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MILLION DDLLAP MYSTEPY By Harold fck Oath SIO,OOO FOR ONE HUNDRED WORDS. "The Million Dollar Myttery 9 * ttory [tri/I run for twenty-two consecutive weeks in this paper. Jiy an arrangement with the Thanhauscr Film company if haa been made possible not only to read the story in this paper but also to see it each week in various moving picture theaters. For the solution of this mystery story SIO,OOO will be given by the Thanhouser Film corporation. CONDITIONS GOVERN IN 0 THE CONTEST. The prise 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 ref Is of motion picture drama will be made and the last two chapters of the story written by Harold llacOrath. Solutions may be sent to the Thanhouser Film corporation, either at Chicago or New York, any time up to midnight , Jan. 1 This allows several weeks* niter the last nh-ipter has been published. .4 hoard of three judges will determine which of the many solutions received is the most acceptable. The fudges are to be Harold MaoGrath, Lioyd Lonergan, and Mtss Mae Tines. The judgment of this board unit be absolute and final. Nothing Mailey Ilargrravr, mllllmmlrr. ntt er a . Mlrnruloii* rx'tiix* from the drn of the l>ng of brilliant tblr%ea knovin aa the Black lliiiiilred, liven the life of a re. el tine for eighteen year*. Ilargreave ae- Hdrntnllf meetn llralne, lender of the lllark Hundred. Knowing Hralne will Iff to him, he eaeapea from hi* onn home h> a hnliooa. Ilefore cum pin a he wrltea a letter to the airin’ acbool where eighteen yearn before he myaterlounly left on the dooratep hla bahjr daughter, Floreaee tirnj. That day Ilargreave • lao drawa $1,000,000 from the bank, but It la reported that thin dropped Into the •ea when the balloon he eaenped In waa punctured. Florence arrive* from the vlrla* achool. CounteM Olga, Hralne’a companion, via. fta her and riatmu her na a relative. Two bog »ia deteetlvea call, but their plot la foiled by Norton, a newapaper man. ( By bribing the enptnln of the Orient, Norton la ye a trap for Hralne and hla Sang, t ouateaa Olga alao vlalta the Ori ent’s captain, and nhe enslly falls Into the reporter's snare. The plan proven abortive through flratne's good luck and only hirelings fall Into the hands of the police. After falling In their first attempt, the Black Hundred trap Florence. They aak her for money, bul she eaeapea, again foiling them. ‘ Norton and the eouuteaa call on Flor ence the aeit day, once more anfe at home. The vtaltora hating gone, Jonen removes n section of flooring nnd from a cavity taken a horn. I’uranrd by mem ber a of the Black Hundred, ke ruakea to the water front and succeeds In drop, plan the boa Into the aea. {Copyright. 1(14: hy Itorold MaoUrath.) CHAPTER XV. AItOTHXI TKAP NET. IF tho truth la to be told, Jonea wit* aa deeply chagrined over the outcome of the counterfeit deal aa was Ursine. They had both failed signally to rearh the goal •ought. Bnt thta time the organlaatlon had broken even with Jones, and thta feet dis turbed the butler. If might atgnify that the turning point had been reached, and that In th< future the good lock might awing over to the aide of the Illack Hundred, .lonea re doubled hla cautfona, reiterated bla warnlnga, and alept leaa than ever. Indeed, aa be went over the ground he conceded a point to the Black Hundred. He would no longer be able to keep taba on the organlaatlon. They had deeerted their former quartern abaolutely. The ag*»t of whom they had leaeed the building knew nothing except that he would have to repair the place. Tha rent had teen paid a year In advance, aa it haa been theae laat eight yearn Ha had dealt through an attorney who knew no more of hla cllenta than the agent. Ro It will he aeen that Jonea bad In reality received a check. More then all thta. It would give hla en» mtee renewed confidence, and thla waa a '.deeper menace than he cared to face, ltut he \went about bit affaire aa uaual, giving no bint ' w any one of the mental turmoil which had 'maaomton of him. ■ It la oecdleaa to etate that Norton did not poop hla rivals on the counterfeit atory. Hut he set to work exploring the cellar of the gat ted building, and In one corner he found a battared die He turned thie over to the aecret service men. There waa one man he wanted to find—Vroon. This man, could ha find him, should be made to lead him, Norton, to the new stronghold. He saw the futility of trying to trap Bralne by shadowing him. He dtwired Bretne to believe that hla escape from the freighter had beeu a bit of wild luck and not a preconceived plan. Brains was out of reach for the present, so hs begin the search foi the man Vroon. He haunted the water front aa loons for a week without auroras. He did not know that It waa the policy of tbc Black Hundred to lay low for a month after a raid of such a serious character. So the Hargrrave menage had thirty days of peace; always witched, however. For Ursine never relaxed his vigilance In that part of the game He did not care to loos sight of Jonea, whom he waa positive was ready for flight If the slightest opportunity offered Itself. , Norton went bark to the primrose paths of love; and sometimes he would forget all about such a thing aa tha Black Hundred So the summer daya went by, with the lilacs and tha runes embowering the Hargrrave home. But Norton took not# of tho fact that Florence waa no longer tho light hearted schoolgirl he bad first met. Her trial* bad made a aerioue AYNOPfllfl OF lItBVIOUII rftIAPTERK. Of a literary nature util be countered in the decition, nor given any preference in the selection of the winner of the SIO,OOO prize. The lost tu o reels, which will give the most acceptable solution to the mys tery, will be presented in the theaters having this feature as soar, 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 MaoGrath, will also show a picture of the successful contestant. Solutions to the mystery must not be more than 100 words long. Here are some questions to be kept in mind in connection with the mystery as an aid to a solution: A o. I—What becomes of the millionairet Ho. t —W hat becomes of the $1,000,000 Vo. $ - Whom does Florence marry 1 ~Ho.lt—What becomes of the Russian countess T Hobody connected either directly or in directly with “ The Million Dollar Mys tery ” will he, considered as a contestant. Accomplice* of Hralne kidnap Florence while »he In nhopplng uud hurry her off to aea. Khe leap* overbourd sad la picked up In n dnr.ed condition by finh. ermen. The lllack Hundred locate her, nud Hralne, dUgulaed an her father* takea her hack to «ca with him. Florence acta lire to the boat and la rescued by a ship on which Norton ban been shanghaied. Norton nnd Florence, safely ashore, take the train for home. The train la wrecked. Norton, who tries to rescue ker, la tied to the railroad traeka. Flor ence Mate* him nnd finally Jones cornea to the rescue of both. < oaccaled above the rendesvous of the Black Hundred, a man learns of the re. covery from the aea of the bos: of jew els by a sailor and of Its subsequent re. turn to the bottom of the sen, and ke quickly communicates the fact to Jones. A duplicate box In planted and later se cured by the hand, but before Its con tent* are esumlnefi the box mysteriously disappears. Owing to the falling off of eoatrtbu. flona to the parent organisation fta Run ala, an agent arrives and assames the leadership of the American branch off the lllack Hundred. Through the con nivance of the eoviateas and Brnfne the new head la thoroughly humiliated. Finding blmnelf checkmated at every turn, Hralne endeavors to enmesh the Ilargreave household la the law la or der to gain free access to the houae. The timely discovery of the plot by Nor. ton acts the police at the heels of the pack and reaulta In a raid on the gasg’a render von*, which, however, proven to he barren of reaulta. woman of her, and perhaps this phase was all the more encbnnting to him, who had his seri ous side also. Her young ml ml was Ilka an Italian garden, always opening new vista* for htj admiring gazs. ns went about hla work the same as of old. Interviewing, playing detective, fattening his l*ty envelops by specials to ths Sunday edition and some of the lighter magntlnea. Sometimes hs had vague dreams of writing n play, a novel, and making a tremendous fortune like that chap Manders, who only a few yeais ago had been hie desk mat*. He really began the first chapter of a novel; but that has nothing to do with this history. Already, then. The chess art ones mors on the board, and it is ths move ui ths Black Hundred. The day was rather cloudy. Tbnss viewed the sky wearily. He could hear Florence play- Ing rather a cheerless nocturne by Chopin. Fourteen Weeks ago this warfare had begun, and all he had accomplished, hs and thoao with him, wae the death or incarceration of a few inconsequent members of the Black Hun dred. Always they struck and always he had to ward off. Hs had always been on ths de fensive; and a defensive fighter may last a long whtls, but he seldom wins; and ths but ler knew that they must win or go down in bitter defeat. There was no half way routs to ths end; there could be no draw. It all reminded him of tbnnderboits: one man kuew where they were going to strike. The telephone rang; at the same moment Florence left the piano. She stopped at the threshold. ‘Hello! Yon? Where haws you been? What hat happened?" "ho is Itr* asked Florence, stepping for ward Jones held up a warning hand, and Fh-renca paused. “Yes, yes; I hear perfectly. O! You’vw b—n working out their new quarters? Good, good! Hot be very oars'll! elr. One never knows what may happen They have been quiet for some time now. ... Ah ! You can’t work ths ceiling this tlms? , . . Win dow over tbs way. Very gwal. air. Bat be careful.” The word “ sir ” caught Florence's atten tion. She ran to Jonee and seized him by the arm. "Who was that?" sbs cried, aa hs turned away from the telephone. “ Why ?" "You said ’ sir.' “ Jones' e?es widened. “ I did?" “Yea, and it’s ths final time I ever heard yon uas It over the telephone. Jones, you were talking to my lather!” “ Please. Mi— Florence, do not ask me any question* I rautiot anewer any. I dire not.” “ But if I should command, upon th* pain of dismissal?’’ coldly. ’ . . :*.:*•* •^i'U "/■'SB j| * '"&* * r.* 'JL \ . ' -W* ‘ /•' : '♦? ' v j " %"'■'' '> . -%f I ■'*' • - .. -f* ; v ??*** ? : : a 1" * I Ah, Miss Florence,” and Jones tapped his pocket, “ you forget that yon cannot dismiss mv by word. Ism legslly In control here. 1 am sorry that you have made me recall this fact to you.” Fhnence began to cry softly. “ 1 am sorry, very sorry,” eald the butler, torn between the desire to comfort her and the law that he bad laid down for himself. “ It ia vary gloomy today, anil perhapa we are all a little depressed by it. I am sorry.” ” O, I realise, Jones, that all thla uncDding mystery and secrecy have a set purpose at back. Only, it does Just seem as if I should g ) mad sometimes .with waiting and wonder ing.” “ And if the truth must be told, tt ia ths same with me. We have to wait for them to strike. Hhall I get you something: new to reed? I am going down to the drug store and they have a circulating library.’’ “ Get me anything you please. But I'd feel better with a little sunshine.” •• That's universal,” replied Jones, going into the hall for his hat. Had the telephone rung again at that mo ment it la quite probable that the day would have come to a close as the day before had, monotonously. But the ring came five min utes after Jouse had left the house. “la this ths Ilargreave place?" “ Yea,” said Florence. “ Who is It?” “ Thi* ia Miss Ilargreave talking?” “Yea.” “ Thla Is Dr. Mot*#. I am at the Queen hotel. Mr. Norton has been badly hurt, and h# wants you and Mr. Jonea to come at once. W e cannot tel! Just now how serious the In jury ia Us la Just conscious. Shall I tell him you will come immediately?” ‘Yea, yea!” Florence snapped the receiver on the hook. She wanted te fly, fly. He waa hart. How, whin, wh*rt? M Susan I Susan ! H ahs called. ” What la It. Florenca V asked Busan, run nlng into the room. ~ Jim la bndlj hurt. Hs wants me to come at ones. O, Susan! I*ve been dreading some* thing all day long.’* Florence struck the mald’e bell. *• Mj wraps. You will go with me, Susan.*' * Where, Miae Florence?'* asked the maid, •llr» to her duty* “ Whora? What U that to you?” demanded Florence, who did not know that this maid w aa a detective. “ Why U ot wait till Mr. Jones returns?” •bo suggested patiently. And let the man I lov* die"’ vehemently. "At least you will leave word where you arc goiug. Mias Florence.” The Queen hotel. And ts you ray another word rn discharge you. Oome, Buaan.” There happened to be a tail cab conveniently near (as ' roon took cars there should be>, and Florence at one* engaged it She did not •*’ ,h « ®an hiding in the hushea. Tbs two young w-omeu stepped into th* taxicab and were driven off. They had been gone lee* toan five minutes when Jonee returned with hi* purchase, to find the house empty of its moat valuable asset. He was furious, not only a* th* maid, who. he realized, waa virtually helpleea, but at his own negligence. In the midst of his violent harangue the bell sounded. In hla bone* he knew what waa going to be found there. It was a letter on th. back of which waa drawn the fatal blnok mask. With shaking fingers he tore open the envelope and read Ibe contents i “Florence t» now In out power. Only th* aurrender of the million will save he*. Our agent will call iu an hour 'or an answer. “ Tub Bi sex Hi'gpaxn” Aa a matter of fact, they had want*! Jonee almoat aa badly aa Florence, hut her desire for a book some bipolar story of th* day— had saved him from th# net The Utter had been written against thla possibility. Jonee became cool, now that he knew just what danger to face. Th# Queen hotel meant nothing. Florenca would not be «h.i» i'ljififtltwi* a *j- MEiAS&S;'- ««: -rjm ' • ' IflSiplslplllpiii mmt PJ -ffif - K: JT-,«. I*§ •, 1 , Jt--’ ' / * r *> • -> ... ■ ,vJty* *, ' r .*U r ' r ?’VHi ‘’ ; ;<1 Ofre: , asKafv* b ■ - •*. - : • ... ... ! CC-. ' . Sumed out a few MINUTP3 . y Ho called np Norton. It took all the butler’s patience, however, aa It required seven differ ent calls to locate the reporter. Meantime the taxicab containing Florenca and Susan spun madly toward toe water front. Hera the two were separated by an effective threat. Florence recognized the man Vroon and kuew that to plead for mercy would be a waste of time. She permitted herself to be led to a waiting launch. Always when she disobeyed Jones something like this happened. But this time tney bad cunningly struck at her heart, and all thought of her personal safety became aa nothing. For the present she knew that she was in no actual physical danger. Sue was merely to be held as a hostage. Would Susan have mentality aunugh to tell Jonea where the taxicab had stopped? She doubted. In an emergency Susan had prove-! herself a nonentity, a bun dle of hysterical fbritla. As a matter of fact, for once Florence's deductions were happily wrong When the chauffeur pereuiptor.ly deposited Susan on the lonely country road, several miles from home, she ran hot-foot to the nearest telephone and sent a very concise message home. Susan waa becoming acclimated to this strange, ex citing existence. Norton arrived in due time, and he and Jones were mapping out a plan when Susan’s message ceme. * Uoed girl!” eaul Jonea. "She’s learning. Can you handle thie alone. Norton? They want me out of the house again, for I believe they were after me as wel as Florence. Half an hour gone!” ( ~ " Tfinst me!’’ cried Norton. And he ran out to his auto. It was a wild ride. Several policemen shouted after him. but he went on unmindful. Tney could take his license number a hundred times for an he cared. So they had got her? They could wait till their enemy’s vigilance slacked and then would strike? But Susan! The next time he saw Susan ha waa going to take her in his arms and kiss her. It ralfcht be a new sensation to kias Busan, always so prim and offish. Corey street—that had been her direc tion. They bad put Florence in a motor boat at toe foot of Corey street. He. was perhaps half an hour behind. Florence never opened her lip*. She stared ahead proudly. She would show these scoun drels that she was her father’s daughter. They piled her with questions, but she pre tended not to hear. “ Weil, pretty bird, we’ll make you speak when the time cornea We’ve got you thia trip where we want you. There won’t be any jumping overboard thla aesaion. believe me. We’ve wasted enough tima. We’ve got yon and we’re going to keep yon.” “ Let ber be,” said Vroon morosely. " We’ll put all fine questions we wish when we’re at our destination.” And be nodded significantly toward the ships riding at anchor. A Florence felt her heart sink in spite of her abundant courage. Were they going to take her to sea again? She had acquired a horror of the sea, so big, so terrible, so strong. Sbe had had an experience with its sullen power. They had gone about four miles down when she looked back longingly toward shore. Something white seemed to be spinning over the water far b.hlnd. At first she could not discern what it was. Aa she watched it it grew and grew. It finally emerged from the illusion of a gigantic bird into the actuality of an everyday hydroplane. Her heart gave a great bound. This flying machine was com ing directly toward the launch; It did not de viate a hair’s breadth from the line. Fortu nately the men were looking toward a huge freighter a quarter of a mile farther on, and from their talk it was evident that that freighter was to be her prison—bound for where? Nearer and nearer came the hydro plane. Was it for her? \ It was impossible for the men not to take notloe of the barking of the engines at last. “ The thing’s heading for us!” Vroon stared under his palm. It was not credible that pursuit had taken place s, quickly. To test yonder man-bird he ab ruptly changed the course of the launch- The hydroplane veered its course to suit. Florence heard her name called faintly. One of the men drew his revolver, hut Yroo* knocked it out of his hand. „ . “There’s the police boat, you fool!" “Jump!” a voice called to Florence. "1 She flung herself into the water withoubth, slightest hesitation. i All this came about something after this fashion. When Norton arrived at the foot of Corey street a boatman informed him that a young woman of his description had gotten into a fast motor boat and had gone down the river. “ Was there any struggle?” “Straggle? None that *1 could see. Sh« dfln’t make no fuss about going.” j " Have you a launch 7’ •*s'* ' " “ Tea, but the other boat has half an heuiV start, and I’d never catch her in a thousand jears. But there’s a hydroplane a little above here. You might interest the feller that runs it.” v ( , ,»• “ ThanksP» £ But the aviator would not listen. ’ • J ' “A life may hang in the balance, man!” expostulated Norton, longing to pommel the stubborn man. "What proof have I of that?” Norton showed his card and (badge. “O, I see!” jeered the aviator. "A newspaper stunt in which I am to be the goat. It can’t be done, Mr. Norton; it can’t he done.” “A hundred dollars!” v— “ Not for five hundred.” and the aviator callously turned away toward the young wom an with whom he had been conversing prior to Norton’s approach. The two walked a dozen yards away. Norton had not served twelve years as a metropolitan newspaper man for nothing. He approached the mechanics who were puttering about the machine. “ How about twenty apiece?” he began. “ For what?” the men asked. “ For sending that paddle around a few times.” “Get up into that seat, but don’t touch any of those levers,” one of them warned. “ Twenty la twenty, Jack, and the boss Is a sorehead today anyhow. Give her a shove for the fun of it.” It was a dumfonnded aviator who saw hla hydroplane skim the water and a moment later sail into the air. These swift moving days a reporter of the first caliber is supposed to be able to run railroad engines, subma rines, flying machines, conduct a war; able to •hoot, walk, run, swim, fight, think, go with out food like a python, and live without water like a camel. Norton had flown muny times daring the last four years. At the moment he called out to Florence to jump he dropped to the water with all the skill of an old timer and took her aboard. And he could not use • line of this exploit for his paperl i v_ -1 • l • t • • k | * Jones heard the bell. Tt waa the agent from the Black Hundred. He smiled jauntily. “ Well, old fox, we've cornered yon at last, haven’t we? I want th#t money, or Har greave’a daughter takes another aea voyaga, and this time rtie will not Jump overboard. A million; and no more nonsenee.” “ Give me fifteen minutee to decide," begged Jones, hoping against hope. , “ Fifteen seeondb!” “ Then we can’t do business. What! Give yon a million, knowing yon ail to be a pack of liars? Bring Miss Florsnce back and tha money is your*. We are tired of fightli*” As Indeed Jones really was. Th# strain had been terrific for weeks. “The money first. We don’t lie any better than you do. Fork over. You’ll have to trust us. We have no use for the girl ones we get the cash." “And you’ll never touch a penny of ft. you blackguard!" cried Norton from the doorway. The agent turned to behold the reporter and the girl. He did not stop'to ask quosttomt, but bolted. He never got beyond the door, however. ” Always the small fry," sighed .Tones. “And if I could have put my hands on the • money I’d given It to him! Ah, girl. It doesn’t do any good to talk to yon, doea It?* ’’ But they told me he waa dying!" J Jones shrugged ( Q. j