THE STORY: Paul Battman and Laura Caldwell had planned a big wedding in June. But Paul turns 23 in May and must be married before his birthday at Battman’s Castle on Snug Island in order to inherit $250,000 left to him by his grandfather, Silas. If Paul fails to comply, the inheritance will go to his cousin, Kenneth, whom he has never met. So on the eve of his birthday, Paul, Laura, Paul’s mother, Helen, Laura’s Aunt Grace, Clara, the bridesmaid, and Roger, the best man, meet Jonathan Lancaster, a young attorney representing Silas’ estate, and travel to the island. They are greeted with cold hostility by Martha Morgan, the housekeeper who lives alone in the castle. While they are waiting for Horace Wiggins, the justice of the peace, Jonathan presents Laura with a bouquet left for the bride-to-be in Silas’s will. A poem presented with the bouquet suggests that a gift is hidden close at hand. It is anything but a pleasant treasure hunt, however. The bouquet is snatched from Clara by an unseen hand; Mr. Wiggins, is discovered in a chest, drugged and groggy; and Silas Battman’s raucous laugh booms from the rafters. Is it cousin Kenneth, or can Silas still be alive? All those present regard each other with growing suspicion. As the unknown man is ultimately identified the clock strikes midnight. The ceremony has not been performed, and presumably Paul loses his inheritance. But a final twist brings a surprise ending that will thrill and delight everyone.
