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MIIUOH COLLAR MYSTERY B / Harold Mac Gath
(( SIO,OOO FOR 100 WORDS.
jl’/ie Million Dollar Mystery” story
vit\ riai for twenty-two consecutive weeks
xn this paper. By an arrangement with
the Thanhouser Film company it has been
made possible not only to read the story
in this paper but also to see it each week
in the various moving picture theaters,
lor the solution of this mystery story
S 10.000 will be given by the Thanhouser
Film corporation.
CONDITIONS GOVERNING THE
CONTEST.
'The prize of SIO,OOO will be won by the
man, woman, or child who writes the most
acceptable solution of the mystery, from
which the last two reels of motion picture
drama will be made and the last two
chapters of the story written by Harold
MacOrath.
Solutions may be sent to the Than
houser Film corporation, either at Chicago
or Neto York, any time up to midnight,
Jan. If. This allows several weeks after
the last chapter lias been published.
A board of three judges tcill determine
which of the many solutions received is the
most acceptable. The judges are to be
Harold MacOrath, Floyd Lonergan, and
Miss Mac Tince. The judgment of this
board will be absolute and final. Nothing
oj a literary nature will be considered in
the decision, nor given any preference in
the selection of the winner of the SIO,OOO
prize. 'The last two reels, which will give
the most acceptable solution to the mys
tery, will be presented in the theaters
having this feature as soon as it is pos
sible to produce the same. The story corre
sponding to these motion pictures will ap
pear in the newspapers coincidentally, or
as soon after the appearance of the pic
tures as practicable. With the last two
reels will be shown the pictures of the win
ner, his or her home, and other interesting
features. It is understood that the news
papers, so far as practicable, in printing
the last two chapters of the story by Har
old Macdrath, will also show a picture of
the successful contestant.
Solutions to the mystery must not be
more Ilian 100 words long. Here are some
questions to be kept in mind in connection
icith the mystery as an aid to a solution:
No. I—What1 —What becomes of the millionaire?
No. il —What becomes of the $1,000,0001
No. 3 —Whom does Florence marry f
No. f —What becomes of the Russian
countcssf
Nobody connected either directly or in
directly icith “ The Million Dollar Mys
tery ” will be considered as a contestant.
SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS.
Stanley llarpreave, millionaire, after a
miraculous escape from the den of the
Kang of brilliant thieves known as the
Black Hundred, lives the life of a recluse
for eighteen years. Hargreavc acci
dentally meets Braine, leader of the
Black Hundred. Knowing Braine will
try to get him, he escapes from his own
hoyje by a balloon. Before escaping he
writes a letter to the girla’
wh#re eighteen years before he mysteri
ously left on the doorstep his baby
daughter, Florence Gray. That day Har
greave also draws one million dollars
from the bank, but it is reported that
this dropped into the sea when the bal
loon he escaped In was punctured.
| Florence arrives from the girls' school,
Countesa Olga, Bralne's companion, vis
its her and claims to be a relative. Two
bogus detectives call, but their plot la
foiled by Norton, a newspaper man.
By bribing the captain of the Orient
Norton lays a trap for Braine and his
gang. Countess Olga also visits the Ori
ent's captain and she easily falls Into the
reporter's snare. The plan proves abor
tive through Bralne's good luck, and
only hirelings fall into the hands of the
polloe.
After falling In their first attempt the
Black Hundred trap Florence. They ask
her for money, but she escapes, again
foiling them.
Norton and th© countess call on Flor
ence the neat day, once more safe at
home. The visitors having gone, Jones
removes a section of flooriug, and from
m cavity takes a box. Pursued by mem
bers of the Black Hundred, he rushes to
the water front and succeeds in drop
' ping the box Into the sea.
Countess Olga, seheinlug to break tbe
engagement existing between Florence
Bargreava and Norton, invites them both
to her apartments and pretends to faint
jln the reporter’s arms. Florence ap
| peara la the doorway Just at the planaed
moment, and as a result tiflves Norton
back his ring.
p Accomplices of Braine succeed in kid
naping Florence while ehe is shopping
and hurry her off to sea. Norton re
ceives st wireless later informing him
> that the ai**! had leaped into the sea
and been drowned.
I* Oopyrtiht: 1014: By Harold MacOrath. J
CHAPTER X.
THE PAST A RLAMt.
IT was perfectly trn# that Florence had
cast herself into the *ea. It had not been
an act of despair, however. On the con
trary, hope and courage had prompted
her to leap. Tn# night was clear, with only
a moderate sea running. At the tim# th#
great ship was passing tbs Banks, and almost
within hail she saw a fishing schooner riding
gracefully at anchor. She quite readily be
lieved that if she remained on hoard the
George Washington she was lost. Sk# nat
urally forgot the marvel of wireless telegra
phy. No longer may a man hide at #ea.
80, with that quick thought which was a
psrt of her inheritance, she seized tbe life
buoy, climbed the rail, and leaped far out.
As the great dark toazing sea swooped up to
meet her she noted a block of wood bobbing
np and doivn. She tried to avoid it, but
could not, and struck it bead on. Despite
the blow snd th# shock of the chill water she
instinctively cluDg to tbe buoy. The wash
from the mighty propellers tosted her about,
hither and yon, from on# twirl to another,
a chip of wood. Then everything grew
I blank.
\ Fortunately for her tbe master of tbe fish
ing schooner was at the time standing on his
quarter deck by tbe wheel, squinting through
his glass at the liner and envyiug the ease
and comfort of thoa# on board her. Tbe
mat#, sitting on the st.pa and smoking hi#
turning-in pipe, saw tlie master lean forward
suddenly, lower the glass, then raise it again.
“ Lord a’mighty!”
" What's the matter. Cap'n? ”
“Jake, in God’s name, come 'era an’ tnke
e peek through this glass. I’m dreamin’i”
The mate jumped and took the glass.
“Where away, sir?”
“A p’int off th’ sta’board bow. ?ee some
thin’ white bobbin’ up?”
“ Yessir! Looka like some one dropped a
bolster 'r a piller overboard. . . . Cod's
whiskers!” he broke off.
“ Then I ain’t seein’ things,” cried the
master. “ Hi, y’ lubbers!" he yelled to the
crew; “lower th’ dory. Tney’s a woman In
th’ water out there. I seen her leap th’ rail.
Look alive! Sharp’s th' word! Mate, you
go ’long.”
The crew dropped their tasks and sprang
for the davits, and the starboard dory was
lowered in shipshape style.
It takes a good bit of seamanship to haul
a body out of the sea into a dancing bob
tailed dory, when one moment it is climbing
frantically heavenward and the next heading
for the bottomless pit. They were very tender
with her. They laid her out in the bottom of
the boat, with tine life buoy as a pillow, and
pulled energetically for the schooner. She
was alive, because she breathed; but she did
not stir so much as an eyelid. It wns a stiff
bit of work, too, to land her aboard without
adding to her injuries. The master ordered
tho men to put her in bis own bunk, where
he nearly strangled her by forcing raw bran
dy down her throat.
“ Weil, she’s alive, anyhow!”
When Florence finally opened her eyes the
gray of dawn lay on the sea, dotted here anil
there by the schooners of the fleet, which
seemed to be hanging in midair, as at the
moment there was visible to the eye no hori
zon.
“ Don't seem t’ recognize nothin'.”
“ Mehbe she's got a fever,” suggested the
mate, rubbing his bristly chin.
“Fever nothin’! Not after bein’ in th*
water half an hour. Mebbe she hit one o’
them wooden floats we left Them dinged
liners keep on crowdin’ us,” growled Barnes,
with a fisherman’s hate for the floating ho
tels. “ Went by with never a toot. See ’er,
jes’ like th' banker's wife goin’ t’ church on
Sunday? A mile a minute; fog or no fog, it’s
all the same t’ them. They run us down an’
never stop. What t'tt’ tarnation we goin’ to
do? She’ll half t’ stay aboard till th’ run is
over. I can’t afford t’ yank up my mudhook
th*s time o’ day.”
“ Guess she can stand three ’r four days In
our company, smellin’ oilcloths, fish, kerosene,
an’ punk t’bacco.”
“ If y’ don’t like th’ kind o’ t’bacco I buy,
buy your own. I ain’t objectin’ none.”
The mate stepped over to the bunk and
gingerly ran his hand over the girl's head.
“Cod's whiskers, Oap'n, they’* a bump as
big’s a cork on th’ back o’ her head! She's
struck one o’ them floats all right. Where's
th’ arnica?”
For three days Florence evinced not th*
slightest inclination to leave the hunk. She
lay on her back either asleep or with her
eyes staring at the beams above her head.
She ate just enough to keep her alive; and
the strong black coffee did nothing more
than to make her wakeful. No one knew
what the matter was. There was the bump,
now diminished; bnt that it should leave her
in this comatose state vastly puzzled the
men. The truth Is she hnd suffered a slight
concussion of the brain, and this, atop of all
the worry she had had for the last few
weeks, was sufficient to cause this blankness
of the mind.
The final cod was cleaned and packed
away in salt, the mudhook raised, and th*
schooner Betty set her sails for the south
west Barnes realized that to save the girl
she must have a doctor who knew his busi
ness. Mrs. Barnes would know how to car*
for the girl, once she knew what the trouble
was. There would be some news In the pa
pers. A young and beautiful woman did not
jump from a big Atlantic liner without the
newspapers getting hold of th* facts.
A fair wind carried the B*tty Into her
haven; and shortly after Florence was sleep
ing peacefully in a feather bed, ancient, it
la true, but none the less soft end Inviting.
In all this time she bad not spck*n a single
word.
"The poor young thlfigr’ murmnred the
motherly Mrs. Barnes. “ What beautiful
hair! O, John, I wish you would give up the
•ea. I hate it. It ia terrible. I am always
watching you In my mind'* ays, in calm
weather, In storm*. PUees of wreeks come
ashore, and I always wonder over the death
and terror back of them.”
“ Don’t y’ worry none shout me, Betty. I
never take no chances. Now I’m goin’ bit’
th’ village *n' bring back th’ aawbones. He’ll
tell n* what t' do."
Th# village doctor ahook his grizzled head
gravely.
“She's been hurt and ehocked at the same
time. It will be many daya before ehe comes
nronnd to herself. Just let her do as she
pleases. Only keep an eye on her no that she
doesn’t wander off and get lost. I'll watch
the newspapers, end if I come across any
thing which bears upon th# case I’ll notify
you."
Bat he searched tbe newspaper* In vain,
for th# simple fact that be did not think to
glance over the old one*.
Florence was soon able to walk about. Or
dinary conversation she seemed to under
stand; but whenever the pest was broached
she would sbske her head with frowning
eye*. Her main diversion consisted of sitting
on tu# sand dunes and gazing out at sea.
One day a stranger came to town. Ho
said lie represented a life insurance company
and wns up here from Boston to take a little
vacation. He sat on the hotel porch that
evening, surrounded by an admiring audi
ence. Tho stranger had been ail over the
world, so it seemed, lie spoke familiarly of
St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, Shanghai, ns
the villagers—some of them—might nave
spoken of Boston. There were one or two
old timers among the audience. They had
been to all these parts. The stranger knew
what he was telling about. After telliug of
his many voyages he asked if there was a
good bn tiling beach neaTby. He was told
♦hat he would find th# most suitable spot
" GIRL, GIRL, I LOVE, YOU.. BETTER. THAN UFEL"
near Capt. Barnes’ cottage just outside the
village.
"An’ say, Mister, seen anythin’ in th’ pa
pers about a tnissiu’ young woman?" asked
•ome oDe.
“Missing young womnn? What’s that?”
The man told the story of Florence’s leap
into the sea and her subsequent arrival at
the cape.
“That's funny,” said the stranger. "I
don’t recollect reading about any young
woman being lost at sea. But those big
liners are always keeping such things under
cover. Hoodoos the ship, they say, and tnrns
prospective passengers to other lines. It
hurts business. What’s tbe young girl look
like?"
Florence was described minutely. The
stranger teetered in his chair and smoked.
Finally he spoke.
“She was probably insane. That’s the
way generally with lnsnne people. They
can’t see water or look off a tall building
without wanting to Jump. My business is In
surance, and we’ve got the thing figured
pretty closo to the ground. They used to get
the best of us on the suicide game. A man
would take out a large policy today and to
morrow he’d blow his Yiead off, and we'd have
to pay his wife. But. nowadays a policy Is
not worth the paper it’s written on if a man
commits suicide under two years.”
“ You ain’t fryin’ t’ Insure anybody in
town, are you?”
"O, no. No work for me when I'm on my
vacation. Well, I’m going to bed; nnd to
morrow morning I’ll go out to Capt. Barnes’
beach and have a good swim. I'm no sailor,
tut I like wafer.”
He honestly enjoyed swimming. Early the
next morning he was in tho water, frolicking
abont as playfully as a boy. He had all the
time In the world. Over his shonldtrr he saw
two women wandering down toward tho
beach. Deeper he went, farther out. Ho
was « bold swimmer, but that did not pre
vent a sndden and violent attack of cramps.
And It was c rare piece of irony that the
poor girl should save the life of that scoun
drel who was without pity or mercy. As she
anw his fac# a startled frown marred her
brow. But she conld not figure out the puz
zle. Had she ev*r seen the man before? She
did not know, she could not tell. Why eonld
not she remember? Why must her poor head
ache so when she tried to pierce the wall of
darkness which surrounded her mentally?
The man thanked her feebly, but the grat
itude waa on bis lips and not in bla heart.
When he had sufficiently recovered ho re
turned to the villago and sought the railway
station, where the Western Union had Its
office.
“I want to send a code message to my
firm. Do you think you can follow It?"
“ I can try," said the operator.
The code was really Alar; and when th#
long message was signed It was signed by
the name Vroon.
Toe day after the news came that Flor
ence had Jumped ovarboard off the Banks.
Vroon with a dozen other men had started
out to comb ail tbe fishing villages along tbe
New England coast. Somewhere along the
way h# felt confident that lie would learn
whether the girl was dead or alive. If ah#
waa dead, then the game was a draw; but If
she was alive there waa still a fighting chance
for the Black HundT#d. He hnd Lad aome
idea of remaining in the village and accom
plishing the work himself; but after.delibera
tion he concluded that It wns important
enough for Brsine himself to take a hand in.
Bo the following night lie departed for Bos
ton, I rniu tb*r# to K«w York. Lie proceeded
at once to the apartment of the princess,
w here Braine declared that lie himself would
go to the obscure village and clnirn Florence
as nis owu child. But to Insure absolute
success they would charter Morse’s yacht
aud steam right up into the primitive harbor,
When Vroon left the apartment Norton
saw him. Ho was a man of impulses, and
he had found by experience that first im
pulses are generally the best. He did not
know who Vroon was. Any man who called
on the Princess PerigofP while Brains was
with her wUuld be worth following.
On the other hand, Vroon recognized the
reporter instantly and with tiiat ever ren.ly
and alert mind of his set about to lure the
young man Into a trap out of which l.e might
not easily come.
Norton decided to follow his man. H#
might be going on a wild goods ehnse, h#
reasoned; still his first impulses had hitherto
served him well. He looked enreworn. He
whs convinced that Florence wns dead, de
spite (ho assertions of Jones to the contrary.
He bad gone over all the mishap* which had
taken place aud ho wns now absolutely con
vinced that his whilom friend Braine and tho
Princess Perigoff were directly concerned.
Florence had either been go'ng to or coming
from the npnrtment. And that memorable
day of abduction the princess had been
in tbe dry goods shop.
Vroon took a downtown surface ear, and
Norton took tho same. Ho ant. huddled In a
corner, never suspecting that Vroon was
watching him from a corner of hisi eye Nor
ton was not keen today. The thought of
Florence kept running through his head.
The car stopped and Vroon got off. He
led Norton, a winding course which at lengtli
ended at the door of n tenement building.
Vroon enterred. Norton paused, wondering
what next to do, now (hat liin man had
reached his destination. Well, since he had
followed him all this distance lie must make
an effort to find out who be was and what
he wns going to do. Cautiously he entered
the hallway. As he wn* about to lay hi#
hand on the newei post of the dilapidated
r~~
- : !' •
sjgpßi y*•• t|B|m *
HAP SHE EVER SEEN THE t-W-t BEKAt?
atairs the floor dropped from under his feet
and bo wus precipitated Into tbe <*llar.
This tenement beTbnged to tbe Blnck Hun
dred; It concealed a thousand doors and a
hundred trap*. It# history was as dark a*
its hallways.
When Vrooo and his companion, who had
been wisiting for him, descended Into the
cellar they found the reporter insensible.
They bound, blindfolded, and gagged him
quickly.
"Saunders,” said Vroon, “you tell Corri
gan Ihut I've n sailor for him tonight, and
♦hat I want this sailor booked for somewhere
•outli of the equator. Tell him to say to tlis
mnHter that this fellow is ugly aud disobe
dient. A tramp freighter, whose captain ia a
bully. Do you understand me?”
“ I get you. put there’ll no need to go t#
Corrigan this trip. Bannock is in port and
sails tonight for Norway. That's far
enough."
"Bannock? The very man. Well, Mn
Norton, reporter and amateur detective, t
guesß we’ve got you fast enough this time.
You may or may not come back alive. Go
nnd bring around a taxi; some one you can
trust. I’ll dope the reporter while you’re
gone. .
Long hours afterward Norton opened his
aching eyes. He could hardly movo and his
head buzzed abominably. What had hap
pened? What was the meaning of this slow
rise and fall of his bed? Shanghaied!
“ Come out o’ that now, ye skulkerl” roared
n voice down the companion way.
“ Shanghaied!" the reporter murmured. He
sat up and ran through his pockets. Not a
sou-mnrkee, not a match even; nnd a second
glance told him that the clothes he wore wero
not his own. “ They’ve landed me this time.
Shanghaied! What tho devil am I going
to do?”
"D’ ye hear me?” bawled the etrldeut
voice again.
Norton looked about desperately for some
weapon of defense. He saw an engineer’s
spanner on the floor by the bunk across the
way, nnd with no small physical effort ho
snoceeded in obtaining it. He stood up, his
hand behind his hack.
“ All right, me bucko! I'll come down an’
git ye.”
A pair of enormous boots began to appear
down the eompnnlonway, end there gradnnlly
rose np from them n man as wide ns a
church door nnd ns deep as a well.
" Wait a moment,” said Norton, gripping
♦lie spanner. “ Let us have a perfect under
standing right off tho bat.”
” Wo'ro goin’ t’ have it, matey, Don’t ye
worry none.”
Norton raised the spanner end, dizzy ee he
waa, faced tills seafaring Hercules coura
geously.
" I’ve been shanghaied, and yon know it.
Where nro wo bound?"
“ Copenhagen."
“Well, for a month or more you’ll heat mn
np whenever the opportunity offers. But I
merely wish to warn you that if yon do
you'll find n heap of trouble waiting for yon
the next time yon drop your mudhook in
North river.”
“Is that so!” said tlie giant, eying the
spanner and tho slinking hand that held tt
aloft
"It Is. I’ll tnke your ordere and do th#
best I ean, because you’ve got the upper
hand. But, God is witness, you'll pay for
every needless blow you strike. Now what
do you want mo to do?”
" I/a.v down that spanner an’ come on deck.
I’ll tell yo what t' do. I was gon’ t' whalo
til’ daylights out o’ ye; but ye’re somethin’
uv a man. Drop th' spanner first.”
Norton hesitated. As lithe as a tiger the
hulk of n man sprang at him nnd crushed
him to the floor, wrenching away the span
ner. Then the giant took Norton by tho
scruff of his neck and banged him up the
step* to the deck.
“I ain’t goin’ t’ hurt ye. I had t’ show
ye that no spunnor ever bothered Mike Ban
nock. Now, d' ye know what a cook's gal
ley Is?”
" I do,” said Norton, breathing hard.
“ Well, hike there an’ start In with peelin’
• puds, an’ don’t wsste 'em, neither. That’ll
tie all for th’ present. Ye were due for a
wallopin’, but I kinds like yer spunk."
Ho Jim stumbled down to (lie cook’s galley
and grimly set to work st the potatoes. It
might bn ve besn fur worse. But here he
was, likely to be on high sens for months,
snd no way of notifying Jones what bad
happened. TTio outlook wns anything bnt
cheerful. But a vague hope awoke In bis
heart. If they were still sfter him, might it
not signify that Florence lived.
Meantime Braine had not been Idle. Ac
cording to Vroon the girl’s memory was In
bad shape; so he had not the least c.oubt of
bringing her back to New York without mis
hap. Once he had her there, tho game would
begin In earnest. Ho played his cards ex
ceedingly wall. Steaming rp Into tho little
Ashling harbor with n hondsomo yacht In
Itsolf would nllny any distrust. And hs wore
a capital disguise, too. Everything went well
till he laid his hand on Florence's shoulder.
She gave a startled cry and ran over to
Bsrnes, clinging to him wildly.
” No, no!" she said.
“No wbst, my childr asksd the sailor.
She shook her bead. Her aversion was In
explicable.
“Come, my dear; can't you soo that. It is
your father?" Braine turned to the captain.
“She has been liko this for n year. Heaven
knowa If sho'il ever bo in her right mind
again,’’ sndly. "I was giving her an ocean
voyage, with tho kindest nurses possible, and
yet she Jumped overboard. Come Florence.”
The girl wrapped her arms all the tighter
around Tinmen’ neck.
An idea came Into the old sailor’s head.
" Of course, sir, y've got proof tbet she’s your
daughter?”
“ Proof?” Braine wns taken aback.
" Yes; somethin’ t’ prove that you’re her
father. I got skinned out of a sloop onc#
be-auso I took a man's word st it’s face
value. Black an’ white, an’ on paper, mjs
I hereafter.”
“ But I never thought of such s thing,"
protestsd Braine, beginning to lose his pa
tience. “ I can’t risk sending to New York
for documents. She is my daughter, end
you will find It will not pay to take til's
peculiar stand.”
"In bis n’t. -*•'**. '• »’ «an’t have her."
Braine thereupon rnshed forward to seize
Florence. Barnes swung Florence behind
Mm.
" I guess she’il stay here a leetle longer,
sir.”
Time was vital, and this obstinacy mado
Braine furious. He reached again for Flor
ence.
“Clear out o’ here, V show your author
ity,” growled Barnes.
“ She goes with me. or you’ll regret It.”
“ All right. But I guess th’ law won’t
hurt me none. I’m in my rights. There’s
tlis door, Mister.”
“I refuse to go without her!”
Barnes sighed. Iln was on land a man of
peace, but there was a limit to his patience,
lie seized Braine by the shoulders and hus
tled him out of tile house.
“Bring your proofs, Mister, an’ nothin’
more'll bo said; but till y’ bring ’em, keep
away from this cottage."
And, simple minded sailor that ho was, ha
thought thie settled the matter.
That night he kept his ears open for un
usual sounds, hut ho merely wasted his
night's rest. Quite naturally, he reckoned
that, the stranger would make his attempt
at night. Indeed, he made It in broad day
light, with Barnes not. a hundred yards away,
calking a dory whose scame had sprung a
leak. Braine bad Florence upon the char
tered yacht before the old man realized what
had happened. He never saw Florence
again; but one day, months later, he read
all about her In a newspaper.
Florence fought; hut ehe wae weak, and
ao the conquest wns easy, Braine was kind
enough, now that he had her safe. He
talked to her, but she merely stared at the
receding coast.
“ -AH right; don’t talk if yon don’t want to.
Here,” to one of the men, "tnke her to the
cabin and keep her there. But don’t you
touch her. I’ll break you if you do. Put
her In her cabin and guard the doori at
least keep an eye on it”
Hven the temporarily demented are not
without a species of cunning. Florence had
never seen Braine till he appeared at the
Barnes cottage. Y'et she revolted at the
touch of ills hand; hated him with a violence
which would have stirred the scientific in
terest of an alienlu. She wanted to hurt
him, torture him, heat him down and trample
oil him. But as this wns a physical Impos
sibility, she dir] the next most agreeable
tiling to har disordered mind. On the second
day out toward New York, she found a box
of matches and blithely set fire to her cabin,
walked ont Into the corridor and thence to
the deck. When the fire was discovered it
had gained too much headway to he stopped.
The yacht wns doomed. They put off In the
boats and for half a day drifted helplessly.
Fate has everything mapped out like a
game of clieae. You movo a pawn, and bang
goes your bishop, or yonr knight, or your
king; or she lels you almost win a gams,
and then checkmate* you. But there is ona
thing to he aald In her favor — rail at her
how we will, alie le always giving odds to ths
Innocent
*••••*
Mike Bannock was In the pilothouse, look
ing over his charts, when tho lookout in the
crow's nest sung out: “ Two bouts adrift
off the port how, »dr!" And Bannock, who
■was a first class ssilor, although a rough
one, shouted down the tube to th# engine
room. The freighter came to a halt In
about ten minutes. The rastawsys saw that
they had been noted, and pulled gallantly at
tha oars.
There are eorne things which science, well
advanced as It is, cannot explain. Among
them is the shock which cuts off th* past
snd the cotinterahoek whloh reawakens mem
ory. They may writ# treatise after treatise
snd expound, but they never succeed in truly
getting beyond that dnrk wall of mystery.
At the sound of Jim Norton's voice and at
the eight of his sac subconsciously she
must have been thinking of him all the
while- a great Minding heat-wave seemed to
burn acrose her eyes, and when the effect
penned away she was herself again. A wild
glance at her surroundings convinced her
that both eh# and her lover were In danger.
” Keep back,” whispered Jim. “ Don't
recognize me."
" They believe that I’ve lost my mind, and ,
I’ll keep that Idea in their heads. Rons
time tonight I’ll find a chance to talk to
you."
It took a good deal of cautious maneuver
ing to bring about the meeting.
“ Th ey shanghaied me. An ! I thought you
dead! It waa all wrong. It was a trick of
that Perigoff woman, nnd It succeeded. Girl,
girl, I love you better than life!”
I know it now,” she said; and she kissed
him. “Has my father appenred yet?”
" No,"
"Do you know anything at all about
him?” sadly. v
“ I thought T did. It’s all a Jumble to
me. But beware of th* man who brought
>ou here. He is tho head of ail our trou
bles; nnd If ho knew I was oil board he’d
kill me out of hund. He’d have to."
Brnlno offered Bannock a thousand dollars
to turn back as far as Boston; and as Ban
nock had ail tho time in tho world, carrying
uo perishable goods, ho con»;nted. But he
never could quite understand what followed.
He had put Florence and Braine in the boat
nnd landed them; bnt when be went down
to see If liralne had left anything behind,
ip* found that Individual bound aud gagged ha
his bunk.
W.. TO BE CONTINUED!, /
- t Ml .