Newspaper Page Text
MILLION DOIIAP MYSTM^lkddfeGkh;
SIO,OOO FOR ONEHUNDRED WORDS.
" Tie Million Dollar Hfyutery" ttnry
v.ill run for twenty-two consecutive weeks
in this paper. Hu nti arramf/ement 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.
For the solution of thts mystery story
SIO,OOO wilt he given hy the Thanhousrr
Film corporation.
cofditiofs oovFßxixa the
CONTEST.
The prize of SW.OOO will he won hy the
man, woman, or cMd who writes the most
acceptable solution of the mystery, from
vhich the last tsoo reels o 1 motion picture
drama will he made and the last two
thaplers of the story written by Harold
U act! rath.
Solutions may be sent to the Than
ho user Film corporation at 5 South Wa
lnut avenue. Chicago. 111., nr Thanhousrr
Film corporation, 7/ Il'clf Twenty-third
street. Few York City, X. V., any time up
to midnight, Jan. I'/. 1015. This allows
several weeks after the last chapter has
l,ren published.
' A board of three judges will determine
» ehir-h of the many solutions reumi ed Is the
most acceptable. The judge, are to be
Harold MacGrath, Floyd Lotnrgan, and
Hiss Mae Tinee. The judgment of this
■<■lll*7 Ilnrgrrarf. millionaire:, niter n
nlMcnlm rKapr from »hr den at <hn
gang of brilliant Iblrvrn knona a* «h*
Blnrk Hundred. Ilvra ikr Ilf* of a re
cluse tor eighteen yearn. flurgreave »o*
(lilrnlallr air*ta flralnr, leader of <he
Blnrk Hundred. baimlag Hrnlnr mill
* r 7 to ffl kin. h<> m«pe» from til* own
kome by a balloon. Before mcaiiing ho
ivrltf* a letter to Ibe fflrla* ackonl wbera
yritm before he m .rate rloualy
left on lh<* door*tep lila baby «|auiKbter»
F*lf»renee iirmj. That «lny Ilar*reaeo
al«o fravra $1,000,000 from (kr bank, but
It la reported (bat Ihln dropprd Into the
•rn when the balloon lie escaped In era a
p nurtured.
Florence arrive* from the glrla' school.
Count*** Olga, llrnlne'a companion, vla
flta her and clnltii* her an n relaflxe. Teen
hoiKua detectlv r* call, but their plot In
foiled bp Norton, a nreeapaper anna.
After faltlnn In tliefr flrnt attempt, the
Black Hundred trap Klateace. They aak
her for ptonry, hut ake escapea, nfcnln
foiling them.
Norton and the eonnteaa call oa Flor
ence the neat day, once more aafe at
home. The elaltora having gone, Jones
remove* a aectloa of flooring and from
g caMt.tr take* n boa. I'uraucd by in em
ber* of the lllack Hundred, he rushes to
the water front and aueeerda la drop
ping the bug into the ooa.
(Copyright. 1814 by Harold Mac Qrath.)
CIIArt'ER XVI.
TBK\Clliai' IV Tltr HorsrHOLD.
THU maid stole Into tin- house, wondering
i/ (she I; id tern »cm. She wanted to
If' 1 }-*! to this sill, but ah* was
t d .if t'.ie life; r‘.» wanted to bo
her on .1 n. oi> i. aril tLe small for
tune "Hi red lier would p t her on the way
to reaike her aon iflon. VThst had she not
seen and been of life since she Joined the great
detective’ll for-' l.adjr'a mnid, cook, ship
atewardesa. fliu-li woman, nctrcßs, clerk, and a
duaen other employment*. Her pay, until she
•SCured some fat reward, was but twelve hun
dred the year; and here wna five thouannd in
advance, with the premia* of five thousand
more the minute her work »u done. And it
w*a simple work, without any real harm to
ward riorenc* as far as ah* was concerned.
Tl.e wholo lliiug rested upon on* difficulty:
would Joins permit the girls to leav* the
bou**?
One day Florence foul'd Susan sitting in a
chair, her bead in her band*.
“ Why,'Biioan, wbat'a th* matter?" crl*d
Florence,
" 1 don't tnpw what is the matter, dear, but
I baien't felt well for two or thr** daya.
I'm ditty nil the time. I can't road or a*w or
oat or sleep.
"Why didn't you tell me?" said Floranc*,
reproachfully. She rang for the detective
maid. "Ella, 1 don’t know anything about
doctora hervaliouta."
" l know a good ona, Miss Floranc*. Shall
I »end for him?"
“Do; Suaan U M."
Jon*» waa not prepared for treachery in bla
own houaekod; *o when he beard that a
doctor bad been called to attend Suaan L* waa
without tba leaat auapicion that he had b**n
betrayed Mor* than thla, there had loon no
occaalon to aummon a doctor tn th* aevco
yaara Mr. Hargreav* had lived bar*. So Jones
want about his petty household affairs without
more thought upon the matter The maid had
been rei-ommandad to him aa cm of th*
ahrewdeat young women in tba detective buai
nea*.
Th# doctor arrived Ha waa a real doctor;
no doubt of that. Hr investigated Suaan’* con
dition—brought about by a subtle though not
dangrroua poison—and instantly reconmicudel
tba aearbors. Suaan waa not uaed to being
confined to the bouse; she w*a eaarntU'ly an
out of door* little body. The seashore wouid
bring her about in no time. The doctor sug
gested Atlautie City bes-auso of its mildness
throughout the year and it. neararan to New
York,
“I’m afraid aiie’ll i. to to ... ... , iid
Jon**, gravely.
mrorin of pmviovi chaptbm.
hoard t&ill he absolute and final, yothlng
cf a literary nature, xriU he considered in
the decision, nor given any preference in
the selection of the winner of the SIO,OOO
prize. The last two reels, which trill give
the most acceptable solution to the mys
tery, trill be presented in the theaters
having this feature as soon as it is pas
sibls to produce *he same. The story corre
sponding to These motion pictures trill ap
pear in the newspapers coincidentally, or
as soon after the appearance of the pic
tures as practicable. With the last two
reels trill be shown the pictures of the win
ner, his or her home, and other interesting
features, ft is understood that the news
papers, so far as practicable, in printing
the last two chapters of the story by Har
old AJacfJrath, trill 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:
No. 1 Wliat becomes of the millionaireT
7/o. 2 What becomes of the $1,000,0001
7f0.1t Whom does Florence marryf
A T o. { —What becomes of the Russian
countessT
yobody connected either directly or in
directly irith “ The Million Dollar Mys
tery ° will bn considered as a contestant .
Accomplice* of Braine kidnap Florence
and hurry her off to aea. Ike leaps over
board and la picked up In a dazed con
dition by flnbernien. Ilrnlnr, illngulaed
a* her father, taken her bark to aea with
him. Florence acta tire to the boat and
la rescued by a ahlp oa which Norton has
been shanghaied.
Concealed above the rendezvous of tho
lllack Hundred, a man learns of the re
covery of the l»o* from the aea by a
sailor and of Itn subnequeat return to
the bottom of the aea, and he quickly
communicates the fact to done*. A dupli
cate box la planted and Inter secured by
the band, but before It* contents aro ex
amined the box mysteriously disappears.
Finding himself checkmated at every
turn, Hralne endeavors to enmesh tho
Ifhrgreave household la the law In or
der to gain free aceeaa to the house.
The timely discovery of the plot hy Nor
ton acta tho police at the heela of the
pack and results In a raid oa the gung*a
rendezvous, which, however, proven to bo
barren of renulta.
Following a telephone message Jones
received from a mysterious person whom
he addressed u* air,'* Florence Is again
lured from her home and taken out to
sea. Through Norton's daring and skill
as an aviator she Is rescued and returna
to her homo In time to confront an agent
of the fllack Hundred*
" I shan't stir! " declared Susan. " I shan't
leave my girl even If I am sick.” Busan
caught Florence's hand and pressed it.
“ Would you like to go with her, Florence? ”
asked Jones, with a shy glance at the strange
doctor. The shy glance was wasted. Ths
doctor evinced no sign that it mattered one
way or the other to him.
“ It Is nothing very serious now," he vol
unteered. “ But It may turn out serious If It
Is not taken car* of at once.”
“ What la the trouble? ” Inquired .Tone#,
who was growing fond of Kuean.
“ Weak heart. Sunshine and good sea air
will strengthen her up agsin. No, no! ” as
Jones drew forth his wallet “I’ll send in my
Mil the first of tl„i month. Sunshine and aea
air; that’s all that’i necessary. And now,
good-day."
All very businesslike; not the least ranso In
the world for any one to suspect that a new
trap was being set by the snarers. The maid
returned to the sewing room, while Florence
coddled her companion and made much of her.
Jones was suspicious, but dig in hla mind
as he would he could find no earthly reaaon
for this suspicion save that this attribute waa
now instinctive, that It waa always near the
top. If Susan was 111 she must be given
good car*: there wa* no getting around this
fact Later, he telephoned several prominent
physicians. The strange doctor was recom
mended as a good ordinary practitioner and in
good etanJing; and so Jones dismissed hla sus
picions as having no hook to hang them on.
Hla hair would have tingled at the roots,
however, baa he known thet this same physi
cian was one of the two who had signed the
document which Lad accredited Florence with
Insanity and had all but succeeded In making
a supposition a tact Nor was Jones aware
of the fact that the telephone wire had been
tapped recently. So when he finally concluded
to permit Florence to accompany Susan to
Atlantic City he telephoned to the detective
agency to send up a trusty man. who wa*
shadowed from the moment he entered the
Hargreave home till he started for the railway
station, lie became lost In the shuffle ami
was not heard from till week* later, in Ha
vana. The Black Hundred found a good profit
In the shanghai ing business
Busan began to pick up, as they say, ths
day after the arrival at Atlantic City, due,
doubtless, to the cessation es the poison she
had been taking unawares. The two young
women began to enjoy life for the first time
» n-e they bad left Miss Farlow’e. They were
up with the sun every day and went to bed
tired but happy. No on.* bothered them. It
si me at-ay reporter encountered their signa
tures on tie hotel register, be saw nothing to
excite but tepartori&l souses. AU this, oj
court!*, was due to Norton’s policy of keeping
the affair out of the papers.
Following Jones’ orders, they made friends
with no one. Those about the hotel—especial
ly the young men—when they made any ad
vance, were politely snubbed. Every nigLt
Florence would write to her good butler to
report what had taken place during the day,
and he was left to judge for himself if there
was anything to arouse nis suspicions. He, of
course, believed the two were covertly guarded
by the detective he bad sent after them.
When Brain, called upon Olga he found Lis
doctor there.
" Well, what’s the news? ” he asked.
“ I had better run down and inquire how
jjjjj
<he young lady is progressing," said the doctor,
who wns really a first rate surgeon and who
had performed a number of skilled operations
upon various members of the Black Hundred
enent their encounters with tl.s police. “I’ve
got Miss Florence where you want her. It'e
up to you now.”
“ Bhe ought to be separated from her com
panion. W* have left them alone for a whole
week, so Jones will not worry particularly.
A mighty curious thing has turned up. Be
fore Hsrgreave'g. disappearance not a dozen
persons could recollect what Jones looked like.
He was rarely ever in sight. What do you
suppose that signifies?”
“ Don’t ask me,” shrugged the man of medi
cine. “ I shouldn't worry over Jones.”
“ But we can’t atir the old fool. We can’t
get him out of that house. I've tried to get
that maid to put a little something in his
coffee, but she stands off at that. She says
that she did as she agreed in regard to Flor
ence, but her agreemeut ended there. We
have given the Jade five thousand already and
*L* is clamoring for the balance.”
“Have you threatened her?" asked Olga.
Braine smiled a little. “My dear woman,
It is fifty-fifty. While I have a hold on her.
It Is not quite so good as she has on me. We
ar* not dealing with an ordinary servant w*
could threaten and scare. No, indeed: a
shrewd little woman who desperately wanted
money. And she wijl ho paid; no getting out
of It. She will not move another step, one
way or the other, after she receives the bal
ance. Hargreave will have a pretty steep bill
to pay when the time cornea.”
“ She has no Idea where the million is? "
“ If she had. she’s quite capable of lugging
It off all by herself," said Brains.
The doctor laughed.
“ Olga," went on Braine, “ you must look at
It aa I do: that It la atill iu the middle of the
game, and we have neither lost nor won." -
“ How do you know that Hargreave may
not have at bit heck and call an organisation
quite as capable if not as large aa our*?"
suggested the physician.
"That Is not possible,” Braine dedared
without hesitation.
“Well, It begins to look that way to me.
We’ve n*T*r mad* a move yet that hasn't
keen blocked."
“ Pure luck each time, I tell yon; the devil’s
own luck always at the critical moment, when
everything seems to be in our hand*. Now. w#
want Florence, and we've tried a hundred
ways to accomplish this fact end failed. The
question is. how to get her away from her
companion? ’’
“ Simple enough," said the doctor com
placently.
“ Out with It, If jou have an idea.”
The doctor leaned forward and whispered
a few words.
“ Well, I'm hanged! ” Braine laughed and
slapped the doctor on the shoulder. “ The
simplest thing in the world. Mad deg wouldn’t
be in it. I always said that you had gray
matter if you cared to exert yourself.”
“ Thanks,” replied the doctor dryly. “ I'll
drop down there tomorrow, if you say so,
ostensibly to see the other patient. It will
make a deuce of a disturbance."
“ Not if you scare the hotel people.”
“ That is what I propose to do. They will
not want such a thing known. It would scare
every one away for the rest of the season.
But of course this depends upon whether they
"SMALLPOX!" EXCLAIMED THE DOCTOR
are honest or In the hotel business to make
money.”
Again Braine laughed. " Bring her back to
New York alone, -Esoulapius, and a fat check
is your*. Nothing could be simpler than an
idea like this. It’s a fact; no man can think
of everything, and you've just proved it to
me. I’ve tried to do a general'! work without
aids. Olga, does any one watch me come and
go any more?"
“ No; I've watched a dozen nights. The
man has gone. Either he found out what he
wanted or he gave up the job. To my mind
he found out what he wanted.”
“And what’s that?"
“Heaven knows!" discouragedty.
“ Come, doctor, suppose you and I go down
to Daly’s for a little turn at billiards? •
“ Nothing would suit me better.”
** All abbard. then 1 Good-night, Olga. Keep
your Lair on; I mean your own hair. We're
going to win out. don’t you worry. In all
games the minute you begin to doubt you
begin to lose."
That same night Norton sat at his desk, in
his shirt sleeves, pounding away at hla type
%
c*
Np;
.. M.
' 5 . * ‘ ■ -•-
h ' ' -- - ' ~,. ”
\ - - -r
/ v % ■ x
n fo\~ •
~=^ ;: FLORENCE. FALLS IWO A BED OF QUICKSAND
writer. From time to time he paused and
teetered his chair and scowled over his pipe
at the starlit night outside. Bang! would go
his chair again, and clickity-click would sing
the keys of the machine. The story he was
writing was in the ordinary routine; the ar
•
rival of a great ocean liner with some political
notables who were not adverse to denouncing
the present administration. You will have
noticed, no doubt, that some disgruntled poli
tician is always denouncing the present ad
ministration, it matters not if It be Repub
lican or Democratic. When you are out of a
good job you are alawys prone to denounce.
The yam bored Norton because his thoughts
were miles southward.
He completed the story, yanked out the final
sheet, celled for a copy boy, rose and saun
tered over to the managing editor’s door, be
fore which he paused indecisively. The “ old
man ” had been after him lately regarding the
Hargreave story, and he doubted if his er
rand would prove successful.
However, he boldly opened the door and
walked in.
“ Humph 1 ’ said the " old man,” twisting
Hs cigar into the corner of his mouth. “ Got
that story? ”
Norton sat down. “ Yes, but I have not got
It for print yet. Mr. Blair, when you gave
me the Hargreave job you gave me carte
blanche.”
“ I did.” grimly. “ But, on the other hand,
I did not give you ten years to clear it up in.”
“ Have I ever fallen down on a good story?”
quietly.
“ M\ can't remember,” grudgingly.
" Well, if you’ll have patience I’ll not fall
down on this one. It's the greatest criminal
story I ever handled, but it's so big that it’s
going to take time.”
“ Gimme an outline.”
“ I have promised not to,” with a grimness
equal to the “ old man's.” “If a line of this
story trickles out it will mean that every other
paper will be moving around, and in the end
will discover enough to spoil my end of It.
I’ll tell you this much: The most colossal
band of thieves this country ever saw is at
one end of the stick. And when I say that
counterfeiting and politics and millions are
all involved, you’ll understand how big it is.
This gang has city protection. We are run
nlng them all into a corner; but we want that
corner so deep that none of them can wriggle
out of it.
" Uhm. Go on."
“ I want two months more."
The “ old man ’’ beat a tattoo with bis fat
pencil. “ Sixty days, then. And If the yarn
isn’t on my desk at midnight, you "
“ Hunt for another job. All right. I came
in to ask for three days’ leave.”
“ You’re your own-boss. Jim. for sixty days
more. Whadda y’ mean counterfeiting?"
“Those new tens and twenties. If I stum
ble on that right, why, I can turn It over
without conflicting with the other etory."
“ Well, go to It.”
“ I'm turning in my regular work, day in
and day out, and while doing it I’ve gone
through more hairbreadth escapes than you
erer heard of. They have been after me. I’ve
dodged falling safes; I’ve been shanghaied,
poisoned; but I haven't said a word.”
“ Good Lord ! Do you mean all that 7"
“ Every word, air."
“ I’U make it ninety days, Jim ; and If this
story comet In I'll see that you get a corking
bonus."
“ I'm not looking for bonuses. I’m pre
of my work. To get this story is all I wa
That’ll be enough. Thanks for the extens.
in time. Good-night.” 1
So Florence received a long night letter -
the morning.
And the doctor arrived at about the sat
time. And called promptly upon his patien
“ Fine! ” Le said. “ The sea air was jyis
the thing. A doctor always likes to find hit
advice turning out well.”
He glanced quizzically at Florence, who was
the picture of glowing health. Suddenly he
frowned anxiously.
“ You need not look at me,” she laughed.
“ I never felt better in all my life.”
‘‘Are you quite sure?” he asked gravely.
“Why, what in the world do you mean?”
He did not speak, but stepped forward and
took her by the wrist, holding his watch In
his other hand. He shook his head. He
looked very solemn, indeed.
“What is it?” demanded Snsan, with grow
ing terror.
“ Go to your own room immediately re
main there for the present,” he ordered. •!
must see Miss Hargreave alone.’
He opened the door and Susan passed out
bewilderedly. He returned to Florence, who
was even more bewildered than her companion.
The doctor began to ask her questions; how
she slept, if she was thirsty, felt pains In her
back. She answered all these questions vague
ly. Not the slightest suspicion entered her
head that she was being hoodwinked. Why
should she entertain any suspicion? This
doctor, who seemed kindly and benevolent,
who had prescribed for Susan and benefited
her, why should she doubt him?”
“ In heaven's name, tell me what la the
matter?" she pleaded.
“ Stay here for a little while and I’ll be
back. Under no circumstances leave your
room till I return.”
He paced out into the hall, to meet the
frantic Susan.
“ We must see the manager at onoe,” he
replied to her queries. “ And we must be
extremely quiet about it. There must be no
excitement. You had better go to your room.
You must not go into Miss Hargreave’s. Tell
me, where have you been? Have you been
trying to do any charitable work among the
poorer classes? ”
" Only once,” admitted Susan, now On tilt
verge of tears.
“ Only once is sufficient. Come; we’ll go
and see the manager together.”
They arrived at the desk, and the manager
was summoned.
“ I take It,” began the doctor lowly, " that
a contagious disease, if it became kuown
among your guests, would create a good deal
of disturbance?”
“ Disturbance! Good heavens, man, it
would ruin my business for the whole sea
son ! ” exclaimed the astounded manager.
" I am sorry, but this young lady's com
panion has been stricken with smallpox ’’
The manager fell back against his desk, his
jaw fallen. Busan turned as white as the
marble top.
“ The only way to avoid trouble Is to have
her conveyed Immediately to some place where
■he can be treated properly. Not a word to
any one now; absolute secrecy or a panic.”
The manager was glad enough to agree.
“ She is not dangerous at present, but it is
only a matter of a few hours when the disease
Will become virulent. If yon will place a
porter before Miss Hargreave’s door till w
make arrangements to taks her away, that
will simplify matters."
Smallpox! Susan wandered aimlessly
■bout, half out of her mind with terror.
There wee no help egainst such a dread dis
ease. Her Florence, her pretty rosy cheeked
Florence, disfigured for life . • ,1
“ Miss Susan, where is Florence? ”
Susan stopped* abruptly and looked Into
the friendly eyes of Norton.
“ O, Mr. Norton 1” she gasped.
“ What’s the trouble? ” instantly alert
“ Florence has the smallpox! ”
“Impossible! Come with me.”
But the porter, having had the strictest
orders from the manager, refused to let then \
into Florence's room. J
Never mind, Susan. Come along.” Out
of earshot of the porter be said: *My room
Is directly shove Florence’s. We’ll see whet
can be done. This smells of The Black Hun
dred a mile off. Smallpox 1 Only yesterday
ale wrote me that she never felt better.
Have yon wired Jon*e?”
“ I never thought to! "
Then I (hall. Our old friends an at
work again.”
“ But It’s the same doctor who sent me
down here.”
Norton frowned.
What followed all appeared la the re
porter’* story, as written three months later.
He and Susan went up to hla room, raised the
flooring, cot through the celling, and with ths
fire escape rope dropped below. One glance
•t Florence's tear-stained face waa enough
for him. Norton'* subsequent battle with the
doctor and bis accomplice* made very inter
esting reading. Their escape from the hotel,
their flight, their encoonter with one of the
(ang In the road, and Florence's blunder Into
the bed of quicksand, gave a succession ol
thrills to the readers of ths Blade.
And all this while the milllor .OTmnlafd l
dust, layer by layer. Perhsp- JB
hardy roach scrambled over tnw packets, ne.
doubt attracted by the peculiar odor of ths J-
Ink.
[TO BS CONTINUED ]