Evening Star Newspaper, September 16, 1925, Page 14

Whe Stole the Bride? And Why! ‘The Night of the Wedding By C. N.and A. M. WILLIAMSON, Authors of “The Lightning Col nductor” and other fascinating ve romances of mystery and lo Copyright, 1924, by Public Ledger Company edy Haste, married to Eve Carroll, a| Tor g and Tich Eirl. s BLAFtIng the honey X It is a gloomy . lent to the bridal pair Rawdon Wells, an unsuccessful suitor '8 hand. TESTING THE EVIDENCE. &€ SHALL be obliged, sir, if yvou'll come, t0o,” he sald, when Wells curt! proposed that Capt. Haste should explain matters in the library, unem- barrassed by his host's presence. “‘But, sergeant, he accuses me of a gfeat crime,” Wells explained. “And 80 4 “As far as I'm concerned, it doesn’t matter whether you're present or ab- sent,” Ken broke in. “I can’t say more than I've said to you already.” Rawdon shrugged his shoulders as he walked ingo the library with the ser- zeant of police and the man who had once been his best friend. He listened | quietly to the questions and answers; | heard all Ken's hastily buflt-up theory | f a deliberate plot for revenge against 1l rival and showed no emo- tion whatever until Ken produced the plece of half-burned pink ribbon with the crystal fringe. Then he flushed a dark red, bit back some word at the end of his tongue and took his lip be- tween his teeth. You suspect Rawdon Wells of —as you might say—luring the lady to house and murdering her on her wedding night?” Anson summed up, glowering at Haste. “Killing her some- how or other while she was playing on the piano in the music room, with you in the next room, and both doors open: then taking the body by a se- cret way down to the cellar and burn- in _the furnace, where he'd @ huge fire on purpose; he to escape in his own motor verpool, without any one sus- | pecting—if all had gone well—that | 1¢'d been near the place?” Yes, roughly, that expresses what Ken answered with dull | My wife's disappearance rks—her handkerchief ory—this bit of charred t furnace fire on a July | ht—Sir Rawdon Wells' refusal to | explain his presence here and his eva- sive answers about what he had burn- everything points to one horrible - Rawdon gave evasive | inswers to you, sir, is no reaso | he should to me,” said Sl Though’—turning to Wells—"I'm Joun 1 you, sir, that anything | . T know all that stuff, sergeant,” Wells cut in. “And I'm not going to say anvthing except this: I didn’t kid- | irs. Haste. I didn’t murder her. cen’t seen her since the wedding. T had no intention of coming down to the court when I invited her and Capt. Haste to spend their honeymoon here. brought me cropped t @ mportant—but en- e; didn’t_concern Captain or Mrs. Haste in the least. The things I burned in the furnace were *con- nected with my business, but not with the Hastes. I've already explained t rought the bride's handker- v with me as a souvenir. | rm in that! 1 haven't| vet seen the footprint and finger marks in the music room near the secret door. But there’s one thing certain about them; they're not mine, ard the sooner T can prove that the better I shall be pleased.” The footprint can be tested at id Aanson. *“As for the they'll, require an ex- I'm not sure we have any | finger pert. 1 one competent—-" | “You'll phone to Scotland Yard. T hope, ately,” Ken cut him short re’s not a second to waste. I hope to heaven that by this time one r —has looked to the has found out— at is being attended to, sir,” An- sympathetically enough; most involuntarily watch: wdon Wells as if for a . From the story Capt. Haste poured out, suspicion against Sir Rawdon—secretly - Anson’s idol and yet he was ® | said hero—appeared hideously well found- ed. The sergeant knew that there was, and had been for generations, a ‘wild_streak” in the men of Hidden Hall Court. More than once strarge, mysterious tragedies had happened in the old house. Sir Rawdon's mother nad been an Italian, very beautiful, but of a passionate temper which had not made for happiness. And tonight was not the first time Anson had heard that Sir Rawdon Wells was desperately in love with the American helress, Miss Carroll. Gossip had reached Ardry-le-Mare, where every one was Interested in Sir Rawdon’s: affairs. People had talked. They had been sorry for “poor Sir Rawdon.” It was supposed -that his suddenly &r- ranged trip to America was for the purpose of “‘forgetting’: but to forget would be difficult for a man of his type. Ever since he was a boy Raw- don Wells had felt deeply, and “taken things hard.” Anson knew his duty to the public as its servant. All the same, he didn’t much like the job of bringing Scotland Yard into the business. These fellows wouldn’t care whether they found Sir Rawdon guilty. or some one else. All they would think of was the damned case! Rawdon saw what was in the man’'s mind, and smiled rather bitterly. “I, too, hope you'll phone Scotland Yard,” he said. ‘“Ardry-le-Mare shouldn’t have the responsibility of an affair like this, though I believe it would keep its end up with London, if need be.”” “I will use the telephone Jf you'll permit me,” said Anson, vaguely ad- dressing both men. “I'll'phone our place and get them to call up the Yard. It's late now, after 11. But there'1l probably b a detective Gown— a finger print expert and all that—first thing tomorrow.” “Now for that footprint,” itawdion when the telephone had been duly used. “I suppose I'm intelligent enough, if I'd stained my boots with blood, to burn them in that furnace fire, and change to another pair. But I'm waiting and anxious to measure those I have on, or any others in my wardrobe upstairs, with the print in the music room “Very well, gest it can take the depositions of the other members of the household later. This is—er—important.” He opened the door of the library just In tize to collide with one of his own_constables. “Beg pardon, sir!” exclaimed the dodging his supe- rior. ed my examination of the contents of the furnace.” “Well, what's the report” Anson inquired, brusquely, under the Lag- gard gaze of Kennedy Haste. “The report is, sir, remains of a traveling bag, contents micstly undis- tinguishable, but apparently materials: some hooks and eyes, might have been on a woman's dress; something ke a silver shoe buckle with blackened stones or paste et in it, and a pair of men’s boots, nearly destroyed.” “Is that all?” asked Anson, when his assistant stopped and cleared his throat. “Not quite all, sir.” “What else did you find?” “A—a quantity of bones.” “Human bones?” “They—they have that appearance, sir.” Everything turned purple Lefore the eyes of Kennedy Haste. He caught at the back of a chair, and then fell, rather than dropped, into it, the worid . I was golng 1o sug- | blotted out. Police Sergt. Anson had had a se- cret, almost unconscious sense of re- sentment against Capt. Haste for his black suspiclons of Sir Rawdon Wells | until the young man crumpled up in a fainting fit. Then he realized that the guest of Hidden Hall Court had gone through an ordeal such as few men are ever called upon to bear. He found himself intensely sorry for the poor fellow; but at the same time, as events seemed likely to turn, Capt. Haste would be spared further mar- tyrdom by being “out of all” for a ‘while. His adopted sister was callsd in to Silent Watches of the Night You switch off the light in your room— perhaps many stories above the street. In the same hotel hundreds of other guests, like you, are retiring for the night. Safely you slumber, and soundly; undis- turbed by any thought of fire or panic— if the hotel is butlt of Concrete. Your peaceof mind liesin the knowledge that Concrete has proved itself, in many severe tests, the highest type of fire resis- tive construction. Concrete makes possible the utmost in safety and comfort, to say nothing of beauty. That is why hotel and apartment house builders, owners and dwellers look upon it as the ideal building material. & Our fres Booklel S-6 shows many Seeuiful houses and replied Anson, uneasily. “T! THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1925. minister to him, and Miss Giflett, | hearing what had happencd, anncunc- ed herself as a trained nurse. “He has acknowledgsd that I saved his life in France,” she sald. “I think you had better let me go to him now.” The sergeant thought so, too, and gave permission. His assistant and Rawdon Wells together carried Haste —who looked like a dead man—from the chair to a great Chesterfleld sofa, where Miss Glilett directed them to “lay him down flat—no cushion under his head.” Meanwhile, the police investigation had to go on and was therefore trans- ferred to another room—one adjoining the great library. This was known as ir Rawdon's den,” but, in prepara- tion for guests and his departure for America, it had been straightennd al- most to primness of order. Anson gave precedence to such wit. nesses as he thought likely to possess the most valuable information, and in this order the new butler, Maurianti, came first. It was he who had seen one of the wall panels in the music room open, and had stepped through into the tapestry boudoir, where he had discovered the blood-statned foot- print and other marks. He was the ideal servant, though a foreigner, An- son thought, and far more worthy of his place at Hidden ;lall (‘ourt than his predecessor had been. The latter had often strolled Into Ardry-le-Mare, “a_smug, smooth-faced old toad,” the police sergeant apostrophized him mentally in retrospect, znd with no end of an opinion of himself. He had “put on airs” with his equals and cringed to his superiors. No one had liked Davis, but it was supposed that he had been kept on because of long service with Sir Rawdon's father. Everybody had been surprised when he left, and the reason for his going was unknown. But the change \.as all for the good, it seemed, und Anson silently admired the dignity of Mari- anti, his reluctance to utter any word which might Incriminate Sir Rawdon and the évident pain he suffered when the latter volunteered to measure the | size of his own boot with the red foot- print on the floor. The fine, old face under its thatch of white hair almost shriveled with dismay when the boot on Sir Rawdon's foot fitted the crimson cutline with- out a fault. Marianti utterad a kind BETTER A. G. HERRMANN 750 Tenth St. S.E. Fresh Youthful Skin Maintained By Cuticura Daily use of Cuticura Soap, with touches of Cuticura Oint- iment when required, will do| much to prevent Z0ap e Ofnt 25 Se. e, 5™ Cuticura Shaviag Stick 28¢. of gasping groan, as if he blamed him- self for not washing away those tell- tale traces before thoy could incrimi- nate the last of a noble family. “By Jove, it fits!” exclaimed Raw- don.” “This makes things rather se- rious for me—unless Ilve--Mrs. Haste —1is found alive and well. I can’t help belleving she will be. That anything should happen to her—in my house— would be too horrible. But there's a plot of some sort against me. That's certain now-——what with the burned boots and the bones in the furnace— where I swear there was nothing of the sort when I put in the leather bag. Ang now this footprint! It must have been made with a boot or choe of mine. But when the expert in finger prints comes down from Scotland ‘¥ard—thank heaven that’ll be another X story. People can't Imitate one's fin- ger prints, can they “I don’t think so, sir,” sal “Then I shall be cleared. The finger marks will be a clue Icading in some other direction. Where, we can't see yet.” “No sir, we can't see yet,” repeated the sergeant. But his heart was heavy as he took down his notes. He saw trouble ahead. He eouldn’t bear to believe Rawdon Wells guilty of a pe- culiarly repulsive crime, and vet—and vet—that suggestion of a ‘plot” sounded somewhat far-fetched. CONTINUED TOMORROW, e Introduction of American ‘*sales service” into India by salesmen from this country has made a hit. Genuine illard 13-Plate Rubber Case Batteries 16 0, r Ford, Chevrolet, Overland, Maxwell, Star, and other light' cars. Standard Willard ity ‘throughout. Also in 11-Plate, Wood Case, for Less Authorized Willard Battery Dealers in " This Vicinity Washington, D. C. Washington Battery Co., 1621-23 L St. N.W. East Capitol Service E. J. Penning, 2505 C tion, 17 Fifteenth St. N.E. amplain St. N.W. Esseno Auto Supply Co., 801 H St. N.W. Georgia Ave. Batt. & Elec. James W Hundley’s Auto Supply, Shgp. 1306 Georgia Ave. Modern_Auto Supply Co., 917 H Owens Motor Co., 3700 Georgia Stanton Battery & Elec. Serv., 403 C St. N.E. D. T. Spencer, 2419 Pennsylvania Ave. N\W. Brooke C. Furr, 706 G St. S.W. Bradburn Batt. & Elec. Co., 616 Pennsylvania Ave. S.E. Wisconsin Ave. Serv. Sta., 1326 Wisconsin Ave, Alexandria, Va. Central Automobile Co., Inc., 113 N. Washington St. King St. Garage, 1400 King St. Other Nearby Places Gaithersburg, Md., C. C. Waters & Son Leesburg, Va., Frye Motor Co. Rockville, Md., Reed Brothers AND At all Willard Service Stations e is busy OME people have the idea that this is the telephone op- erator’s favorite phrase when she is too plain lazy to make the connection. All wrong. In the first place, our operators aren’t the lazy sort; they are too carefully picked and trained and supervised. And their never-ending courtesy ought to tell the doubters that they believe the public always comes first. But if they were lazy, or tired, or afflicted with any of the other ills that the human raceis heir to, they’'d make the connection; because i5's easior 10 do that than to tell you the line is busy. One push of 2 plug often makes your connection; several operations are necessary to tell you the line is in use. We'd like to show you about it at your own exchange. A ‘busy’ report may not mean that your man is talking. Some one else may be calling him. His receiver may be off the hook. Or if he's 2 party line subscriber, one of these things may have happened to another telephone on his line. Soif he says he was not talking at the time you called, don’t jump at the conclusion that the operator has given you & wrong report. We're not perfect. But we're all—one hundred per cent of us—doing our utmost toward giving the public the best possible telephone service. THE CHESAPEAKE AND POTOMAC TELEPHONE COMPANY CHEVROLET - OLDSMOBILE OAKLAND - BUICK - CADILLAC Why cars cost less on the GMAC Plan The GMAC Plan was established by General Motors six years ago to make possible the purchase of its cars on time at the lowest pos- sible cost. The volume of GMAC financing operations has made GMAC rates the lowest —and now they are still lower. The GMAC Plan is simple, convenient and entirely confidential. Ask dealers handling the cars named above to explain the advan- tages of the Plan and compare the standard GMAC rates with any other rates. GENERAL MOTORS ACCEPTANCE CORPORATION The financing organization of General Motors The Chi Fair ago : L. S. Plaut & Co. Newark Kresge Department Stores ZiePALAIS ROYAL Quality Merchandise A Sale of Men’s Fall Suits and Overcoats 2-Trousers Business Suits and Four-Piece Golf and Sports Suits *34.50 Tomorrow at 9:15 the doors open to you and an opportunity. For the suits and overcoats offered at this sale afford an opportunity that may not repeat itself until the last Winter snow has thawed. Courteous Service The styles are in the best taste—con- forming to the highest English and do- mestic standards. The tailoring is skil- fully executed. The fabrics are of excellent quality and give promise of long satisfac- tory service. NN The suits are of single and double breast- ed models. And there’s a good assort- ment for the short and stout, the long and lean as well as the average in-between. NN NN A Pre-Season Sale of Men’s Overcoats Ulsters, Box Coats, Chesterfields, Half Belted, Single and Double Breasted Models 24.50 A Saving of From $7.00 to $20.00 A few weeks later these same coats will sell for $32.50 to $45.00. There are only 250 in the lot so. come early to make your selection. Palais Royal—Main Floor AERNREEEREN EE R /N ENEENENEEERENEARNEN,