Evening star., 1925-09-11
The Legend of the Hall.

xIT SN'T 1t the most wonderful old
houSe?" asked Evelyn Haste,
who had been Evie Carroll no
Il longer ago than the morning
She looked all around the
beautiful dining room, with its dark
walls of ''linenfold" paneling, and then
flashed one of her dazzling smiles at
KENNEDY Haste her husband of a few
hours. Now aren't you glad L would
accept the loan of it from Sir Don? II
just is Romance
It's certainly a wonderful house
But-no. I'm not very glad-yet." said
Haste. 1T doesn't seem playing the
game, somehow, Poor old Don was Sc
horribly in love with you. | believe
you'd have married him if"
IF hadn't met you!' laughed Eve
We'll, If l had married him 1t would
have been to get this place. I've got
YOU instead, which is about a, million
times better. But the next best thing
TO being mistress of Hidden Hall Court
is having 1t 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
10 throw off the shadow of gloom. Ken
nedy smiled adoringly across the din
ing table at his American bride.
All the same, it was pity to have
the smallest blot on such happiness as
his, which should have been perfect
and Haste felt that he would rather
have spent his honeymoon in a work
mans cottage at Clapham than at Sir
Rawdon Wells famous old place In
Essex.
RaUdon was his friend, and Ken
liked and admired him. But in Raw
don's place, If he'd had such a house,
he would not have offered to lend ii
for the girl he loved to pass her honey
moon with another man. Besides. It
wasn't like Rawdon TO do such thing.
lie was rather a brooding, revengeful
sort of fellow, more like his Italian
mother than any of the extremely
English ancestors whose faces adorned
Tor. didn't adorn) these walls. Why,
then, had he made such a point of
Evie accepting the loan of Hidden
Hall Court? Haste couldn't rid him
self of the heavy preSentment of some
thing queer-something which would
make them both repent coming here
to stay. Stupid, perhaps. But there it
Vasi
why is it called Hidden Hall
Eourt?" Eve was asking. IT'S such a
queer name, isn't it? Sounds like Sc
Cret rooms and things"
Shouldn't wonder If there are Sc
rret rooms and things" said Haste.
sBut the place wasn't called after any
thing of that sort. Hidden 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
supposed to bTing bad luck with it."
''As II such a glorious place could
bring bad luck" laughed Eve.
That's the story, anyhow. And the
Wellses-men and women-are always
having some tragedy or other in their
lives. From generation to genera
tlon."
so there is a story said Eve
Somebody told me there was I can't
think who now. unless IL was your
dear V. A. D.. Miss GiIlett. I asked
Sir Don, and he pretended never tc
have heard anything"
When did you have that converse
flon?" Haste inquired. rather sharply.
Was 1t when he offered TO lend the
house,"
Yes. I believe it was then" Eve
reflected.
OH
why 'oh?"
We'll. he wouldn't crab the place
II he wanted you to inhabit it, would
he?''
Eve laughed. You're a. jealous boy.
Ken. You look gloomy and cross when.
ever we have to mention Sir Don
Mhat If | glared or shifted when YOU