Evening star., 1925-10-01
Who Stole the Bride? And Why!
The Night Of the Wedding
b. C.. NJ nd A. NJ WILLIAMSON,
y. Author. Lightning
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CopyrisAt bv esr Comp

alike. Their mothers were sisters
Paolo is a great friend of-of Ewes
and mine. We admire him immense
ly. and-ile likes u.s. tShe was all
smiles and blushes.l
HE is certainly very handsome
indeed. There couldn't be a finer
looking man." said Dagon, gazing at
the three portraits. --
Mrs. Payntor beamed on him.
agreed rapturously. And he's as
charming as he looks. You know
there's a great romance about Paolo
Magnani. He might have been In
Rawdon Wells place, with those
splendid estates and all that fortune,
instead Of depending on his own work
for money"
Indeed! didn't know. Do tell
me the story" Dagon encouraged
her.
The lady was delighted with the
invitation. Evidently it was de-
licious to her to talk of Paolo Ma
gnani.
Yes" she explained. 1.-THE sisters
were twins. 1t was Paolo's mother
(of course. she wasn't married. and
so he was not born them with whom
Sir Rawdon Wells fell in love-in
Naples. I think. She was a singer
wonderful voice. BY tho way. Paolo
inherited it-but. alas! lost 1t after
an attack Of diphtheria. otherwise
he would now perhaps be the lead
ing tenor of the world instead of
a motion picture actor. But we were
speaking Of the mother. She and
Rawdon. sr.. were going to be
married when the twin sister-a
dancer-came homo to Naples to
dance at San Carlo in the famous
ballet they have there.
She was even more beautiful and
fascinating than the sister. and either
she was very interruptions or else
she fell madly in love with tho Eng
completely. The two ran away to-
gether and were married. leaving the
other twin plantee la. as you might
say. She was so wild with rage and
humiliation that she married a tenor
In the same opera company who d
been hopelessly in love with her be-
fore the Englishman came along. He
was very poor match-shiftless and
without much talent. They led a
cat and dog life. That was the his
tory of poor Paolo's childhood What
q sweet nature he must have had not
to be embittered and to be as devoted
to his English cousin as he Is, In
stead OF brooding over what might
have BEEN"
Yes. fine of him!" agreed Dagon.
"Paolo has often told us about his
wretched childhood. poor and neg.
lected by his parents. He's quite
frank-not a snobbish bone in his
body! He isn't sure that his father
wasn't actually mixed up with the
Camorra-that terrible secret society
In Naples which does every sort of
crime and sends the black hand to
America
You are right" Mrs. Payntor, it's
mighty romantic" said the detective.
delighted with the way that things
were going.
1T would make a scenario plot for
one Of Mr.. Magnani's screen plays"
Wouldn't 1t? And all that came
after"
What did come after?" Daeon
asked innocently. Il don't quite
know"
We'll, Paolo used to sing in Italian
cafes and weird places like that to
get money for his training. When
he'd saved up something he began
to study for the operatic stage, and
had glorious prospects,, with his looks
and voice. But then he got i'll, as I
told YOU. His voice was injured. The
poor fellow was In despair and
thought Of killing himself. but just
then-and that was like play, where
everything happens at exactly the
right time!-his cousin. Rawdon
Wells, came to Italy on purpose to
look him up. He-Don Wells-had
finished his course at Oxford and was
free to travel. He'd always wanted
to find Paolo since his mother