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■®MIlliON DDLLAI? MTKTlPY^HaddfeGkh
SIO,OOO FOR 100 WORDS.
“The Million Dollar Mystery" story
wM run for twenty-two consecutive weeks
in this paper. 11 yan arrangement lerlh
thr Thanhouscr Film company it hag hern
nuub: possible not only to rtad thr glory
in this paper hut algo to gee it eni'h week
tn thr various mot’no picture theaters.
For the golution of thig mystiry glory
SIO/XKI i riU hr given by the Than hanger
Film corporation.
COXDITIOXH nOVEItSIKG THU
COX TFST.
Thr price of SIO,OOO trill hr iron hy the
man. woman, nr rltilil oho trriteg tin noil
acceptable golution of the mystery. from
which the last tvo rrelg of motion picture
drama mill he made ami the 1 art. two
chapUrg of the glory written hy llarold
Modi rath.
Solu Hung may he gent In the Than
hourar Film corporation, either at t hieayo
or Sear York, any t im< up to midnight,
Jan H. Thig allows grrrral tcrrkg after
the last cltaplrr bag hern published.
A hoard of three judgrs will determine,
grltirlt of the many solutions received ir the
matt aerrptnhU. The judges are to hr,
Harold Maetirnth. Lloyd Lonrrpan, and
Migg Man Time. The judgment of thig
hoard trill hr absolute and final, \uthiny
of a literary nature will bn eongitlercd in
the densloti, not given any prrferrnee in
thr gi lection of the winner of the SIO,OOO
price. The lagt two reels, which will give
the mngl acceptable golution to thr mys
hry. mil be prtgentnl in the thratrrg
hai'ing this feature ag goon as it is poii
gihlr to prodn< e thi game. The glory rorre
gpondmu In these motion pictures will ap
pear m the mu papers coincidentally, or
as soon after the appearance of thr pic
tures ns practicable. II it/i the last two
reels will be shown the pictures of the w in
ner. his or In r home, and other interesting
features. It is understood that the news
papers. so far as practicable, in printing
the last two chapters of the siory by Har
old Mart hath, "ill "Iso sh o u a picture of
the successful contestant.
flotations to thr mystery must nat hr
more than 100 scolds long. Here are some
liucstions to hr kepi in mind in connr< lion
smth the mystery as an aid to a solution :
An. / What becomes of the unUionairef
Xo. 1 II hat becomes of the $ 1,000.000 f
Xo. .1 Wham does Florence marry f
Sn.i Wlint becomes of the llussian
COUntessT
V ohody connected cither diriiclly or in
dirnHy with " The Million Dollar Mys
tery" uill be considered as a contestant.
rvjfopaia of miEvrotm cHAmm*.
Munir; llnrirrmr, mllllnnnlrr, after a
miraculous rnrain' from <ln«- ilrn of tße
Unan of brilliant Iklrirn kaoan aa the
Hlaok llunrirr-4. Uvea Ike life of a rcclusc
for elahteea yearn. Har«rr.»c Beet*
dentally fnerla llralnr. leader of the
Rlaek llonilred. K.owing llraloe will
try to Bet him, lie eaeapra from hla own
home by a balloon. Hefore enrnpluß he
wrltea a letter to the glrln* arhonl,
where el||hteen yearn before he myatert
onaly left on the doorstep hla baby
danßhler, Florence tiray. That day
llamreave alao draws oae million dol
lara from the bank, bill It la reported
that thla dropped Into the aea, when tho
balloon he raeaped In «a« puaetlired.
Kloreme arrive# from the girls* aehool.
Caaatraa lllan. Mralae'a companion, v la
ftta her and rlalma to be a relative. Two
hoitua deteetlvea rail, lint their plot la
foiled by Norton, a newapaper man.
By bribing the eaplala of the Orient
Norton Inyo a trap for llralnr and hla
noma. I ounlena Ulna alao vtaltn the Orl
ent'a eapfaln and ahe raally fall# Into the
reporter*# anare. The plan proven abor
tive throoah llrolnr'a «ood luek. and
only hlrrllnaa fall Into the hnnilo of the
police.
After falling In their Brat attempt the
Blneh Hundred trap Klorenee. They oak
her for Binary, bat ahe eaeapra, aaaln
follloa them.
Norm, and the eoaatea. call on Flor
ence the oral day. once more aafe at
home. The Tlaltara ha,lon gone, Joaea
removea a aeetlon of floorlas, and from
a cavity taken n bom. Turaurd by mem
ber a of the Itlaek Hundred, hr ruahra to
the water front and aurreeda In drop
ping the ho* Into Ihr nra.
limine ennccl vea IBe Idea of alvlaa a
eoaehlaa party, to whlrh llatraor to In
el ted. Jonea and Norton both an along
gad are fortunately oa hand to nnve
Florence from beta. Imprtaoned la the
eonafry houae to which ahe la lured.
Florence goo hararbock riding and to
raptured by oae of limine*, men alone
the rondadde. Norton reoenea her. They
■re poraurd. however, and the pair make
their complete rnenpc only nfler Norton
baa exploded a lire on the Inal approoeb
|na machine wttb a bullet.
t ouateaa Olga, aehemlng to break the
engagement bow rmlatlna between Ktar
raty Hargrrarr and Norton, tavltea
them both to brr apartraeata nod pre
ten da to faint la the reporter*, aim#.
Floreare appear# la Ike doorway lual at
the planned momral, and aa a rmult
given .Norton bark hla ring.
CTTAPTBR IX.
TUB LBAI* IN Tttti DARK.
SO fur a* Jon* 1 * was wwwnwd, ho wa*
rather plraaed with the turn of affair*.
Ttiifc 111 no limp for lovemaking; no
timo for ailly, iuipxu<Hiii quarrel* ami
hiokcrlor*. in n ltk'h tor# must indulge or dip.
Florence no longer rvxlr horseback. au<l Nor
ton returned to hi* arouatoined haunt*. where
no onr niadr the ((lightest attempt upon hi*
lifo. In hi* present atat* of mini hr n-onld
harp welcomed it.
“ Wh»t’» thr mat tor with Jim?" aakrd thp
Bight city rditnr, rawing Ilia eye shade,
j " I don't know,” anaartnl thp ropy reader.
** Cup# around a* If hr'd hrrn rating dopp;
hun i•■hl into thp hoaa a white ago and nprpr
Mopped to aiming ITT."
** Perhaps hr'* mapping out th# front par#
for that Margrparp atntf." laugbpd thp copy
reader. “ Between you and am apd the text*
poat. I dont betierr there peer wa* a tuaa
by the name of Margrparp.*'
“O, there aa* a chap by that name, all
fight lie * dead. V man ean't swim 900
Buie* in rough water, life bu»y or no. They
ought to have funeral ferviocs, and let it go
at that”
“ Hut what was the reason for that fake
rablp from Gibraltar allying that Orta wag
alive? I don't we any aenae in that”
“ The man who pulled it off did. I think,
for my part, that both Orta and Hargreiive
are dead, and that Hie man pinked up by the
tramp steamer Orient was riding aome other
balloon,”
” you're -wrong there. The description of
It proved that it was Orta' machine. O, Jim
pttnbabiy baa got a mnn’a size yam up hia
aleeve, but he's a long time in delivering the
goods. He’s beginning to mope a good deal.
Woman l>ai kof it somewhere. Haven't held
down this copy job. for twelve years with
out being able to make aome tolerable
. - '*•:/ •; r^ : "v :
" snr nHHvjf v > mc'Tß—iiywjMg
flu ft/
. i jvs ih« - ,&& &
guessed. Tim's a star man. When he gets
started nothing mil atop him. He covered
the Chinese Boxer rebellion tietter Ilian any
other correspondent there. I wonder how old
he is'/”
“ O, 1 should say about thirty-one or two.
Here he toRMs now. ’T4O. Jim!”
“ Hello! Where’s Ford? He gave me a
ticket to the theater tonight, and I want to
punch his head. Wlint's drama coming to,
anyhow? Gigarots and booac and m item a. ted
couples. Cun t they tind good enough things
out of doors? <), I know. They eater to a
lot of fools who bolioTp that what they see
is an expression of high lift* in New York
nisi Condon. Ami it’s rot, plain pot It’s
merely the scum on the boiling pot Ami
any oW housewife would skim it off and
chuck It into the slops. Life? Piffle!"
“What's tile grouch?"
“ Looking for the dramatic job?"
“No. Fre just been wondering how far
these theatrical managers cun go without
slitting the gulden gooao.”
Norton rnmght his desk and began nun
maging the drawers. He was not hunting
for anything; he was merely ptissing away
the time. By and by. when the iiasthne no
longer served, he pulled hiA chair over to ttie
window and sat down, staring at stars sueli
as Copernicus never dreamed of. Ships going
down to sea, ferries swooping diagonally
hither and thither, the clockwork signs: but
he took no note of these marvels of light.
“Not at hornet" he muttered.
He Imd railed, written, telephoned. No
use. Tile door remit inert shut, Jones ait
awered the telephone, ami the letters came
hack. He t>egsn to think very deeply con
cerning the Ferigoff woman. Had she played
a trick? Had that fainting spelt been bun
combe for his benefit as well as Florence s?
But lie had not a shadow of a prootf. The
thing that puzzled him equally with tills was
that all attempts against his life had mirac
ulously «*easetl; no aafea tluimlcred iKiwu in
front of him. and no autos tried to carve him
in two. The only thing that kept him active
was tho daily call of .hme* by wtre. Miss
Klorenee was well; that was all Jones wa«
permitted to say.
Heal less! J- Norton spurned hia ohair and
walked over to the telephone booth. It ni
midmghL He might or might not he able to
get Jonea But almost instantly a voice
said, “What is it?"
“Jones?"
"Yrs. Who is It?"
“ Norton."
* Why, yon called me up not ten minute*
ago."
" N»« I?"
“It waa your voice, a* plain aa day."
“What did 1 want?" keen alt at once.
Tlie reply did not come inimediately. " You
are certain it was not you?"
" Wait a moment amt Fll call the editor.
He w ill prove to you that Fve been hen* for
an h**ur. and that this i* the drat call Fve
made. Some one has been imposing on you.
What did they orfk you to do?”
“ You asked rne to corne down to the offl-e
at onee, and T requested you to eome to the
house, and you said you eouid not. I de
fined to stir.”
“What do you think?” *
“ Exactly what you're thinking—that they
have eome to life again.”
“Jones, is Mias Floranee awake?”
“ No.”
“ Ho you think there is any hope of having
her understand what really happened?”
“ I am here only to gnard her. I cannot
Undertake to read her thoughts.”
“ You're not quite in favor of a reconcilia
tion ? ”
“O. ves. if it went no further. Young
people are young people the world over.”
FLORENCE AND SUSAN WENT SHOPPING.
“What does that mean?"
“ That they would not create imaginative
heart aches if they were not young. Better
let things remain exactly ns they are. When
all these trim blew are settled finally, the lesser
trouble may be talked over sensibly. Bill
this is not tbe time. There is no news.
Goodnight."
Norton retnrned to his chair, gloomier than
With Ilia feet upon the window sill,
he stared and stared and dreamed and
dreamed till n hand fell npon bis shoulder.
It belonged to one of the office boys.
“ Note f’r you, sir."
Norton read it and tore it into little pieces.
Tlwn he rose ami distributed the pieces in
tho several yawning waste baskets which
strewed the aisle leading to the city desk.
“ I’m not wanted for anything? ” he asked.
“ No. Clear out! ” laughed the night city
editor. “The sight of you is putting every
body in the gloom ward.”
Norton went down to the street. At the
left of the entrance he was quietly joined by
a man whose arm was carried in a sling.
Ha* navtioned Norton to get into the taxicab.
They were dropped in a deserted spot in
Itiverdale. On foot they went forward to
their destination, which proved to be the
deserted hangar of the aviator William Orta.
“ 1 want yon to tell Jones that a tug and
several divers are at work on the spot where
he threw the ehetd.* That's all. Now, doc
tor, rewind this arm of mine."
The amateur surgeon made a very good
job of it; uot for nothing had he folio wed
lighting armies to the front.
“Did tliey find anything?”
" Not up to date. Bat we might if we
eared to. Tliey have left a buoy over the
spot t Ivey 're exploring. But just now it floats
a quarter of a mile to the east of the spot."
“ Who were the men in the motor* boat
that chased Jones?"
“ Only Jones can tell you. Queer old
lodger, eh?"
" A bit stubborn. He wants to handle it
without police assistance."
" And lie's right. We are not aiming to
arrest any one," sinisterty. “ There can't be
any draw to this came. Here, no smoking.
Too much gas afloat."
Norton put tlie cigarets back into his
pocket " What's tlie jeal news?" he de
manded. " You would not bring me out here
just to rehnnriace that arm. It really did not
ueed it. Come, out with it.”
“ You're aliarp."
“ Ftn paid to he sharp."
“ I’ve found where the Black Hundred
holds its sessions."
“ By George, that is news! "
" Tlie room above ia vacant. A little hole
in the ceiling, and wha knows what might
happen?" ,
"What do yon want me to do?"
" Tell Jones. When the next meeting
cornea around IH advise you. I've stumbled
upou a dissatisfied member. S*. buck up. aa
they say. We've got two ends of the net
down, and with a little care we’ll have them
all. Now, let me have a hundred.”
Norton drew out a packet of bills and
counted off five twenties.
“ Why don’t you draw the cash yourself?”
“ It happens to be in your name, son.”
“ I forgot,” said Norton. “ But what a
chance for me! Nearly five thousand, all
mine for a ticket to Algiers!”
A grunt was the only reply.
“ I want you to tell me about the Perigoff
woman.”
“ I know only one thing—that Braine is
there every night”
“ No!”
“ The orders are for you to play the gams
just as yon are playing it When we strike,
it must he the last blow. All this hide-and
seek business may look foolish to you. It’s
like that Japanese game called ‘ jo.’ It looks
simple, but chess is a tyro’s game beside it
Can you find Jour way bark all right? ”
“ I can.”
“ Well, yon’d better be going. That’s all
the light I have, in this togch here. Got a
lot Yo do tomorrow and need sleep.”
Norton stole away with great caution. His
first intention was to proceed straight to the
city, hut despite his resolution he found
himself within a quarter of an hour gazing
np at the windows of the Hargrcave house.
“ Not at home! ”
Quite unconscious of the fact, he was as
close to death as any mortal man might care
to be. The policeman, suddenly looming up
under the are lamp, proved to be his savior.
The lull made Jones doubly alert. He was
/ ' ’ - Y •
positive that they were preparing to strike
again. But from what direction and in what
manner? He had not the gift of clairvoy
ance, so he had to wait; and waiting is a
terrible game when perhaps death is bal
ancing the scales. It is always easier to
make an assault than to await it; and it is
a good general who always finds himself
prepared.
But it made his heart indie to watrh the
child. She went about eliecrfuily—when any
one was m the room with her. Many a
time., however, he had stolen to the door
of her bedroom and heard the heart rending
Mills, a vain attempt being made to stifle
them aiming tbe pilkiws. She was only IS;
it was first love; and first loves are
evanescent attachments. It hart now; but
she would get over it presently. Youth for
gets. Time, like water, smooths away the
ragged places.
The Countess cnlhd regularly. She waa,
of course, dreadfnlly sorry over what had
happened. She bad heard something about
his character: newspaper men weren't always
the best This one was a mere fortune
hunter; a two faced one, at that. She was
never more surprised in her life when he
threw his arms around her. And so on, and
so forth, half lies and half truths, till the
tuirient Jones felt like wringing her neck.
From his vantage point the butler smiled
ironically. He could read the heart of this
FerigntT woman as he could read the page of
a book. The affront cry! And all the while
he must gravely admit her and pretend when
the blood rioted in his veins at the sight of
her. But he dared not swerve a single inch
from tbe plans laid down. It was a cup-'of
hitter gall, and there was flo way of avoid
ing the putting of it to hia lips. She ema
nated poison as nightshade emanates it, the
upas tree. And he most bow when she en
tered and bow when she left! Still, she ha 1
done him an indirect favor in breaking up
this love busmens. N
One afternoon Braire summoned his run
about and called upou two pfijss iau# When
BRAINE IS THERE EVERY..NIGHT
he was ushered into the deserted office of the
first he sent his card in. The doctor replied
in person. His face was pale and his hands
shook.
“Good afternoon,” said Braine, smiling
affably.
The doctor eyed him like a man hypno
tized. “ Y'ou . . . you wished to see me
on some particular business?”
“ Very particular,” dryly. “My car is out
side. Will you be so good as to accompany
me? ”
The doctor slowly went into the hall for
his hat and coat He left the house and got
into the car with never a word of protest.
“Thinking?” said Braine.
“ I am always thinking whenever I see
your evil face. What devilment do you re
quire of me this time?”
“ A mere stroke of the pen.”
“Where are we going?”
To call on another physician of your
standing,” significantly. “Itis a great thing
to have friends like you two. Always ready
to serve ns, for the mere love of it.”
“ There’s no need of using that kind of talk
to me. Y'ou have me in the hollow of your
hand. Why shonid I bother to deny it? I
have broken the law. I broke it because I
was starving.”
“ It is better to starve in freedom than to
eat fat joints up the river. Today it is a
question of sanity.”
“ And you want me to assist in signing
away the liberty of some person who is per
fectly sane ? ”
“ The nail on the head,” urbanely.
“ You’re a fine scoundrel! ”
“Not so loud!” warningly.
"As loud as I please. I am not forget
ting that you need me. I’m no coward. 1
recognize that you hold the -whip hand. But
you can send me to the chair hefore I’ll
crawl to you. Now, leave me alone for a
while.”
The other physician had no such qualms
of conscience. He was ready at all times
for the generous emoluments which accrued
from his dealings with the man Braine.
Tbe Countess IYrigoff was indisposed; so
it was quite in the order of things that she
should' summon physicians.
There is a law in the state of New York —•
just or unjust, whichever you please—that
reads that any person may be adjudged in
sane if the signatures of two registered physi
cians are affixed to the document It docs
not say that these physicians shall hgve been
proved repntnhle.
There were, besides the physicians, a
motherly looking woman and a man of benign
countenance. Their faces were valuable
usM*ts. To gain another person's confidence
is. perhaps, among the greatest human
achievements. A confidence man and woman
in the real sense of the word. In your mind’s
eye you could see this man carrying the con
tribution plate down the aisle on Sunday
mornings, nnd his wife Kate pntting her
mite on the plate for the benefit of some poor,
untidy Hottentot
On Tuesday of the following week
Florence and Susan went shopping. The
chauffeur was a strong young fellow whom
Jones relied upon. If yon pay a man well
and hold ont fine promiaes, you generally
can trust him. As their car left the corner
another followed leisurely. This second auto
mobile contained Thomas Wendt and hia
wife Kate. The two young women stopped at
the great dry goods shop near the public
library, and for the time twine naturally for
got everything hat the marvels which had
come from all parts of the world. It is as
natural for a woman to btiy as it is for a
man to sell.
In some manner or other Florence became
separated fro® Susan. She hunted through
aisle after aisle, but could not find her: for
the simple reason that Susan was hunting
fbr her. It occurred to the girl that Susan
might have wisely concluded the best place
, to wSit would be in the taxicab. And so
Florence hurried out into the street, into
the arms of the Wendt family, who were
patiently awaiting her. ~ s
The trusted chauffeur had been sent
around bo the side entrance by the major
do mo. The young lady had so requested,
so be said.
Florence struggled and caOed tar the po
liceman, who came running up, followed hy
the usual idle, enrions crowd.
“The poor young woman is insane,” said
the motherly Kate, tears in her eyes. The
benign Thomas looked at heaven. “We are
her keepers.”
“It is not true! ” cried Fiore nee des
perately.
“ She has the haftocination that she is
the daughter of the millionaire Stanley
Hargreave.” And Thomas exhibited his
document, which was perfectly legal, so far
as appearances went.
“ Hurry up and get her off the walk. I
can’t have the crowd growing any larger,”
said the policeman, convinced.
So, despite her cries and protestations,
Florence was hustled into the automobile,
even the policeman lending a hand.
“ Poor young thing! ” he said to the
crowd. “ Come, now. move on. I can’t
have the walk blocked up. Get a gait on
you”
He was congratulating himself npon the
orderliness of the affai*. when a keen eyed
young man in the garb - of a chauffeur
touched his shoulder.
“ What’s this I hear about an insane
woman?” he demanded.
“She was insane, all right They had
papers to prove it She kept ’ crying that
she was Stanley Hargreave’s daughter.”
“My God! ” The young man struck his
forehead in despair. “You ass, she was
Stanley Hargreave’s daughter, and they’ve
kidnaped her right under your nose! What
was the number of that car? ”
“ Cut ont that Rne of talk, young fellah;
I know my business. They had the proper
documents.”
“ Bnt yon hadn’t brains enough to inquire
whether thqy were genuine or not! You
wait!” shrilled the chauffeur. "I’ll have
you broken for this work.” He wheeled
and ran back to his car, to find Susan and
the countess in a great of agitation.
“ They got her, they got her! And I swore
on the book that they never should, so long
as I drove tbe car.”
Susan wept, and the countess tried ia
v*>-'- to console her.
And when Jones was informed he fright
ened even the countess with the snarl of
rage which burned across his lips. He tore
into tbe hall, seized his hat, and was gone.
Not a word of reproach did he offer to the
chauffeur. He understood that no one is
infallible. He found the blundering police
man, who now realized that he stood in for
a whiff of the commissioner’s carpet. AD
he could do was to give a good description
of tbe man and woman. Word was sent
broadcast through tbe city. The police had
to be informed this time.
lAt e in the day an officer whose beat in
cluded the ferry landing at Hoboken said
be had seen the three. Everything had
looked all right to him. It was the mother
ly face of the one and the benign counte
nance of the other that had blinded him.
At midnight Jonea, haggard and with the
air of one beaten, returned home.
“ No wireless yet? ” asked Norton.
“ The George Washington of the North
German Lloyd does not answer. Something
has happened to her wires; tampered with,
possibly.”
“So long as we know they are at sea,
we can remedy the evil. They will not be
able to land at a single port. I have sent
ten cables. They can’t get a-vray from the
wire. If I could only get hold of the names
of those damnable doctors who signed that
document! Twenty years."
Jones bent his head in his hands, and
Norton tramped the floor till the sound nf his
footsteps threatened to drive the moaning
Susan into hysterics.
“It is only a matter of a few days."
“ But can the child stand the terrors?"
questioned Jones. " Who knows that they
may not really drive her insane?”
On board the George Washington every
one felt extremely sogiy for this beautiful
girl. It was a frightful misfortune to be so
stricken at her age.
“ She is certainly insane,” said one at
the passengers, who had known Hargreav#
slightly throngh some banking business.
“ Hargreave wasn't married. He lived
alone.”
After the second day out Florence was
permitted to wander about the ship as she
pleased.
A good many of the passengers were
mightily worried when they learned that
the wireless had in some mysterious way
been tampered with after thp boat had mad*
the open sea. It wa* impossaMl? to pug
about The apparatus must he fixed at sea.
And when finally Norton's wireless caught
the wires of the <Jeorge Washington he was
gravely informed that the young lady re
ferred to had leaped the rail off the Banks
at night and had been drowned. She ha J
not been missed till the following morning,
[TO BE CONTINUED.]