Newspaper Page Text
MEION BDUM
, SIO,OOO FOR 100 WORDS.
“The Million Dollar Mystery” story
Kill run for twenty-two conit-cutivo Weeks
in this paper. Ity an arrangement with
the Thanhonscr Film company it has ban
mode possible not only to road the alary
in tki* paprr bat alao to are it each week
in the various mar mg picture theaters.
For the solution of this mystery alary
SIO,OOO will he given by tho Tlianhouser
Film corporation.
CONDITIONS OOTERNINO TTID
CONTEXT.
The price of SIO,OOO will be won by the
man, woman, or ehihl who writes tin mast
acceptable solution of the mystery, from
which the last two reels of motion picture
drama wilt be made and the last tv o
Chapters of the story written by Harold
MacOrath.
Rotations may hr sent In the Than
houser Film corporation, either at Chicago
or New York, any time up to midnight,
Jan. l 'i. '1 his allows four wn ks after the
first appearance of the last film releases
and thire weeks after the last chapter is
published in this paper in which to submit
solutions.
A board of three fudges Will determine
which of the many solutions received is the.
most acceptable. The jiulgrs are to be
Harold hlaeOrath, l.hyd l.oneruan, and
Miss Mae Timer. The rulgment of Ibis
board will be absolute and final. Nothing
of a literary nature will he considered in
the itor piven an;/ preference in
the selection of the winner of the $lO/100
■prise. The last two nets, which will give,
the molt acceptable solution to the mys
tery, will be presented in the theaters
haring this failure as soon as it is pos
sible In produce the same. The story corre
sponding to three notion 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 hr shown the pictures of the win
ner, his or her home, and otla r interesting
features. It is understood that the news
papers, so lar as practicable, in printing
the last tiro chapters of the story by Har
old MaeHrath, will also show a picture of
the successful contestant.
Solutions to the mystery must not be
more than lull words long. Here are some
questions to be kept in mind in connection
with the mystery as an aid to a solution :
No. I What becomes of the millionaireT
N 0.2 H'AcK becomis of the $1,01111,0001
jfo. $ Whom does Florence mar nit
No. 4 —ir/:ot becomes of tho Hussion
conn tessf
Nobody connected either directly or In
directly with “ The Million Dollar Mys
tery " scill be considered as a contestant.
Ok> i aOntiUtH 4 UAi'A kukiMv
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kfb k ut wniitMui ihtVtri kuumu a**
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tut Vl4UAi't*U JlAAffee •*»•»’ U»U*»*
timie u iiiVNuttu/ itntuUtUUl uuu »«*»’*•
tuuil* HAi't) I u kuiu bssiae AUv •
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AtiAAVA| AIAAA gllM * V iAAAFA'AVM AM III* UAlljAUiU*
a test est •a s settle* etots.a ttUti ttl>» |MMIA«A lOf
toittkAutf hi* r*i«i>e irwAAA (he tuuulr;. 110
virile* « It-iicr lu th« girl*' *chuul la
N«tt s»a /«v> hi siV I t eAfeselWM >A*lir» Air tol *
hr L«ti «Aij*lrrluu*ljr it'll uu ih« doorstep
Mi* ***** wau*bta»A f i Aurruce la ray. Ho
a. mo p«AJ* h » AJbli lu tut UUAt«nUA ul *
Wet* a' A* a at A UViUltir.
Hrnliie umi uieiuber* of hi* l»»*nd *ur
tt..e.t« AtlA«ttA« AAhr M hwua* Ml 111 Ai »A I. »* U I IsM
Ikrj ruler (he huuao the hhulfhrr* out*
•Id* are a iialloou leahe the roof# 1 ltd
•alt- I* found rntity—the uillltou %«hl«h
kiitr*! rita r tt ha lauonu to hnte draw*
% hut day tvua gone. Thru surat; our au
li.iUit'tMi Ihr HaalluoU had Hrrii puuvturcd
and «lrti|»|»rd Inlo th«* »rn.
Florence arrive* from the &lrl*’ arhool
rrtui’ra* Olga, limine'* couipaniou, via*
Its her and eialuta to hr a rriallte. Two
boi.ua drtertlhea rail, but thi*!r yiul la
lolled by lturtou. a u*«%*pnprr uaiau.
II) bribing the raptala of <hr Orient
Norton U)a a trap for llralnr anti hi*
gang* I'rtuoeaa Olgu *.**» hl*lta the Ori
ent'* t n|it*ln a tid *hr mall) fall* Into th*
reporter'* aaare. The plan protra abor*
•Ur tin tinjg U llrulue'a guud luck, nml
only hirrliuga fall luto the hamla of lha
poller.
Affrr fnlllua In their Aral attempt, tho
Itlnck II tin <1 rrd trap Florenre. They
•ak her for money, but t.be eaeapr*
•gnlii folllug, thnu
CHAI*TBK V.
fits rnoiiLKit or tuk ukalbo bos.
>-N ONK!”
**( Jones kept saying to hlmselt
that he must strive to l>s cslm.
to think, think. Despite alt his
warnings, the warnings of Norton, she bail
tricked them aud run sway. It was msd
dsnmg. lie wautetl to rave, tear his hair,
Freak things. U* trumped ths ball. It wontd
b* wasting time to aentl for the police. The.
would only putter shout fruitlessly. The
Black Hundred kurw how to arrauge those
abductions.
How bed they succeeded In doing It? Ne
ene bad entered the house that day without
his being present. There had bet-n no tele
phone call he had not heard the gist of, nos
any letters lie had not first glanced over.
How hed they done it? Kuddenly into hie
mind Bashed the remembrance of the randlw
light under Florence's door the night before.
In a dozen bounds he was In her room,
searching drawers, paper boxes, baskets. 11s
found nothing. He returned in despair t>
Susan, who, during all this turmoil, had
sal ■■ If froren in her chair.
"Speak!” he erled. “For Hod’s seeks,
esy something, think something! Those devils
are kkely to torture her, hurt her!” lie
leaned against the wall, his head on hia arm.
When he turned again he was calm. 11s
walked with bent head toward the door,
•pened it aud stood upon the threshold for a
space. Across tbs street a shadow sUrrecL
gut Jones did not see it Hie gate was at
tracted by something which shone dimly
white on the walk just beyond tbs steps
He ran to It. A -rumpled letter, uned
fleased He carded it back to the bourne
m
THST (ttSHT THEBE vans A MEETING OF OB£ANiZATIOM CALLED TUE BUCK MUNDUED * « »
smoothed It out nnd rend ita contents. Flor
ence in her haste had dropped the letter.
He clutched at his hat, put it on aud ran
to Susan.
** Here! ” lie cried, holding out an auto
matic, “If any one comes in that yon don t
know, shootl Don’t ask questions, shoot!
“I'm afraid! ” She breathed with difficulty.
“Afraid?" lie roared at her. Hu put th”
weapon in her baud, it slipped and thudded
to file floor, 110 stooped for it aod slammed
it into her lap. “ You love your life and
lioDor. You'll know how to shoot when the
time conies. Now, attend to me. If 1 m
not hack here hy 10 o’clock, turn this note
over to the police. If you can’t do that,
then God help us n 111 ” And with that he
inn from the house.
Two blocks down tbo street, up sn alley,
wns the garage wbe/.in Hnrgreavo had been
wont to keep his car. Toward this Jones
inn witli the speed of a track athlete. There
might be half a dozen taxicabs about, but
lie would not run tho risk of engaging any
one of them. The Blnck Hundred wns ca>
aide of anticipating his every movement
The shadow across tlu> street stood unde
cided. At length he concluded to give Jones
ten minutes in which to return. If he did
not return within that time, the watcher
would go up to the drug store aud telephone
for instructions.
Hut Jones did uot come back.
"Where's Ilownrd?” he demanded.
“Hello, Jones; what's up?”
" Howard, get that car out at once.”
"Out she comes. Wait till I give her radia
tor a bucket of water. Gee! ” whispered How
ard. whom Ilnrgrntve often used as his chauf
feur, "get on to his nibs! First time I ever
saw him awake. 1 wonder what's doing? You
never know what's back of those nmmmy
faced heudwaiters. . . All right, Jones I”
The chauffeur jumped Into the car aud Jones
took the scut beside biin.
“Where to?”
" Number 78 . . .” and the rest of it
trailed away, suiotnered in the violent thunder
es the big six’s engines.
Within twelve minutes from the time It left
the garage, the car stopped opposite to No. 78
Grove street, and Jor.es got out.
" Wait here, Howard. If several men corns
rushing out, or I don't appear within ten min
utes, fire your gun a couple of tiineu for ths
police. 1 d ui't want them i’ u# can uiunage
without. They'd only bungle.”
“All right, Mr. Jones,” said the chauffeur.
Hi* had, in the past quarter of an hour, ac
quired a deep and lusting respect for the butler
chap, lie was a regular fellow, fur uU hia
brass buttons.
At Jones reached the curb, Florence enme
forth as If on invisible wings. Jotter caught
her by the arm. She flung him aside with a
strength hs had not dreamed existed in her
slim body.
"Florence, I am Jones!”
Khe stopped, recognized him, and without a
word ran scrota the street to the automobile
end climbed into the tonneau. Jours followed
Immediately.
“ Home 1 ”
The car shot np tho dimly lighted street,
sbutie palely for • second under the cornet
lamp, auj vanished.
"Ah, child, child!” groaned the man at her
aids, all the tense nesa gone from hia body.
He was Jonea again
Still ali* did not sp-a - bi t atared ahead
with uuacritig eyea. *
No further reproach fell from the butler*a
lips. It waa enough that God had guided him
to her at the appointed moment He felt
aaaured that never again would ahe be drawn
Into any trap. Joor child 1 What bad tb>y
aaid to her, done to her? lluw, in God'a
name, bad she escaped from them who acres
let anybody eecape? Trvaently she would be
come normal, and then ahe wool' tell him.
“ 1 found the lying note. You dropped It*
“ Horrible, horrioie i” she said almost is
audibly.
"What did they do to you?”
“He aaid he was my father. • . . ll#
put hia arms around me. , , . And 1
kuew 1 ”
"Knew what?” ■.'; '<
“That he lied. I can't explain.”
“ Don't try 1 ’’
Kuddenly sho laid her head against the
butler's shoulder and cried. It was terrible
to hear youth weep in this fashion. Jonea
put big arm about her, patted her, and tried
to console her.
“Horrible!” she murmured between the
violent hiccoughs. "I was wrong, wroDgl
Forgive me 1 ”
Unconsciously the arm sustaining her drew
her closer.
" Never mind,” be consoled. " Tell no one
what hns happened. Go about as usual Don’t
let even Susan know. Whatever your poor
father did was for your Bake. He wanted
you to be happy, without a care in the world.
“ I promise.” And gradually the eobs ceased.
“ Hut I feel so old, Jones, so very old. I
threw over the lamp. I threw a chair through
the window. They thought that it was I who
bad jumped out. That gave me the neces
sary time. 1 don’t understand how I did it.
1 wasn't frightened at all till 1 gained the
street.”
They found Susan stUl seated In the chair,
the nutomatic in her lap. She bad not moved
in all this time 1
Braine paced the apartment of the I’rlncesa
rerigoff. From the living room to the boudoir
and back, fully twenty times. From the. divan
Olga watched him nervously. He was like a
tiger, fresh in captivity. A at once he paused
in front of her.
"Do you realize what that mere chit did?”
“I do.”
" TlanneJ to the minute. We bad her;
seven of us; doors locked, and all that No
weeping, no wailing; I could not understand
then, but I do now. It’s in the blood. liar
grenve was as peaceful as a St Bernard dog,
till you cornered him, and then be was «
lion. O, the devil I Slipped out of my fingers
like an eel. And across the street, Jones in
e racer! I never paid any particular at
tention to Jones, but frem now on I shall.
The girl may or may no' know where the
money is, but Joues does, Jones does I Two
men shall watch. Felton on the street and
Orloff from the windows of t’_i deserted house.
With opera glasses he will be able to taka nota
of all that happens in the bouse during the
day He will be able to sec the girl's room.
And that’s the important point. It was a
go d plan, little woman; and It would havs
been plain sailing if only wo bad remembered
that the girl was Hargreave's daughter. Be
very careful hereafter when you cull on her.
A night like this will tave made her eue
picious of every one. Our hope lies with you.
Anything on your mind?”
"Yea Wliy not inset, s personal In the
Herald?” She drew son writing paper to
wn nl her and scribbled a few worda
He rend: " Florence—the hiding place Is
discovered. Remove it to a more secret spot
at once. S. U.”—He laughed and shook hia
head. “ I'm afraid tuat will never do.”
“If she reads It, Jones will. The man with
the opera glasses may see something. There’s
a chance Jones might become worried.”
" Well, we’ll give it a chance.”
It was midnight ween be made his depar
ture. As be stepped into the street, hs
glanced about cautiously. On the corner bs
saw a policeman swinging his night stick.
Otherwise the street was deserted. Ursine
proceeded jauntily down the street
Aud yet, from the darkened doors of (hs
bouse across the way, th* figure of s man
emerged and atood contemplating the wi
dows of the I'erigoff apartment Kuddenly
th< lights went out. The watcher uinde no
effort to follow Braine. The knowledge he
was after did uot necessitate any such pro
cedure.
Of course, Florence read the " personal.*
She took the newspaper ut once to JoneA
who smiled grimly.
“ You see, I trust you.”
“ AnJ so long as you continue to trust me
do harm wIU befall you. You were left ia
my care by your father. 1 am to guard yon
at tha expense of my Uft- Lust night'* affair
THE NEXT 'APTEE.NOON THE PRINCESS CALLED UPON FLORENCE
was a miracle. The next time you will not
find it so easy to escape.”
Nor did she.
"There will be no next time,” gravely.
“ But I am going to ask you a direct ques
tion. Is my father alive ."-*
The butler's brow puckered. “ I have prom
bed to say nothing, one way or th* ether.'*
Khe laughed.
“Why do you laugh?”
“ I laugh because if he were dead there
would be no earthly reasoj for your not say
ing so at once. But I hate money, the nama
es it, the sound of it. the sight of it It is
st the bottom of all wars and crimes. I de
spise it 1 ”
“The root of all evil. Yet It performs
many noble deeds. But never mind tbe money.
Let os give our attention to this personal
Doubtless It originated in the mime mind which
conceived the letter. Your father would never
have inserted such a personal. What! Give
bis enemies a chance to learn his secret? No-
On the other hand I .rant you to show this
personal to all you me: toda;, Susan, the
reporter, to everybody. Talk about it. Say
that you wonder what yon shall do. Trust no
ene with your real thoughts.”
“ Not even you, Mr. Joues,” thought the
girl as she nodded.
“ And tell them that yon showeC It to me
and that I appeared worried.”
That night there was a meeting of tha or
ganization called the Black Hundred. Brain*
asked if any one knew what the Uargreava
butler looked like.
“I bad a glimpse of tin the other night;
but being unprepared, I might not re cognise
him again.”
Vroon described Tones minutely. Brains
could almost see the portrait
“Vroon, that memory of your* Is worth s
lot of money,” was his only comment
“ I hope it will be worth more toon.”
“ I believe I’ll be abls to recognize Mr.
Jones if I see him. Who U bs end whst is
be?*
“ He has been with Hargreav* for fourteen
years. There wss a homicidal case in which
Jones wss active. Hsrgresve saved him. He
Is faithful and uncommunicative- Money will
not touch him. If be does knew -There that
million is, hot irons could not make him own
up to it The only way is to watch him, fol
low him, wait for the moment when he’ll grow
careless. No man is always ou his mettle;
he lets up sooner or later.”
“ He is being watched, at you know."
Vroon nodded approvingly "Th* captain
of the tramp steamer Orient, oy the way. was
seen with a roll ot money. U* waa in on*
of the water front saloons, bragging how ho
bad hoodwinked some one.”
"Did he say where he’d got the cash?"
asked Braine.
“ They tried to pump him on that, but ho
shut up. Well, we have agreed that Felton
shall watch from the street and Orloll from
the wi*dow. Orloff will whistle if he sees
Jones removing anything from any of the
rooms. The rest will be left to Felton."
“And, Felton, my friend,” sai-l Braine soft
ly—he always spoke .oftly when he was In a
deadly humor—“ Felton, you slept on duty
the other night. Hargrer.ve stole up, con
sulted Jones, and got away after knocking
me down. The next failure will mean short
shrift. Be warned ! ”
" I saw only you, sir. So help me. I was
not asleep. I saw you run down the street
after the taxicab. I did not see any one else.”
Braine shrugged. " llemember what I said.”.
Felton bowed respectfully and made his exit.
He wished in his soul that he might some day
catch the master mind free of bis eternal
mask. It was an iron hand which ruled them
and there were friends o£ his (Felton’s) who
had mysteriously vanished after a brief period
of rebellion. The boss was a swell; prob
ably belonged to clubs and society which bs
adroitly pilferred. The organization always
had money. Whenever there was a desperate
job to be undertaken, Vroon pimply poured
out the money necessary to promote it. When
ever Braine and Vroon became engaged in
earnest conversation they talked Slav. Braine
was never called by name here; the boss, sim
ply that
Well, 10 per cent of a million was a hun
dred thousand. This would be equally divided
between the second ten of the Black Hun
dred. Another 10 per cert would go to eighty
members; the balance would be divided be
tween Vroon and the boss. But his soul re
belled at being ordered about like so much dirt
under another man’s feol He would take
bis ten thousand and make the grand get
away.
The next afternoon the princess called upon
Florence. Nothing was said about the ad
venture, and this Lut created a vague unrest
in the scheming woman's mind. She realized
that Bhe must play her cards more carefully
than ever. Not the least distrust must be
permitted to enter the child’s head. Once that
happened good-by to the wo-derful emeralds.
Was it that she really craved the stone? Wss
it not rather a lencu acquired from ths
knowledge that this child's mother bad won
what she herself, with all her cleverness, was
not sure of —Braine's love? Did be really
care for her or was she only the catspaw te
pluck bis hot chestnuts from the lire?
When Florence showed he.- the “ personal,”)
ber vague doubts became Instantly dissipated.
The child would not have shown her tbs
newspaper bad there been any distrust on has
part.
“My child, your father is alive, then?l
animatedly.
“We don’t know,” sadly.
“Wby, I should ay that this proves It*
“On the contrary, it proves nothng of th*
sort, since 1 have yet to discover a treasure
In this bouse. I have bunted in every nook,
drawer; I’ve searched for panels, looked in
truuk* for false bottoms Nothing, nothing!
Ah, if I could only find it 1 ”
“ And what would you do with it?”
•‘Take it at once to some bank and offe*
the whole of it fur the safe return of my
father, every penny of It. I don’t know what
to do, which way to turn,” tears gathering
ia ber eye* and they were genuine tears, too.
“There are millions in stocks and bends and
I cannot touch a penny of it because tbe legal
documents have uot been found, i can't even
prove that l am his daughter, except for halt
au old bracelet, and my father’s lawyers say
that that would not bold D any court.”
“ You were born in St Petersburg, my
dear. Have tbe emtaasj there look up the
birth registers.”
“That would cot put me Into possession
Nothing but th* return ot my father will
avail me. ADd there's a horrible thought al
ways of my not being his real daughter.”
*' There’s no doubt In my mind. I have
only to recall Katrina’s face to know whose
child you are. But what will you live on?”.
Here was a far greater mixup than she had
calculated upon. Supposing after all it was
only a resemblance, that the child was not \
Uargreave’s, a substitute just to blind ths
Black Hundred? To keep them away from
the true daughter? Her mind grew bewil
dered over such possibilities. The single and
only way to settle all doubts was to make
this child a prisoner. If she was Hargreave's
true daughter he would come out of his hiding.
She beard Florence answering her ques
tion : “ There is a sum of ten or twelve thou
sand in the Uiverdale bank, under the contrei
of my father’s butler. After that is guns, I
don’t know what will happen to us, Susan
and me.”
" The door of Miss Farlow’s will always bs
open to you, Florence,’* replied Susan, with
love In her eyes.
This interesting conversation was Interrupt
ed by the advent of Norton. He was always
dropping in during the late afternoon hours.
Florence liked him for two reasons. One was
that Jones trusted him to a certain extent
and the other was that . . . that she
liked him. She finished this sentence in bee
heart defiantly.
Today he brought he: a box of beautiful
roses, and at the sight of them the princess
smiled faintly. Set the wind in that quarter?
She could have laughed. Here was her re
venge against this meddler who took no par
ticular notice of her while Florence was ia
the room. She would encourage him, poor
grubbing newspaper writer, with his beggarly
pittance! What chance had he of marrying
this girl with millions within reach of beg
hand?
The peculiar thing about this was that Nor
ton was entertaining tho same thought at
the same time: what earthly chance had he?
In the second story window of the house
over the way there was a worried man. But
when his glasses brought in range the true
contents of the box he laughed sardonically.
" This watching is getting my goat I
smell a rat every time I see a shadow.” He
wiped the lenses of his oP'ra glasses and pro
ceeded to roil a cigaret
When the princess r.nd Norton went away
Jones stole quietly up to Florence’s room anil
threw up the curtain, i'wo round points of
light flashed from the watcher’s window, but
the saturnine emile on Jones’ lips was not
observed. He went to the door, opened it
cautiously, a band to his ear. Then be closed
the door, turned back the rug and removed a
section of the flooring. Out of this cavity hs
raised a box. There .vas lettering on th* HiJ j
In fact, the name of its owner, Stanley Har
greave. Jones replaced the flooring, tucked
the box under his arm rrd made his exit
The man lounging in the shadow heard a
faint whistle. It was the signal agreed upon.
Tho man Felton ran across the street and
boldly rang the belt It was only then that
Florence missed the ever present butler. She
hesitated, then sent Susan to the door.
“I must Bee Mr. Jones upon vitally im
portant business.”
“He has gone out,” su'd Susan, and very
sensibly closed the door before Felton's foot
succeeded in getting inside.
It was time to act He ran around to tho
rear. The ladder convinced him that Jones
had tricked him. He was wild w.th rage. Hs
was over ths wall in an instant. Away down
the back street his eye discovered his man ia
full flight He gave chase. As he came to
the first corner he was nearly knocked over
by a man comiag the othet way.
“Who are you bumping into?” growled
Felton.
“ Not so rust, Felton! ” '
“Who the devil are you?” cbTc.
The straDger made a sign which Felton ia*
stantly recognized.
"Quick! What has happened?” ‘ 1
" Jones has the million and is making hU
getaway. See him hiking toward the watea
front?”
The two men began to run. J
There followed a thrilling chase, Jonea
engaged a motorboat and it was speeding sea
ward when the two pursuers arrived. They
were not laggard. There was another boat
and they made for it
’’ A hundred if you overtake that boat,” said
Felton’s strange companion.
Felton eyed him thoughtfully. Thera was
something familiar about that voice.
Great plumes of water shot up Into the ale.
It did not prove a short race by any means.
It took half an hour for the pursuer to over
haul the pursued.
"Is that Jones?” " ‘
" Yes” Felton fired hi revolver Into tbs
air In hopes of terrifying Jones’ engineer:
but there was five hundred dangling before
that individual's eyes.
“Let them get a little nearer,” shouted
the butler.
The engineer let down the speed a notch.
The other jioat crept up within twenty yards.
Jones sought a perfect range. He would base
to find this spot again.
"Surrender!” yelled Telton.
In reply Jones raised tie precious box and
deliberately dropped It into the sea. Then he
turned his automatic upon his pursuers end
succeeded in setting their boat afire.
AH this within the space of an hour. Dot
ing dinner that night (there was now a cook)'
Jones walked about the dining table, rubbing '
his bands together from time to time.
"Jones,” said Florence "why do you ro|
your hands like that?” )
" Was I rubbing my bands. Miss Florence??
be asked innocently.
lio as