Newspaper Page Text
•®MION DDILAI? MYSTM^MMacGhth
- SIO,OOO FOR 100 WORDS.
“The Million llollar Mystery” story
will run for twcnty-tuo consecutive weeks
in this paper. Ity an arrangement with
the Jlhanhouscr 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 0/ this mystery story
SIO,OOO will he given by the 7'hanhouscr
Film corporation.
CONDITIONS GOVERNING THE
CONTEST.
The prise of XIO,OOO will he 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
druma will be made and the last two
chapters of the story written by Harold
Alactirath.
Solutions may be sent to the Than
houser Film corporation, either at Chicago
tr New York, any time up to midnight,
Jan. Ib. I his allows four weeks after the
fret 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 )udg<s are to be
Harold Mac.llrath, Lloyd Lonergan, and
Miss Mar ’I 'inre. 'The judgment of this
board will hr absolute and final. Nothing
of a literary nature will be considered in
the derision, nor given any preference, in
the selection of the winner of the $10,001)
prise. 7'he 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 In produce the same. The story corre
spending to these motion pictures will ap
pear in the newspapers coincidentally, or
as soon after tie appearance of the pic
tures as practicable. With the last two
reels will be shown Ihe pictures of the win
ner, his or her home, and other interesting
features. It is understood that the news
papers, so far as practicable, in printing
the Inst two chapters of the story by Har
old MacGrath, will also show a picture of
the successful contestant. ,
Solutions tn the mystery must not be
more than 100 cords long. Here are some
questions to be kept in mind In connection
with the mystery as an aid tn a solution :
No. I What becomes of the millionairet
No. 2 What becomes of the $1,000,0001
No.S H'kom does Florence marryf
No. i H’Aat becomes of the Hussbn
countessf
Nobody connected either directly or In
directly with " The Million Dollar Mys
tery" will be considered as a contestant.
(Minify Hargreaves* millionaire, after a
miraculous escape from the «len of the
Kudu of brilliant thieves known ns the
lllnrk Hundred. Ilvrn the life of a fffluw
for eighteen yflH. Hargreave one night
enter* n llromlwny rmlnurnnt and there
comes face to face with the gang’a
lender. Ilrnlnr.
After the meeting, during which
neither ntnn npparenfly recognises the
other* llargrenie hurries to his magnlfl
cent Itlverdsle home nttd lays plans for
making his escape from the country. He
writes a letter to the girls’ school la
New Jersey where eighteen years before
he had mysteriously left on the doorstep
his hahy daughter, Florence Gray* He
also pays a ilalt to the hangar of a
daredevil atlator.
Ursine and members of hla hand sur
round Ilargrenv r*n home «t night, hut as
they e liter the house the watehers out
side see a balloon leave the roof. The
safe Is found empty-—the million which
Hargreave waa known to hate drawn
that day waa gone. Then some one an
nounced the balloon had been punctured
Florence arrives from the girls* school.
Countess Olga, llratne’s companion, vis
its her and claims to he a relative. Two
bogus detcctlvca call, hut their plot ta
failed by Norton, n newapaper man.
My bribing the captain of the Orient
Norton lava a trap for Hralne and hla
gaag. « onnleaa Olga alao visits the Ori
ent's captain and she easily falls Into tha
reporter's aaare. The plan provra abor
tive through Hralne'a good luck, and
only hirelings fall lato the hands of tha
police.
After falling In thHr drat attempt tha
lllaeh Hundred trap Florence. They ash
her for money, hut she escapes, again
falling them.
Norton and the countess call on Flor
enee the neat day, once more safe at
home. The visitors having gone, Jones
removes a section of flooring, and from
• cavity takes a hoi. Furaucd by mem
bers as the lllaeh Hundred he rushes to
tha water frost aad aneceeda tn dropping
tha has lata the aea.
Bralne eoneelvea the Idea as giving a
reaching party to which Floreace la In
vited. Jones aad Norton both go along
and are fortunately oa hand to save
Florence from being Imprisoned In tha
conn try house to which she Is Inrcd.
lOnpyr'fH : Ul4i By lUroM MsrOratk.)
CHAPTER VII.
WnEN all three finally mat at tha
Hargrove hotue Florence suddenly
took Jones by the shoulders ami
kissed him lightly on tha cheek.
Jones started back, pale and disturbed.
Norton laughed. H* did not feel tha allght
aat tainge of Jealousy, but ha was aatan up
with envy, aa tha old wivaa ssv.
“ You are wondering K I suspect tha
Countaaa Perlgoff?" aald Jones.
“ I am." Tbia man Jonee waa developing
Into « very remarkabla character. The re
porter found himaelf aida glancing at tha thin,
keen face of thin reoourceful butler. The lobe
of the man'a left ear came within range. Nor
ton reached for a cigaret, but hia baud* ebook
aa he lit it There waa a peculiar little near
In tha center of tha lobe. <
“Well," aaid Jonea, "I can find no eel
dance that aha baa been o 'Beamed In «u) of
tbeee affaire."
“Too ora suspicious?" _
xe
" Of everybody,” looking boldly Into the r#-
porter’s eye*.
“Of me?” nmlllng.
“ Even of myself sometimes.”
Conversation dropped entirely after this
declaration.
“ You're a taciturn sort of chap.”
“Am I ?”
“ You are. But an agreement la an agree
ment, and while I'd like to print this story,
I'll not. We newspaper men seldom break
our word.”
Jones held out his hand.
“ Homotimes I wish I'd started life right,”
aaid the reporter gloomily. “ A newspaper
man is generally improvident. He never looks
ahead for tomorrow. What with my special
articles to ths magazines, I earn between
four and five thousand the year; and I’va
never been able to save a cent.”
“ Perhaps you've never rmlly tried,” replied
Jones, with a glance at his companion. It
was a good face, strong in outline; a little
careworn, perhaps, but free from any indica
tions of dissipation. "If I bad begun life as
you did, I'd have ma le real end aolld use of
the great men I mat. I'd have made finan
ciers help me to Invest my earnings, or sav
ings, little as they might be. And today I’d
bo living on the income.”
“You never can toil. Perhaps a woman
might linvo made you think of those things;
but if you had remained unattached up to 81,
as I have, the thought of saving might never
have entered your bead. A man In my pres
ent condition, financially, has no right to
think of matrimony.”
“ It might he the saving of you if you met
and married the right woman.”
“ But the right woman might be heiress to
millions. And a poor devil like mo could not
marry si girl with money and hang onto his
self respect.”
“True. But there are always exceptions
to all ririea in life, except those regsrding
health. A healthy man Is a normal man, and
a normal man has no right to remain alngie.
You proved yourself a man thia afternoon,
considering that you did not know I occupied
the wheel Beat. Come to think It over, you
renlly saved the day. You gave me the op
portunity of steering ntrnlght for ths polica
station. Well, good-by.”
“ Queer duck ! ” mused the reporter aa, after
telephoning, he headed for his office. Queer
duck, Indeed I What a game It wee going to
he! And tide man Jonee was playing It like a
master. It did not matter that some one
else laid down the rules; It was the way to
which they were Interpreted.
Bralne heard of the failure. The Black
Hundred was finding its stock far below pur
value. Four valuable men looked up in the
Tombs, nwaltiug trial, to say nothing of the
seven gunmen gathered in at the old warw
(house. Brains began tct suspect that his
failures were Use due to chance than to cal
culation, that »t last he had encountered a
mind which anticipated hla every move. He
would have recognised this fact earlier had
It not been that revenge had temporarily
blinded him, The spirit of revenge never
makes for mental clarity.
There wee a meeting that night of ths
Black Hundred. Four men were told off, and
they drew their cbalrt np to Vroon's table
for Instructions. Bralne sat at Vroon's elbow.
These four men composed the most dangerous
quartet in New York City. They were as
daring «• they were desperate. They were
the men who held up bank messengers and got
away with thousands. They had learned to
awonp down upon their victims as the hawk
swoops down upon the heron. The news
papers referred to them as the “ auto ban
dits,” and the men took a deal of pride In
the furore they had created.
Vroon went over the Hargreave case mi
nutely ; he left no detail unexplained. Blunt
ly and frankly, the daughter of Stanley nar
greave mult be caught and turned over to the
care of the Black Hundred. It muat he quick
action. Four valuable members were In the
Tombs. They might or might not weakeu
under polica pressure. For the first time In
Its American career the organlmtlon stood
fnctng actual peril; and Its one poeeible
chance of salvation lay in the fact that no
one’s face waa known to hla neighbor. He,
Vroon. and the boas alone knew who and
what meb man was. ltut the plans, the rami
fications of the organisation might become
public property; and that would mean an end
to an exceedingly profitable business.
The daughter of ITargreave rode horseback
early every morning. Phe sought the country
road. She waa Invariably attended by the
riding master of a school near by.
“ You four will make your own plans.”
“ If the should be Injured!"
“ Avoid It. If possible.”
"We have a free hand!"
” Absolutely
" We risk a bad fail from bar bore* If It's
a spirited one.”
" Pretend a breakdown in the road," inter
polated Bralne. “Aa they approach, draw
and order them to dismount. That method
9 will prevent any accident.”
“ We'll plan it somehow. It look* easy."
” Nothing la easy where that girl Is con
cerned. A thousand eyes seem to be watch
ing her alighteet move-”
“We shan’t leave anything to chance. Hovr
many daya will you give us? ”
“ Seven. A failure, mind you, will prove
unhealthy to all concerned,” with a menace
which made the four stir uneasily.
The telephone rang. Bralne reached for the
receiver.
“ A man Just entered the Hargreave house
at the rear. Come at once,” wag the message.
“Is your car outside?” Braine asked.
“We are never without it”
“ Then let us be off. No one will stop u»
for speeding on a aide street.”
Fourteen minutes by the clock brought the
car to a stand at the curb a few houses beloyv
»| *"' " " * 1
NORTON PUT HIS ARMS' AROUND HER.'
the Hargreave home. The men got oot. The
watcher ran np.
“ He la atill inside,” he whispered.
“ Good! Spread out. If anybody leaves
that house, catch him. If he rutjs too fast,
shoot. We can beat th# police.”
The men obeyed, and the watcher ran back
to hla poet. He was desperately hoping the
affair would terminate tonight. He was grow
ing weary of thle eternal vigilwnce; and It
was only his fear of the men known aa the
boss that kept him at hts post. He wanted a
night to carouse In, to be with the boys.
The man for whom they were lying In wait
was seen presently to creep cautiously round
the side of the house, He hugged a corner
and paused. They could see the dim outline
of his body. The light In the atreet back of
the grounds almost made a silhouette of him.
lty and by, as If assured that the coast was
clear, he stole down to the street
" Halt! ”
Instantly the prowler took to hla heels.
Two shots rang out. The man was seen to
atop, stagger, and then go on desperately.
"He's hit!”
By the time the men reachfd the corner
they heard the rumble of a motor. One
dashed taick to the car they had left standing
at the curb. He made quick work of the job,
but he was not quick enough. Still, they
gave chase. They saw the car turn toward
the city. But, unfortunately for the success
of the chase, several automobiles passed, going
Into town and tearing it. Checkmate.
Bralne was keen enough tonight.
“He Is hit | whether badly or not remains
to be seen. We can find that out Drive to
the nearest drug store and get a list of hos
pitals. It's a tgn to one shot that we land
him somewhere among the hospitals.”
But they searched the hospitals In rain.
None of them had that night received a shoot
ing case, nor had they heeird one reported.
The man had been unmistakably hit. He
would not have dared risk the lose of time
for a bit of play-acting. Evidently he had
kept his head and sought hla lodgings. To
call up doctors would be utter folly; for It
would take a week for a thorough combing.
This waa the aecoud time the man had got
away.
“ Perhaps I'm to blame,” admitted Brains.
“ I should hava advised Miles to stalk him
and pot him if hs got the chance. There's a
master mind working somewhere hack of all
this, and lt'a time I woke up to the fact.
But you,” turning to the auto bandit*, “ yon
men have your instructions. Mora than that,
you have been given a free rein. See that
you make good, os by the Lord Harry I I’ll
break the four of you like pipe sterna.”
“ Wa haven’t had a failure yet,” spoke np
one of the men, more courageous than hla
companion*.
“ You are not holding up a bank messenger
this trip. Remember that. Drive me as far
as Columbus circle. Leave me on the side
street, between the light*, so I can take off
this mask.”
Later Bralne sauntered Into Pabst and
ordered a light supper. This night’s work,
more than anything else, brought heme to
* 9K §< f; ■ ■
Tn-ie DNJGHTER. OF HARJGREAVE
floor hows&vk earvf elverv
**Oi*>N)N9
aim tha fact that his luck was changing.
For ysars he had proceeded with hia shady
occupations without encountering any mem
orable failure. He moved in the high world,
quits unsuspected. Ha had written books,
given lectures, been made a lion of, all the
while laughing In hia sleeve at the gullibility
of human nature But within the last two
weeks he had received serious checks. From
now on he mnst move with the utmost cau
tion. Some one, was playing his own game
waging warfare unseen. A battle of wits?
So be It; but Breine intended to play with
rough wits, and ha wasn't going to care which
way the sword cut.
He hateJ Stanley HargTeave with all thp
hatred of his soul i the hatred of a man balked
In love. And the man was alive, defying him;
alive somewhere in this city this very night.
With a bullet under hia akin.
“Is everything aatistactory, airl" ha heard
tha head waiter aay.
“ Satisfactory! “ Bratne repeated blankly,
“ Yea. air. You struck tha table aa though
displeased.”
“O! “ Then Bralne laughed relieved!#.
"If I struck the tabla, it waa dona uncon
sciously. 1 waa thinking.'!
•Beg pardon, *lrt Anything elss, air?"
" No. Bring me the check.”
a • • • • • •
“ Your master gives riding lessons? "
The groom who had led the horse beck from
Hargreave'* eyed his fuestloner rather super
ciliously.
“ Yes.” The groom fondled th* animal's
legs.
“ How much is It?"
“Twenty dollars for a ticket of five rides.
The master le the fashion up here. He doesn’t
cater to any but the best families.”
“ Pretty steep. Who wa* that young lad/
riding this morning with your master?”
“ That’s the girl all the newspapers have
been talking about," answered the groom Im
portantly.
" Actress? "
“Actress! I should say not That young
woman is the daughter of Stanley Hargreave,
the millionaire who waa lost at sea. And it „
won’t be long before she puts her finger in a
pie of four or five millions. If you want any
rides, you’ll have to talk it ovar with the
boss. He may or may not take any more
rides. You’d probably have to ride in the
afternoon, anyhow, a* every nag la ont la ths
morning.”
“Where’s ths most popular road?”
• Toward the park; but Miss Hargreave
always goes along the riverside road. She
doesn’t ilk* strangers about.”
“O, I eee. Well, I’ll drop In this aftsr
noon and as* your master. They say that
riding Is good for a torpid llvsr. Have a
cigar?”
“ Thanks.”
Th* groom proceeded Into tit* stables and
the affable stranger took himself oft.
A free rslnt they could work It to suit
themselves. Thera wasn’t the least obstacle
In the way. On the face of It, it appeared
to bs the simplest Job they bad yet under
taken. To get rid of the riding master In
some natural way after he and the girt had
started. It was lika falling off a log.
• Susan,” sold Florence aa sh* cams into
breakfast after her exhilarating rids, “ did you
hear pistol shots last night?”
“ I heard some noise, but I was *0 sleepy I ?
didn't try to figure out what It was.”
“Did you, Jones?”
" Yes, Miss Florence. Th# shots oarae from
ths street. A policeman cam* running np
later and said he saw two automobiles on the
run. But evidently there wasn't anybody
hurt. One has to be careful at night now
adays. There are pretty bad men abroad.
Did you enjoy the ride?”
“ Very mneh. But there were spot* of blood
on the walk near th# eorner."
“ Blood?” Jones canght the back of a chair
to steady hlmaelf.
“ Yea. So some one was hurt. O, let’s
leave thia place! ” Impulsively. “ Let ns go
back to Miaa Harlow's. You could find a
place In the village, Jones. But if I stay
here much longer in this state of unrest I
■hall lose faith In everything and everybody.
Whoever my father’s enemies are, they do not
lack persistence. They have made two at
tempts against my liberty, and sooner or
later they will succeed. I keep looking over
my shoulder all the time. If I hear u nolle
I Jump.” q
" Miss Florence, If I thought It wlee, you
should be packed off to Miss Fariow's this
minute. But not an hour of the day or night
passes without this house being watched. I
seldom see anybody about. I can only tense
the presence of a watcher. At Miss Fariow's
yon would be far more like a prisoner than
her*. I could not accompany you. I am for
bidden to desert this house."
“ My father's orders? ”
Jones signified neither one way nor the
ether. He merely gazed stolidly at the rug.
" That blood I’’ She sprang from her chair,
horrified. “It was his I He was here last
night, and they shot him I Ot”
“Thera, there, Miss Florence! The man
was only slightly wounded. He’s where they
never will look for him.” Then Jones eon
tinned, as with an effort: “ Trust me, Miss
Floreace. It would not pay to run away.
The whole affair would be repeated elsewhere.
We might go to the other end of the world,
but it would not serve ua In tha Wet. It la
not a question of escape, but of who shall
vanquish the other. There is nothing to do
but ramaln hers and fight, fight, fight. We
have put four of them In th* Tombs, to say
nothing of the gunmen. That la what we
must do—put them In a aaf# place, on* by
ont, HU we reach the maater. Than only may
wa breaths In safety. But If thay watch, so
do wa. Tbsre la nover a moment when help
!* not within reach, no matter where you go.
So long aa you do not deceive me, no real
harm shall befall you. Don’t cry. B* your
father’s daughter, aa I am hla aarvant.”
“I am very unhappy" And Florenoa
threw h«r arm* around Susan and laid ha*
bead upon her frirad’a ahouldsr.
“ Poor child! " Susan, however, recognized
th* wisdom of Jonas' statements. They were
safest hers.
The morning rides continued. To the girl,
who loved tb* open. It was glorious fun.
Those msd gallops along th* roads, the smell
of earth and ata, tb* riogl* tn tba blood, war*
tb* second best moments of her day. Tb*
first? She Invariably blushed whan ah* con
sidered what these first b«St momenta were.
Ha was a brat* youag man. good to look at,
wlttyt and always cheerful Why shouldn't
ah* like him? Even Jonee liked him—Jones,
who didn’t seem to like anybody. It did not
matter whether It was wise or not; a worldly
point of view was farthest from her youthful
thoughts. It waa her own affair; her own
heart.
Five days later, a* she and the riding maa
ter were cantering along the road, enjoying
every bit of It, they heard the beat of hoofs
behind. They drew np and turned. A rider
was approaching them at a run. It was the
head groom. The man stopped his horse In a
cloud of dust.
“Sir, the stables are on first'? *"f
“Fire?”
All the riding master’s savings were fa
vested In the stables. The fact that he hat
solemnly promised never to leave FI arenas
alone and that he had accepted a generous
boons slipped from Ms mind at the thought
of fire, a terrible word to uny horseman. He
wheeled and started off at breakneck speed,
his head groom clattering behind him.
Florence naturally wondered which of two
course# to pursue: follow them, when she
would be perfectly helpless to aid them, or
continue the ride and save at least one horse
from the terror of seeing flames. She chose
the latter. But she did not ride with the
earlier sest. She felt depressed. She loved
horses, and the thought of them dying In tbos*
wooden stables was horrifying.
The fire, however, proved to be Incipient.
But It wus plainly Incendiary. Some one had
set fire to it with a purpose In view. Norton
recognized this fact almost as soon as the fire
men. He had oome this morning with the Idea
of surprising Florence. He was going out on
horseback to join her.
Hi* spin# grew suddenly eoM. A trap!
She had been left alone on the road 1 He ran
over to the garage, secured a car, and went
humming out toward the river road. A trap,
and only by the sheerest luck had he turned
up in time.
Meantime Florence was walking her mount
slowly. For once the scenery passed unob
served. She was deeply engrossed with her
thoughts, some of which were happy and some
of wMch were sad. If only her father could
be with her she wpuld be the happiest girl
alive.
She was brought out of her revery by th*
sight of a man staggering along the road
ahead of her. Finally he plunged upon his
face In the road. Like the tender hearted girl
she was, she stopped, dismounted, and ran to
the fallen man to give him aid. She suddenly
found her wrists clasped in two hands like
iron. The man rose to his feet, smiling evilly.
She struggled wildly but futilely.
“ Better be sensible,” he said. “ I am
stronger than you are. And I don’t wish to
hurt you. Walk on ahead of me. It will be
utterly useless to scream or cry out You
tan see for yourself that we are in a deserted
part of the road. If you will promise to act
sensibly I shan’t lay a hand on you. Do you
zee that hut yonder, near the fork in the road?
We’ll stop there. Now, march ! ” n
Sh# dropped her handkerchief, later her
bracelet, and finally her crop, in hope that
these slight clews might bring her help. She
knew that Jones would hear of the fire, and,
finding that she had not returned with the
riding master, would Immediately start out in
pursuit. She was beginning to grow very
fond of Jones, who never spoke unless spoken
to, who waa always at .hand, faithful and
loyal.
From afar came the low rumble of a motor.
She wondered if her captor heard it. He did,
but his ears tricked him into believing that it
«tme from another direction. Eventually they
arrived at the hut, and Florence was forced
to enter. The man locked the door and waited
outside for the automobile which he was ex
pecting. He was rather dumfounded when he
saw that It was coming from the city, not
going toward it.
1 Tt was Norton. The riderless horse told
him enough; the handkerchief and bracelet
and crop led him straight for the hut.
The man before the hut realized by this
time that he bad made a mistake. He at
tempted to reUnter -he hut and prepare to
defend It till his companions hove in sight.
But Florence, recognizing Norton, held the
door with all her strength. The man snarled
and turned upon Norton, only to receive a
smashing blow on the jaw.
Norton flung open the door. “ Into the car,
Florence! There's another car coming up
the road. Hurry 1 ”
It was not a long chase. The car of the
auto bandits, looking like an ordinary taxicab,
was a high power machine; ami It gained
swiftly on Norton’s four-cylinder. The re
porter waited grimly.
" Keep your head down ! ” he warned Flor
ence. “ I’m going tor take « pot at their tires
when they get within range. If I miss, I’m
afraid we’ll bare trouble. Under no circum
stances attempt to leave this car. Here they
come I" {
He suddenly leaned back and fired. It was
only chance. The manner in which the cars
were lurching made a poor target for a marks
man even of the first order. Chance directed
Norton's first bullet Into fh* right forward
tire, which exploded. Going at sixty-odd
miles an hour, they could not stop the car
tn time to avoid fatality. The car careened
wildly, swerved, and plunged down the em
bankment into the river.
Florence covered her eye* with her hands!
and, quit* unconscious of what he waa doing,
Nortoh put his arms around her.
. [to bx oomnrom] h M
