Newspaper Page Text
MILLION DOOM IflSlfflfcaSK
SIO,OOO FOR 100 WORDS ?
» “ The Mitlion Dollar Mystery” story
mil run for twenty-tuso consecutive weeks
in this paper. By an arrangement with
the Thanhouser Film company it has been
made possible not only to read the story
in this paper but also to see it each week
in the various moving picture theaters.
For the solution of this mystery story
SIO,OOO will be given.
CONDITIONS GOVERNING THE
CONTEST.
The prize of SIO,OOO will be won by the
man, woman, or child who writes the most
acceptable solution of the mystery, from
which the last two reels of motion picture
drama will be made and the last two
chapters of the story written by Harold
MacOrath.
Solutions may be sent to the Than
houser Film corporation, either at Chicago
or New York, any time up to midnight,
Dec. 14. This allows four weeks after the
first appearance of the last film releases
and three weeks after the last chapter is
published in this paper in which to submit
solutions.
* A board of three judges will determine
which of the many solutions received is the
most acceptable. The judgment of this
board will be absolute and final. Nothing
of a literary nature will be considered in
the decision, nor given any preference in
the selection of the winner of the SIO,OOO
prize. The last two reels, which will give
the most acceptable solution to the mys
tery, will be presented in the theaters
having this feature as soon as it is pos
sible to produce the same. The story corre
sponding to these motion pictures will ap
pear in the newspapers coincidentally, or
as soon after the appearance of the pic
tures as practicable. With the last two
reels will be shown the pictures of the win
ner, his or her home, and other interesting
features. It is understood that the news
papers, so far as practicable, it printing
the last two chapters of the story by Har
old MacOrath, will also show a picture of
the successful contestant.
Solutions to the mystery must not be,
more than 100 words long. Here are
some questions to be kept in mind in
connection with the mystery as an aid to
a solution:
Ne.l —What becomes of the r illionairef
No. 2 —What becomes of the $1,000,0001
No.S—Whom does Florence marryt
No. 4 —What becomes of the Russian
countessf ' •
Nobody connected either directly or in
directly with " The Million Dollar Mys
tery" will be considered as a contestant.
SYNOPSIS OP PREVIOUS CHAPTERS,
Manley Hargreave, millionaire, after a
miraculous escape from the den of the
Kang of brilliant thlevca known aa the
Black Hundred, Uvea the life of a recluse
for eighteen years. Hargreave one night
eaters a Broadway restaurant and then
tomes face to faca with the gang’s
ffader, Braine.
After the meeting, daring which
neither man apparently recognises the
other, Hargreave harries to hie magnlll
ceat Rlverdale home and lays plana for
making his escape from the country. Ho
writes a letter to the girls’ school la
New Jersey where eighteen years before
fee had myatertonsly left on the doorstep
his baby daughter, Florence Cray. He
alto pays a visit te the hangar of a
daredevil aviator.
Bralae and members of hla baud sur
round Hargreavr’s home at night, but aa
they eater the house the watchers out
•lds saa a balloon leave the root. The
aafe Is found empty—the million which
Hargreave was known to have drawn
that day was gone. Then some one in.
uouneed the balloon had been punctured
•ad dropped late the sea.
Florence arrives from the girls’ school.
Prlneeee Olga, Braine’s companion, vis
its her and claims to be a relative. Two
bogus detectives call, bat their plot Is
foiled by Norton, a newspaper man.
By bribing the captain of the Orient
Norton lays n trap for Braine and hla
gang. Prtneeos Olga also visits the Ori
ent's captain and sho easily falls Into tho
reporter's snare. The plan proven abor
tive through Braine’s good look and only
klreltnga fall Into tha hands of tho
pelloe.
<ODP7TI*tt: 1*14: By Buolt HUQntt.l
- CHAPTER IV.
m rtJLT ON THB TOP FI/OOR.
BRAINE crawled from bis uncomfort
able biding place. Hi* clothes wer*
•oiled and damp, bit hat gone. By
a hair’s breadth be bad escaped the
clever trap laid for him. Harg reave was
alive, be bad escaped; Brain* was as cer
tain of this fact as he was of bis own
breathing. He now knew bow to account for
the flickering light in the upper story of
the warehouse. His ancient enemy bad been
sratching him all the time. More than this,
Hargreave and the meddling reporter were la
collusion. In the flare of lights at the end
e( the gun-plaj he hsd caught the profile of
the reporter. Here was a dangerous man,
who most be watched with the utmost care.
He, Bralne, had been lured to commit an
avert act, and by the rarest good luck had
escaped with nothing more serious than a
cold chill and a galling disappointment
He crawled along the top of the pier,
■stenlng, sending his dark-accustomed glance
hither and thither. The sky in the east was
growing paler and paler. In and out among
the bale* of wool, bags of coffee, and 1< mon
crates he slowly and cautiously wormed bis
way. A watchman patrolled the office side
•f the warehouse, and Bralne found it pos
sible to creep around the other way, thence
Into the street After that be straightened
np, sought a second hand shop and pur
chased a soft hat which he pulled down over
his eyes.
He had half a dozen rooms which he al
ways kept in readiness for such adventures
ns this. He rented them furnished in small
hotels which never asked questions of their
patrona To one of these be went as fast
as his weary legs could carry him. He al
ways carried the key. Once in his room he
donned fresh wearing apparel, linen, shoes,
and shaved. Then he proceeded downstairs,
the second hand hat still shading his eyes
and the upper part of his face.
At half past 12 Norton entered the Knick
erbocker caff-restaurant, and the first per
son he noticed wag Braine, reading the
morning's paper, propped up against the
water carafe. Evidently he had just or
dered, for there wns nothing on his plate.
Norton walked over and laid his hand upoa
Braine’s shoulder. The man looked up with
mild curiosity.
“ Why, Norton, sit down, sit down 5 Have
you had lunch? No? Join me.”
“ Thanks. Came in for my breakfast,”
said Norton, drawing out the chair. Brains
was sitting with his back to the wall on the
lounge-seat.
“ I wonder If you newspaper men ever
eat a real true enough breakfast. I should
think the hours you lead would kill you oft.
Anything new on the Hargreave story?”
“ I’m not handling that,” the reporter lied
cheerfully. “ Didn’t want to. 1 knew him
rather intimately. I’ve a horror of dead peo
ple, and don’t want to be called upon to iden
tify the body when they find it.”
“Then you think they will find it?”
“ I don’t know. It’s a strange mixup.
I’m not on the story, mind you; but I was
in the locality of Duffy's warehouse late
last night and fell into a gunman rumpus.”
“ Tea, I read about that. What were they
after?”
“ You’ve got me there. No one seems to
know. Some cock and bull story about there
being something valuable. There was.”
“What was it? The report In this paper
does not say.”
“ Ten thousand bags of coffee.”
Braine lay back in bis chair and laughed.
“If you want my opinion,” said Norton,
“ I believe the gunmen were out to shoot up
another gang, and the police got wind of it,”
“ Don’t you think it about time the police
called a halt in this gunman matter?”
“O, so long as they pot each o'her ths
police look the other way. It saves a long
trial and passage up the river. Besides,
whenever they are robbed some big politician
manages to open the door for them. Great
is the American voter.”
“Take Mr. Norton’s order, Luigi,” said
Braine.
“ A German pancake, buttered toast, and
Coffee,” ordered the reporter.
“Man, eat something 1”
It’s enough for me.” ,
“ And you’ll go all the rest of the day on
tobacco. I know something of you chaps. I
don’t see how you manage to do it.”
“ Food is the least of our troubles. By
the way, may I ask you a few questions?
Nothing for print, unless you’ve got a new
book coming.”
“ Fire away.”
“ What do you know about the rrincesi
Perigoff? ”
“ Let me see. H’m. Met her first about
is year ago at a reception given to Nasimova.
A very attractive woman. I see quite a
lot of her. Why?”
“ Well, she claims to be a sort of aunt te
Hargrcave’s daughter.”
“ She said something to me about that the
other night You never know where you’re
at in this world, do you?”
The German pancake, the toast, the coffee
disappeared, and the reporter passed his
cigars.
“ The president visits town today and I’m
off to watch the show. I suppose I’ll have
to interview him about the tariff and all that
rot. When you start on a new book let me
know and I’ll be your press agent.”
“ That’s a bargain.”
“Thanks for the breakfast.”
Braine picked up his newspaper, smoked
and read. He smoked, yes, but he only pre
tended to read. The young fool was clever,
but no man is infallible. He bud not the
least suspicion; be saw only the newspaper
story. Still, in some manner he might stumble
npon the truth, and it would be just as well
to tie the reporter’s hands effectually.
The rancor of early morning hod been sub
dued ; anger and quick temper never paid la
the long run, and no one appreciated this
fact better than Braine. To put Norton out
of the way temporarily was only a wise pre
caution; it was not a matter of spite or
reprisal.
He paid the reckoning, left the restaurant,
and dropped into one of his clubs for a game
of billiards. He drew quite a gallery about
the table. He won easily, racked his cue, and
aought the apartments of the princess.
What a piece of luck it was that Olga bad
really married that old dotard, Perigoff 1 He
had left her a titled widow six months after
her marriage. But she had had hardly a
kopeck to call her own.
“Olga, Hargreave la alive. He waa there
last night But aomehow he anticipated the
raid and bad the police in waiting. The
question is, has he fooled us? Did he taka
that million or did he hide it? There la one
thing left; to get that girL No mattsr whore
Hargreave is hidden, the knowledge that she
la In my hands will bring him out into the
open.*
“No more blind alleys.”
“What's on your mind?”
“ She has never seen her father. She con
fessed to me that ahe has not even seen s
photograph of him.”
There waa a long pause.
“Do you understand m> ? ” she asked.
“By the Lord Harry, I do 1 You’ve a
head on you worth two of mine. The very
simplicity of the idea will win out for us.
Some oue to pose as her father; a message
handed to her in secret; dire misfortune if
she whispers a word to any one; that her
father's life hangs upon the secrecy; she must
confide in no one, least of all Jones, the but
ler. It all depends upon how the letter gets
to her. Bred in the country, ehe probably
Bleeps with her window open. A pebble at
tached to a note, tossed into the window.
I'll trust this to no one; I’ll do it myself.
With the girl in our control the rest will be
easy. If she really does not know where the
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none; la, Hargreave will tell us. Great
bead, little woman, great head. She doea not
know her father’s handwriting?”
“ She has never seen a scrap of It. All
that Mi&s Farlow ever received was money.
The original note left on the doorstep with
Florence has been lost Trust me to make
all these inquiries.”
“Tomorrow night, then, immediately after
dinner, a taxicab will await her just around
the corner. Grange Is the best man I can
think of. He's an artist when It comes to
playing the old man parts.”
“ Not too old, remember. Hargreavs Isn’t
*ver 40.”
“ Another good point I’m going to stretch
out here on the divan and snooze for a
While. Had a devil of a time last night”
“When shall I wake you?"
“At 0. We’ll have an early dinner sent
In. I want to keep out of everybody’s way.
By-by 1 ”
In less than three minutes he was sound
asleep. The woman gazed down at him in
wonder and envy. If only she could drop
to sleep like thatl Very softly ahe pressed
her lips to his hair.
At 11 o’clock the following night the ball
light in the Uargreave house was turned off
and the whole interior became dark. A
shadow crept through the lilac bushes with
out any more sound than a cat would have
made. Florence’s window was open, as tbs
archconspirator had expected It would he.
With a small string and atone as a sling b«
sent the letter whirling skillfully through the
air. It sailed into the girl’s room. The man
below heard no sound of the stone hitting
anything, and concluded that it had struck
the bed.
He waited patiently. Presently a waver*
Ing light could be distinguished over the sill
of the window. The girl was awake and
bad lit the candle. This knowledge was suf
ficient for his need. The tragic letter would
do the rest, that is, if the girl came from
the same pattern as her father and mother
strong willed and adventurous. ,
He tiptoed back to the lilacs, when a noise
sent him close to the ground. Half a dosen
feet away he aaw a shadow creeping along
toward the front door. Presently the shadow
stood up as if listening. He stooped again
and ran lightly to the steps, up thsss to tbs
door, which be hugged.
Who was this? wondered Bralne. Patient
ly he waited, .arranging his posture so that
he could keep a lookout nt the door. By and
by the door opened cautloualy. A man, hold
ing a caudle, appeared. Bralne vaguely rec
ognized Olga's description of the butler. The
msn on the veranda suddenly blew oat tbs
light
Ursine could hear the low murmur of
voices, but nothing more. The conversation
lasted scarcely a minute. The door closed
and the man ran down the steps, across the
lawn, with Brains close at hla heels
“Just a moment, Mr. Hargreavs,” be
called ironically; “Just a moment!”
The man he addressed as Hargreave turned
with lightning rapidity and struck. Tbs blow
caught Braine above the ear, knocking him
flat. When he regained his feet the rumble
of a motor told him the rest of the story.
By the dim light of her bedroom candle
Florence read the note which had found en
trance so strangely and mysteriously into her
room. Her father! He lived, he needed her I
Alive but in dread peril, and only she could
save him 1 She longed to tly to him at once,
then and there. How could she wait till to
morrow night at 8? Immediately slie began
to plan how to circumvent the watchful
Jones and the careful Susan. Her father 1
She slept no more that night.
“My Darling Daughter—l must see yon.
Come at 8 o’clock tomorrow night to 78 Grova
street, third door. Confide in no one, or yon
seal my death warrant
” Sour unhappy
" Faihbb."
What child would refuse to obey a sum
mons like this?
A light tap on the door started her.
“Is anything the matter?” asked the mild
voice of Jones.
“ No. I got np to get a drink of water.”
6he beard his footsteps die away down
the corridor. She thrust the letter into the
pocket of her dreas, which lay neatly folded
on the chair at the foot of the bed, then
climbed back Into the bed Itself. She must
not tell even Mr. Norton.
Was the child spinning a romance over
the first young man she had ever met? In
her heart of hearts the girl did not know.
Her father 1
She was going to save her father.
All day long Jones went about like an old
bound with hia nose to the wind. There was
something in tbs air, but he could not tell
what it was. Somehow or other, no matter
which room Florence went into, there waa
Jones within earshot. And she dared not
show the least impatience or restivenesa. It
was a large order for eo young a girl, but
■he filled it.
She rather expected that the reporter
wonld appear some time during the after
noon ; and sure enough he did. He could no
more resist the desire to see end talk to her
than be could resist breathing. There was
no use denying It; the world had suddenly,
turned at a new angle, presenting a new face,
a roseate vision. It rather subdued hie easy
bauter.
“What news?” ihe asked.
“ None," rather despondently? “ I’m sorry.
I had hoped by this time to get somewhere.
But it appears that I can’t get any further
than this bouse.”
She did not ask him what he meant by '
that.
“Shall I play something for yeu?” she
■aid.
“ Please.” i
He drew a chair beside the piano and
watched her fingers, white ns the Ivory keya,
flutter up and down the board. Bhe played
Chopin for him, Mendelssohn, Grieg, and
Chaminade; and she played them in a sur
prisingly scholarly fashion. lie had expected
the usual schoolgirl cuolce and execution;
Tltanla, the Moonlight Sonata (which not
half a dosen great pianists have ever played
correctly), Monastery Beils, and the like. He
bad prepared to make a martyr of himself;
instead, ha was distinctly and delightfully
entertained.
“ Vou don’t," hs said whimsically, when
■he Anally stopped, “you don’t, by any
cbancs, know ‘ The Maiden’s Prayer ’ ? "
Sbs laughed. This piece was s standing
Joke at srbooL
”1 bavs nsvsr ployed it It may, however,
he in the music cabinet. Would you like to
hear It?” mischievously.
* Heaven forfend ! ” he murmured, raising
his hands.
All the while the letter burned against her
heart; and the smile on her face and tha
gnyety on her tongue were forced. “ Coufide
in no one,” she repeated mentally, “or you
seal my death warrant.”
“ Why do you shake your head like that?”
be asked.
“Did I shake my head?” Her heart flut
tered wildly. “I was not conscious of it.”
“ Are you going to keep your promise? *
“What promise?”
“Never to leave this house without Jonea
ier myself being with you,”. •
* I couldn’t if I wanted to. I’ll wager Jone*
is out there in the ball thie minute. 1 know]
it le ail for my take. But it bothers me.”
Jones was indeed in the hall; and when ha
sensed the petulance in her voice, his shout*
ders same despondently and he sighed deeply)
if silently.
At quarter to 8 Florence, being alone for a
minute, set lire to u veil and stuffed it down
the register.
“ Jones,” she called excitedly, “ I amety
something burning I ”
Jones dashed into the room, eniffed, sad
dashed out uguiu, headtuf for the cellar door.
His first thought wos naturally that the devils
incarnate had set fire to the house. When he
returned, having, of course, discovered no fire,
he found Florence gone. He rushed Into the
hall. Her hat was lultsing. He made for
the hall door with a speed which seemed In
credible to the bewildered Susan’s eyes. Out
into the street, up and dowu which he looked.
Far awny he discovered a dwindling taxicab*
The child wna gone.
In the bouse Husiin was answering the tele
phone, talking incoherently.
“ Who la it? ” Jones whispered, his lips
white and dry.
“The princess. . , .’’ began Susan.
He took the receiver from her roughly,
-Hello! Who Is It?"
“ This is Olga Perigoff. Ic Florence there?”
-No, madam. She has just stepped out for
a moment. Shall I tell bar to call you whea
she returns?”
" Ves, please. I want her and Susan and
Mr. Norton to come to tea tomorrow. Good
by.”
Jones bung up the receiver, sank into x
chair near by and buried hia face in his
hands.
"What Is it?” cried Susan, terrified by
the buggurdneai of bis ‘face.
- She’s gone I My God, those wretches have
got her I They’ve got her I’’
Florence was whirleJ away at top speed
Her father 1 She was actually on the way
to her father, whom she bad always loved In
dreams, yet never seen.
Number 78*'»rove etreet wn« not an at
tractive place, but when ehe arrived she was
too highly keyed to take not# of its sordid
ne«H. She was rather out of breath when she
reached the door of the third flat. She knocked
timidly. The door was instantly opened by
a man who wort a black mask. She would
have turned then and there and flown but
for the swift picture sbs hud of a well dressed
man at a table. He lay with bit heud upon
bis arms.
“ Father I ” she whispered.
The man raised his careworn face; so very
well done that only the closest scrutiny would
have betrayed the paste cf the theater. He
rose and staggered toward her with out
stretched arms. But the moment they closed
about her Florence experienced a peculiar
•blver.
"My child 1 ” murmur,d the broken man.
“They caught me when I was about to come
to you. I have given up the fight” A sob
choked him.
What wns it? wondered the child, her heart
burning with the misery of tho thought that
she was sad instead of glad. Over his shoul
der she sent a glance about the room. There
wns a sofa, a table, some chairs, and an enor
mous clock, the face of which waa dented
and the bands hopelessly tangled. Why, at
such a moment, she should note such details
disturbed her. Then she chanced to look into
tho cracked mirror. In it ehe saw several
faces, all masked. These men were peering
at her through the half closed door behind
her.
“ You must return home and bring me the
money,” went on the wretch who dared to
perpetrate such mockery. “It is all that
stands between me and death.”
Then she knew 1 The insistent daily warm
ings came home to her. Sho understood now.
She had deliberately walked into the spider'!
net. But instead of terror, an extraordinary,
calm fell upon her.
“ Very well, father. I will go and get It."
Gently she released herself from thoaa hor
rible arms.
“ Walt, my child, till I see if they will
let you go. They may wish to bold yon aa
hostage.”
When he was gone ebe tried the doors.
They were locked. Then she crossed over to
the window end looked out A leap from
there would kill her. Hhe turned her gazq
toward the lamp, wondering.
The false father returned, dejectedly.
“It is ns I said. They insist upon send
ing some one. Write down the directions I
gave to yw. I am very weak! ”
“ Write down the directions yourself,
father; you know them better than L” Sines
she saw no escape, she was determined to keep
np tlie tragic farce no longer.
“ I am not your father.”
” So I see,” she replied, still with the amaa
ing calm.
Braine, in the other room, shook his head
eavugely. Father end daughter; the tame
etcel in the nerves. Could they bend herl
Would they have to break her? Ho did not
wish to injure her bodily, but a million was
always a million, and there was revenge which
was worth more to him tht- the money It
self. He listened, motioning to the others
to be silent
“ Write the directions,” commanded ths
scoundrel who discarded the bro'-en man style
“ 1 know of no hidden money.”
“Then your father dies this night Grange
pot a whistle to his lips “Sign, write!”
“I refuse!”
“Once more. The moment I blow this
whistle the men In the other room will under
stand that your father tt die. Be wise.
Money te nothing; life is everything.”
HHW « dm ■ ,
** I refuse t ” Even as she had known thin
vile creature to be an impostor so she knew
that be lied, that her father was still free.
Orange blew the whistle. Instantly the
room became filled with maikel men. But
Florence was ready. Die seized the lamp and
hurled it to the floor, quite indifferent whether
it erploded or went out. Happily for her it
was extinguished. At the same moment she
cast tbs lamp the caught hold of a chair,
remembering the direction of the window. Bha
was suift-rhuruanly strong in this moment The
chair went true. A erase followed.
“ She has thrown herself out of the win
dow I ” yelled a voles.
Bom* on* groped for the lamp, Ut it and
turned In time to see Florence pate out of
the room Into that from which they had come.
The door slatnmed. The surprised men heard
the key click.
Bb* wue free. But ah* was no longer 4
child.
[TO ns OONTHtum]
k#. a