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•®MMION DOOM? MYSTM^Haddtfecdth $ 1 0 000 FOR ONE HUNDRED WORDS. “ The Million Dollar Mystery ” story will run for tuyeaty-two consecutive week* in this paper. By an arrangement with the Thanhouncr Film company it has been made possible not only to read the story in this paper but algo to tee it each w>erk in the various moving picture theaters. For tht solution of this mystery story SIO,OOO will be given by the Thanhouser Film corporation. CONDITION B GOVERNING THE COX TEST. 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 u ill be made and the last two chapters of the story written by Harold MacGrath. Solutions may be sent to the Than houser Film corporation at 5 South War bash avenue, Cnicago, 111., or Thanhouser Film corporation, 71 West Twenty-third Street, New York City X. Y. any time up to midnight, Jan. llf, 1916. This allows several weeks after the lust chapter has been published. A board of three fudges will determine which of the many solutions received is the most acceptable. The judges are to be Harold MacOrath, Lloyd t.onergan, ami Miss Mae Tince . The judgment of this Stanley Ilarurenve, millionaire, after • miraculous escape from the den of the of hrlllinut thieves known as the lllark Hundred, lives the life of a recluse for eliihteen years. Ilargrenve accidentally meets Hralae, leader of the Black Hundred. Ksoulng Ursine vtlll try to set him, he escapes from hl« own home by a balloon. Before earaplns he write* a letter to the sir!*’ school where rlshteen years before he mys teriously left on the doorstep his baby dun* liter, Florence Gray. That day llarsrenve also draws 91,000,000 from the hank, but It Is reported that this dropped Into the sea when the balloon he escaped In was punctured. Florence arrives from the atria* S<h"ol. Countess Olga, limine'* com panion, visits her and claims her as a relative. The Illack Hundred then see a means of making Florence a target for their attacks. They are after the •1,000,000, and llralne, their leader, nets traps for Florence. The Illack Hun dred, after a number of attempts, fall, doe to the wisdom of Jones, the Har greave butler, and Norton, a newspaper man. Concealed at the rendesvoua of the Illack Hundred, a man learns of the re covery of the box from the sea by a (Ooryr fhl . 18141 fly HaroM M*e<lr«tli4 CHAPTER XX. RRAINB TRIE* ANOTHER WB4RIH. . p-- i HAT I want now," Raid Brnlne, **\ A / rr he pwrod tliß living room of Y Y thn aptrtmßnt of tha countess, “Ir revenge. I’ve been check mated enough, Olga; they're playing with UR ” •* That 1« nothing now,” she replied. ahrug- King. “At tha beginning I warned you. I tvRVRr liked thia affair after tha flr»t two or three failiirrß. But you would have your way. You wanted revenge at that early date; bat 1 cannot are thnt you’ve gone for ward. Haa It ever occurred to you that tha organisation may be getting tired, too? Tney depend aolely upon yonr Invention, and each time your Invention baa reaultad In touching nothing but aero.” “Thank*!” “O, I’m not chiding you. I’ve failed, too." “Are you turning ngainat meJ" he de manded bitterly. "Do my actlona point that way I" aha countered. ” No. But the more I view what haa pa need the more d tehee rteued I grew. It haa hern a aeriea of blind alleya, and all wa have aucccedeJ In doing la knocking our heads. I can see now that all our failurea are due to one miatake." “And what the devil la that?” he aaked, Irritably. “We were In too much of a hurry at the beginning, tlargrenve prepared hiiueelf for Quick action on yonr part.’’ “ And If I had not acted quickly ha would have atarted auceeaefully on ona of hla world toura agaiu, and that would have been the feat of him, and we ehonld never have learned of the girl'a existence. So tnere’a , yonr argument.” “Perhapa you are right. But for all that we have not played the game with any de gree of flue»ae." “Bahl** Brain# lit a cigarette and amoked nervouely. •• I can't even get rid of that meddling reporter, lie haa been aa much to blame for our failurea a> either Jonea or Hargrcave. I admit that In hla caae I Judged hastily. 1 believed him to be Jußt an ordinary newspaper man, and he waa clever enough to lull my auaplclona. But I’m going to get him, Olga, even if 1 have to resort to ordinary gunman trloka. If there'* any final reckoning, by the Lord Harry, he ahan't gel a chance In the witneae atand." “ And 1 begin to think that that little chit of a girl haa been hoodwink ng me all along. By the way. did you find out what that let ter said?' ahe aaked after a pause. "Letter? What letter?" She sprang from her chair. "Do you mean to *ay thnt they have not told you •bout that?" Olga became greatly excited. “Explain." he an id. "Why, I waa at the garden day before yesterday, and a man approached and aaked If 1 waa Mias Hargreave. Becoming at once auspicious that something very important waa about to happen, I signified that I waa Miss Hargre&ve. The man slipped a paper Into my band and hurried off. I took a quick glance at it and wa* dumfounded to Sod it utterly blank of writing, At first 1 board wiH he absolute and final. Nothing of a literary nature will be considered in the derision, nor given any preference in the selection of the winner of the SIO,OOO prize. The last two teels, which will give the most acceptable solution to the mys tery, will be presented in the theaters haring 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 af*er the appearance of the pio iur*s as practicable. With the last two feels will be shoum 4 he 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 cld MacOrath, will also show a picture of the successful contestcnt. 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: Xo. I—What becomes of the millionaire? Xo.si What becomes of the $1,000,0001 No.S—Whom does Florence marry t No. h —What becomes of the Russian countess f Nobody eonnected either directly or in ched ly with “ The Million Dollar Mys tery ” will be considered as a contestant . SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. aitllor and of Its subsequent return ta the bottom of the nea, and he quickly communicates the fact to Jones. A du plicate box Is planted and later secured by the band, but before Its contents are examined the box mysteriously disap pears. Finding himself checkmated at every turn, llralne endeavors to enmesh the llnrgresve household In the law In order to gain free access to the houae. The timely discovery of the plot by Norton sets the police at the heels of the pack and results In a raid on tha gang's rrndnvous, which, howevar, proven to be bnrren of results. The Illack Hundred begin to fear Nor ton and plun to dispose of him. Again the unnoticed butler ahowa his hand by rescuing Norton and defeating Hralne* llralne and Countess Olga plan dar ing attempt to capture Florence and Norton at a masked ball given by Prin cess I'srlova. They defeat their own plun by overanxiety. Ily chance Florence discovers a cave used by the Illack Hundred. Betnjf sur prised by members of the hand, she con ceals herself and then learns of s mys terious paper which Is of vital Impor tance to her fathcr'a safety, and at great risk to herself aecurea the paper. thought some Joke had been played on me, then I chanced to remember the invisible Ink letters you always wrote me. Understanding that you were to visit the cave In the morn ing, I had one man at the garden take the note. And you never got. It!” “ Some on* ehall pay for this carelessness. I’ll call up Vroon and Jackson at once. Wait Just a moment” He wont to the telephone. A low mutter ing conversation took place. Olga could hear little or none of It. When Braine put the receiver back on the hook bis face was not pleasant to Rea. "That girl!” “ What now?" “It seems ehe had been out horseback riding that morning. She had seen one of the boys cross the field and suddenly disappear; and she was curious to learn what had be come of hUn. With hpr usual luck ehe stum bled on to the method of opening the door of the cave and went in. She must have been noalng about. She didn’t have much time, though, as the boys came up to await me. Evidently she crawled Into that old chest and In some Inexplicable manner purloined the letter from Jackson’s pocket. They left to rveonnoiter; and It was then that Jackson discovered his loss. When Florence heard them returning ehe jumped into the well. And lived through that tunnel! The devil U In It!" “ Or ont of It. since we consider him our friend." “And 1 had her In my hands, note and all!" “ But with all that water there win not he any writing left on the letter.” “ Invisible Ink it generally Indelible and Impervious to the action of water; at least the kind 1 nee Is. I’d give a thousand for a sight of that letter.” “ And It might be worth a million,” Olga suggested. '■ Not the lesat doubt of ft In my mind. Olga, old girl. It does look as If my star was growing dim. We'll never get our hands on that million. I feel It In my bone*. So let's settle down to a campaign of revenge, without any furbelow*. I want to twist Hargreave'* heart before the game winds up." "You wish really to Injure her?' “ I do not wiah to Injure her. Far from It," lie replied, smiling evilly. “You want her . . . dead?" whis pered Olga, paling. “ Exactly. I want her dead. And so If all my efforts here come to nothing, so shall nargresve’s. Ill* millions will become waste paper to him. That's revenge. The Per sian peach method." “ Poison? Yon shall not! Yon shall not kill her!” vehemently. "Tender hearted?” “ No. If I must In the end go to prison, so be It; but I refuse to die In the chair,” * Very w ell, then. We shan't kill her, but we'll make her wish she was dead. I was only trying to eoe how far you would go. Tue basket of peaches Is in the hall way. Every peach Is poisoned. No man in the country knows more about subtle poisons than I do. Hare 1 not written books on tha auhject?” Ironically. “ And they will trace It back to you in a Ktraitfht line,” *he warned. “ I will not have it! M ** I can go elsewhere,” he replied coldly. “You would leave mo/” “ The moment y<m cross my w ill,” em phatically. It became her turn to pace. Torn be tween her love of toe man and the danger which stared her in the face, she wa* for the time being distracted. All the time he watched her with malevolent curiosity, knowing that in toe end she would concur with his evil plans. “Very well,” she said finally. “But 11s ..' ’ OONES AND VlENei SERVAN,RUSSIAN MINISTER OF FOUC€,CONSPIRING TO TRAP &RAINC AND HIS AC-OOMPUCEQ. JL- ten: we shall be found out. Never doubt that. Your revenge will cost us both our lives. I feel it.” “ Bah! The law will have no hand in my end. I always carry a peTlet; and that ring of yours would suffice a regiment. She will not die. She will merely become a kind of parnlytic; the kind that can move a lit tle hut not enough; always wheeled about In a chair. I'll bring In the peaches; rosy and downy. One bite, after a given time, will do the trick. If they suspect and throw them out we have lost nothing huf‘ the peaches. A trusted messenger will carry them to the Hargreave house. And then we’ll sit down and wait." Meantime, In the Hhrary of the Hargreave house, Florence and Jim sere puz/.ling over ——i iIWWi ~ illßiitli JV J READS THe BCANIc'sHEeT^QF PAPER. the blank sheet of paper. " I’ll wager,” said Jim, “ the water washed all the writing away. The fir# does not seem to do any goon. We'll turn it over to Jones. Jones'll find a way to solve It. Trust him." “What are you two chattering about?" asked Susan, wbo was arranging some flow ers on the table. “ Secrets.” said Jim, emlllng. “ Humph 1" Susau puttered about for a few minutes longer, then crossed to the reception room. Intending to go upstair*. At that moment the maid was admitting a messenger with a basket ot fruit. " For Mis* Hargreave,” said he. He gave the basket to to* maid, touched his cap awkwardly, and swung on hi* heel, closing the door behind him. lie was in a hurry to deliver another message. ’’ O, what lovely fruit!" cried Susau. paue ing. “ I'm going to steal one.' she langhed. She selected a peach and began eating it on toe way up to her room. The maid passed on into the library. “What's this?” inquired Florence, as the maid held out the basket. She selected a pencil and was about to set her white teeth into it when Jim interposed. “ Wait a moment, dear.” Florence low ered the peach. Jim turned to the maid. “Who sent it?” “ I don’t know, sir. A messenger brought it, saying it was for Miss Hargreave." “ Let me see if there is a card.” But Jim searched in vain for the card of the donor. At once all his suspicions arose. “ Don’t touch them. Better let the maid throw them out. Fruit from unknown persons might not be the healthiest thing in the world.” “What do you think?” “ That in all probability it is poisoned. But there's no need trying to prove my theory right or wrong. Ask Jones. He'll tell you to throw them away.” “ Horrible! ” Florence shuddered. “ But they do not want to poison me. I’m too val uable. They want me alive.” “ Who can say?” returned Jim gloomily. “ They may have learned that they cannot heat us, no matter what card they turn up. I may be wrong, but take my advice and throw them away. . . . Good Lord, what’s that?” startled. “ Some one cried!” “ O, Miss Florence!” exclaimed the maid, terror stricken aa she recalled Susan's act. "Miss Susan took a peach from the baa ket and was eating it on the way to her room I ” “ Good 'nearens! " gasped Jim. “ I vis right The fruit was poisoned.” Jim had bead enough to send for a special ist he knew. The specialist arrived about twenty minutes after Susan'* first cry. To bis keen eya It looked like a certain poison which had for its basis the venom of the cobra. "Will she live?" ”O, yes. But she'll lie a wreck for some months. Send her to the hospital where I can visit her frequently. And I'll take that peach along for analysia. No police affair? " “ No. We dare not call them in." said Jim. “That's yotir affair. I'll send down the ambulance. Keep her quiet Soell have a species of paralysis; ?ut that'll work off under the treatment. A strange business” “So It is," agreed Jim grimly. Florence knelt beside her friend's bed and cried softly. “ You called me just In time. An hour later, nothing would have saved her. She would hare been paralyzed for life.” Jim accompanied the doctor to the door and went In search of Jones. He found the taciturn butler eying the fruit basket, his face gray aDd drawn, though his eyes blazed with fury. “ Poison!” “A pretty bad poison, too," said Jim. “We can’t do anything. We’re just got to sit still. Bnt in the end we’ll get them. That ■he devil . . . “ No, my friend; that he devil. The woman 1* mad over him and would commit any crime at his bidding. But this is his work. We want him. He wasn’t without courage to send this fruit, knowing that I would instantly suspect the sender. Yet, I have no definite proof. I could not hold him in court In law. He will have bought the fruit piece by piece, the»basket in a basket shop. He will have injected the poison himself when alone. Poor Susan! That messenger was without doubt some one over whom he holds the threat of the death chair. That’s the way he works.” Jim tramped the room while Jones car ried the fruit to the kitchen. The butler returned after a while. “What about that blank sheet of paper?” “It has to be dipped into a solution; after that you can read it by heating. I have already dipped it into the solution. The moment the heat leaves the sheet the writ ing disappears again. The ink is waterproof. I’ll show you.” Jones got a candle from the mantle, lit it, and held the sheet of pnpgr veYy close to the flame. Gradually, almost imperceptibly, letters began to form on the blank sheet. At length the message was complete. “ Dear Hargreave—The Russian minister of police is at the Blank hotel under the name of Henri Servan. He is investigating the work of the Black Hundred in this coun try and can free you from their vengeance if you supply the evidence needed.” “Now, what evidence can he want?” asked Jim. “ Such as will prove Braine an unde sirable citizen.” “And then.” “ Quietly pack him off to Russia, where he is badly wanted.” “Who sent this message?” “ One of our mysterious friend*. We have a few, as yon already know. But I’ll go and make this man Servan a visit. I have seen the real minister, and if this man is the same one, something of importance may turn np. I shall want you somewhere about. Here, I'll let you have this letter. Remember, heat brings it out and cold air makes It vanish. Now I’ll go up for a mo ment to see how that poor girl is getting along. We are lucky; there's no gainsaying that” “ You're a clever man, Jones,” said Jim. Jones turned upon him, his face grave. The two men looked steadily Into each other’s eyes. Jones was first to turn aside his glance, as he had something to conceal and Jim had nothing. When the ambulance took the tortured Susan away, Jones addressed Florence gravely. “ I am going out and so !e Mr. Norton. Do not leave the house; not even if yon have a telephone call from me or Norton. Both of us will return: so don't let anything bother or confuse you.” “ I promise,” said Florence, struggling with a sob. Jones went downstairs again, paused by a window as if cogitating, and suddenly threw It up and looked abroad. A rustle among the lilacs caused a smile to flit across his face. So they had sent some one to learn the effect of the poison? Or to fol low him should he leave the house? He retired to the kitchen and gave some explicit orders tb the chef, orders which did not In any way refer to cooking. Then Jones and the reporter left the house, each quite aware that they were being followed. Near the Blank hotel they separated in order to con fute the stalker. He might dodder and fol low the wrong man. But it was evident that this time he had been directed to fol low Jones; for he entered the hotel a min ute after Jones. Meantime a second spy, whom Jones had not seen, had observed the transfer of the Invisible writing and had Immediately in formed Braine, who was not far away. That his poisoned fruit had stricken down an out sider troubled him none at all. But that mysterious message he meant to have; It might be a life and death affair, it might be a clew to the treasure, or the where about* of Hargreave. Thus, while only one man followed Jones, several kept a far eye on Jim. Jones scribbled his name on a blank card and had It taken to the Rutsian’s room. The page eyed that card curiously. It was different from anything he had ever seen before. In one corner were written three oi four words which resembled a cross be tween Hebrew and Greek. “Humph!” muttered the boy. “ Whadda y* know about that? Chicken scratches; but I guest the bell rings Roosian. On your way, Hortense," he cried to the hall maid, who wanted a look at foe card. When the boy returned to Jones, he said: “Up t’ tit’ room, sir. He’ll see yuh!” The boy kept the silver salver extended expectantly, but Jones went past without apparently noticing the hint. The Russian was standing by a window when Jones knocked and was bidden to enter, t “ You are not Hargreave.” < “ Neither are yon the Russian minister* of police,” urbanely. “ Who are you?” “ I am Hargreave's confidential man, sir.” The two men eyed each other cautiously. "You speak Russian?” “ No. I am able to scribble a few words; that is all.” The Russian lit a cigarette and smoked leisurely. He was in no hurry. “ No, I am not the minister; but I am his accredited agent. I am empowered to bring back to Russia a man who Is known here by the name of Braine, another by fne name of Vroon, and a woman who calls herself a countess and unfortunately is one. All I desire is some damaging proof against them that they are outlaws in this country. The rest will be simple.” “ They have all three taken out natural ization papers.” The Russian waved his hand airfly. “ Once they are in Russia those documents will never come to light This man Braine, it has been learned, has long been in the pay of Prussia, and has given the general staff of that country many plans of our frontier fortifications. I do not know what any one of the three looks like. That is why I sought Hargreave.” “ I will gladly point them out to you,” said Jones, rubbing his hands together, a sign that he was greatly pleased. “That will be very good of you, I'm \ sure,” In a rumbling but perfectly legible English. > “ And suddenly they all three will di» appear? ” “Suddenly; and you may believe me that from that time on they’ll be heard of never more.” “All this sounds extremely agreeable to me. Mr. Hargreave will be happy to hear that his long enforced hiding will soon come to an end.” “ All you have to do, sir, is to point them out to me.” “ It may take a week or ten days.” “ My government has waited for ten years to gather in this delectable trio. A month, If you like." “ The sooner the better. I shall call this evening after dinner. We shall begin with Mr. Braine; and generally where he is is the woman. Vroon will be the most diffi cult.” “ After dinner, then, since you know some of his haunts. There is a reward.” Jones laughed shortly. * Keep it yourself, sir. Mr. Hargreave would willingly double whatever this reward is to eliminate these despicable creatures from his affairs.”^ “ Tnanks.” While this conversation was taking place Norton idled about; and feeling the cravings for a cigarette, prepared to roll one, only to find that he hadn’t the “ makings.” So fate urged him to step into the nearest to bacconist’s. He asked for his favorite brand and passed over the silver. Braine and his companions saw Norton enter the shop. It agreed with their plans perfectly. The tobacconist happened to be affiliated with the order. So they hurried into the shop. Jim Instantly realized that he was In a trap. “How can I get out of here?" he whis pered to the tobacconist. The latter smiled. “I have to obey these gentlemen. I don’t know what they want you for: but if I made a move to help you I should find my own throat cut without saving yours.” “ Tne devil!” Jim made a dash for the rear door, to find it locked. Even as he fumbled with the key, Braine and his companions flung themselves upon the reporter and overpow ered him. "Ah, my friend Braine!” he Raid. “My friend Norton!” jeered the victor. “And what do you want; some peaches?” “ A paper, my friend, a little sheet of paper with Invisible writing on it. We prom ise to give you something in exchange for it.” “What?” asked Jim with as much non chalance as he could assume. “ Life.” “ Search.” said Jim. “ You won’t object to my smoking?” He began to roll a cigarette while they passed over him. He struck a match; the pleasant aroma of tobacco floated about his head. “ He’s got it on him somewhere. I saw him take it. He's got his nerve with him.” Tne cigarette glowed. Jim smoked hur riedly. Through every pocket they went The contents of his wallet lay scattered at his feet; his watch dangled from the chain. The cigarette grew shorter and shorter. Sud denly one of the men stretched out a hand and whisked the cigarette from Jim’s lips. He threw it to the floor and stamped ont ths coal. “I thought so!” he exclaimed, holding on* the acrap of burnt paper towards Braine. The words “ Dear Hargreave ” were all that remained of the message. With a anaii of rage Braine whipped out his revolver. “ I will give you one minute to tell ms what that paper contained.” "And after that minute is up?” “ A bullet in your stomach.” Quick as a flash Jim's hand shot caught the loosely held revolver, gar# It wrench, and brought It down savagely up ■# Braine's bead. Then he reversed it and backed toward the front entrance. *' An revoir, till we meet again, remit men!" lto BE COXTIKrxD.]