAMSON
and
ed1er comp1n

said, about an elder branch of the
family here having the name Of Hid
den. There's no trace left of them
except the name give n to this house, l
believe. If they hadn't died out Raw
don Wells ancestors would not have
inherited the Court. l was cocksure,
then, in talking to my wife, that there
was nothing esoteric about the word
Hidden in connection with the house,
though l granted that there might be
secret hooks. Since she disappeared.
however, I've been asking myself If
were not mistaken--if there may not
have been some play on the name, to
cover a concealed room-'HidGen Hall
Court. For any one not knowing that
family called Hidden had built the
oldest part of the house the idea of a
hidden hall would be obvious. l can't
help wondering if my wife has been
lured into d secret room somewhere
under this roof and if she's being kept
there"
It's possible" Dagon admitted.
though he and Arson were both think
ing of the blood marks, and the bones
supposed to be human-found in the
furnace. to say nothing of the half
burned boots and the bit of pink satin.
But even If so,' the detective went
on, the name Hidden Hall might
Sir Rawdon's laboratory is. The SER
geant was describing it"
No" Haste broke in. 1T couldn t
be so, for that cellar isn't secret at all.
Neither is the room Wells has turned
into laboratory. The only part that S
secret there is the staircase leading
down from the tapestry boudoir. The
other way down isn't hidden"
We'll, no doubt you'll talk over your
ba 81, l..
phoned to come down here" said Da.
gon. He will probably be able to find
out if there's anything in it. Mean
while, if you'll. permit me, I'll have a
look al the rooms most concerned-the
dining room, the music room, the tap
estry boudoir. and, of course, the
laboratory and cellar, all of which |
understand from SerGt. Anson have
been closed by his order. BY the way.
is this the room Sir Rawdon Wells
calls his den?"
No" said Haste. this is the Ii
brary. I'm here now because of the
telephone. The den is next door"
May l go into the den for a mo-
ment, alone?" Dagon asked
Haste looked surprised, but consent
ed at once. Anson took the detective
to the door of the next room and then
returned. guessing that Capt Haste
"oulo WISH TO ask questions about his
adopted sister.
BY Dagon's suggestion he had not
yet mentioned the new addition to la st
nights mystery-Pandora Hastes dis.
appearance from a locked cell Dagon
had thought that the issues might be
somewhat confused if this news was
sprung suddenly upon Capt Haste and
preferred that all the necessary aues.
tions to be put by him should be an
swered before the blow fell. In Da.
CONS absence. therefore, the sergeant
told. as tactfully as he could, what
had happened at Ardry-le- Mare.
The man from Scotland Yard had no
sooner shut the door of the den" thar
he walked to the desk. There was lust
one photograph displayed upon 1t. a
large one in a silver frame. 1t repre-.
sented girl with thick. bobbed hair
and big eyes that looked straight out
of the picture into the eyes of any one
VINO gave back the look. Dagon gave
1t back as he took up the frame and
held it for long time in his hand.
While he so held 1t he had the air of
a man in dream, and his eyes were
hxed on the pictured face as If he were
magnetized. Yet no one had ever call
ed Pandora Haste a great beauty
In the short khaki dress of some sort
or war worker. which she wore in the