The Augusta herald. (Augusta, Ga.) 1914-current, August 19, 1914, Non Edition, Image 6

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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 »t«SMlt| ttUt.iatOC! UlliiiWUUUi’s AA«4hC • luiiMvuiutsb Ifoui buq; U«'U w 4 kfb k ut wniitMui ihtVtri kuumu a** Utblbss slUiiills’U, Alt vm llbb* lltC ui <* Ik'i'lu** tut Vl4UAi't*U JlAAffee •*»•»’ U»U*»* timie u iiiVNuttu/ itntuUtUUl uuu »«*»’*• tuuil* HAi't) I u kuiu bssiae AUv • At taut I, Atltltuv. A a it* r lut' uterllitfcf duitu* whit’ll Mlltlt'l AM AA As aAAIMAA %‘AAII jf Ib'COglllACA i IhO 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