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MILLION BDUAI? MYSTII?Y^IkddMacQkK
SIO,OOO FOR ONE HUNDRED WORDS.
“ The Million Dollar Mystery ” itory
will run lor twenty-two consecutive weeks
in Ihii paper. Hy an arrangement with
the Thanhovtrr Film company it hat bren
made possible not only to read the itory
tn thin paper but alto to tee It each week
in the variant moving picture theaiert.
For the tolution of thit myttery etory
SIO.OOO trill be given by the 'J’hanhouter
Film corporation.
CONDITIONS GOVERNING THE
CONTEST.
The prire of SIO,OOO will be won by iha
man, woman, or chiid who writei the mott
acceptable tolution nl the myttery, from
which the latt two reelt of motion picture
drama will be made and the latt two
chaptert of the itory written by Harold
Mactirath.
Soluiiont may be tent to the Than
houtitr Film corporation at 5 South Wa
bath avenur, Cnirago, 111., or Thanhouter
Film corporation, 71 Weit Twenty-third
itreet, New York City N. Y„ any time up
to midnight. Jan. Vt, 1915. Thit allow *
eeveral weeks after the latt chapter hat
bren published.
A board of there juigrt will determini
which of the many tolutiont received it the
mott acceptable. The judget are to be
Harold MacOrath, Lloyd lonsrgan, and
Mitt Mae Tinee. The judgment of thit
Nargrrave, millionaire, after m
ml ram I oil* r»«*ap« from Ike dm of tko
gang of brilliant thieve* known nn the
Blnck Hundred, Uvea the life of n re
rliiar for eighteen jrmrm. Ilargrenve nc
eldrntaily mrela Bralne, leader of Ike
Black Hundred. Knonlag Bralne will
try to set him, be earapea from kla own
home by n balloon. Before eneaplns he
writes a letter to the ftrle’ aehnol
where eighteen year a before he nya
terloualy left or the dooratep hla hahy
daughter, Florence (iray. That day Har.
greavr alao draw* $1,000,000 from the
bank, but It la reported that tbla dropped
Into the oea when the balloon he escaped
la waa punctured.
Florence arrive* from the glrla* aehool.
f'ounteaa Olga. Hralne'a companion, vtalta
her and claim* her mm a relative. Tho
Black Hundred thea aee a means of mak
ing Florence a target for their attaeks.
They are after the $1,000,000. and Bralne,
their leader, nets trap* for Floremee.
The Black Hundred, after a number of
attempts, fall, dne to the wisdom as
Jones, the llargreave butler, and Norton,
m newspaper man.
Concealed at the readeavaas of tho
■lack Hundred, a man learns of the re
(OWrlght: 1»1«: *>' MacOrmtli.l
CHAPTER XXII.
A NIQHT Or ADVBNTI'n»a.
THE federal government agreed to say
nothing, to put no obstacle* In tho
way of tho Ruaaian agent, provided
ho could abduct hi* trio without ae
fiously clashing with tho Now York police
lUthorlUoa. It wa» a recognized fact that
local police foroo wanted tho newspa
per glory which would attend th# croahlng
*f th* Black Hundred. It would bo an am
yloit. But their glory wa* nil; nor did Bar
ren take hi* trio hack with him to Ruaala
Many atrango thing* happened that night,
the night of the final adventure.
Florence aat in her room reading. Th*
look wa* "Oliver Twist,” not the pleaaant
tat aort of hook to read under th* existing
ilrcumatancea. Hoveral time*—ah* had
cached th* place where Fagln overheard
S’anry’a confession ah* fancied eh* heard
loor* cloning aoftly, but credited It to hat
pagination. Poor Nancy, who wanted to ba
ood but did not find time to bo! Florence
>osteered a habit familiar to moat of na;
ho need of apple* or candy when w* are
ending. So the rang the bell for her maid,
Pending to aak her to bring np aom* sp
rite. She turned to her reading, pretently
® break off and ttrike the belt again. Whom
rat that maid? She waited perhaps firs
oinutea, then laid down the bo..k and be
tan to Investigate.
There wa* not a aervant to be found la
ho entire houao! What In tho world conld
hat mean? Va*d a* *h* was to heartrend
ng auapenaea, the waa none the let* torri
led. Something had taken th* aervwntn
Irom the house. From whence wa* th#
laitgcr to come thla time. Wher* wa*
one*? Why did he not return *■ ha had
iremisedT It waa long paat the hour whea
i* said he would he hack.
She went into the library and picked np
he telephone. She waa told that Mr. Nor
rn waa out on an assignment, hut that
te would be notified the moment he re
timed. She opened a drawer In the deak.
the touched th* automatic hut did not take
t up. Bh# left the drawer opan. however.
Earlier, at the newspaper office that night,
flm went into the managing editor's offlea
,nd laid a bulky manuacript on that gen
lonian's deak.
“1* this It?"
"It is." said Jiaa.
“You have captured them?"
“ No; but there I* a net about them from
ehlch not one ahall escape. There'* tho
tory of ray adventure*, of th* adventure*
t Mia* Hargroave and the butler, Jones
fou'll find it exciting reading. Ton might
Mat as well tend it up to th* composing
nem. At midnight I’U telephone th# Intvo
luctlon. It’* a acoop. Don’t worry about
bat”
The editor riffled the page*.
“A hundred and twelve pages, 900 word*
a the page; man, it*a a novel!"
" It’ll read like on#.''
“Bit down for a moment and let me akim
trough the flrat atory.”
At the end of tea minute* the editor laid
board wiU be abtoluie and final. Nothing
of a literary nature will be contidered in
the deration, nor given any preference in
the telection of the winner of the 910,005
priee. The latt two teelt, whioh will give
the mott acceptable tolution to the myt
tery, will be pretented in the theateri
having thit feature at toon at it it pot
lible to produce the tame. The itory corre
tponding to thete motion picturei will ap
pear in the new.tpapert coincidentally, or
at toon after the appearance of the pio
turn at practicable. With the latt two
teelt wilt be shown the picturei of the win
ner, hit or her home, and other interesting
features. It it understood that the news
papers, to far at practicable, in printing
the latt two chapter t of the itory by Har
old MacOrath, will alto thaw a picture of
the tuccettful contestant.
Solutions to the mystery mutt not be
more than 100 wordt long. Here are tome
gvettioni to be kept in mind in connection
with the myttery as an aid to a tolution:
No. I —TFAaf becomet of the millionaireT
No.t- WAat becomes of tA« t1,000,000t
No. 9—Whom does Florence marry f
No. -What becomes of the Russian
count cut
Nobody eonneetsd either directly or in
directly with “ The Million Dollar Mys
tery" will be considered as a contestant.
SYNOPSIS OF FRKVIOU9 CRAPTIUU.
orrery ot the hon from the mem hy •
■•liar and of Its aobar*urat return ta
the bottom as the a.a, aad be aulckly
roaaulrat.a (be fact to Jomem. A du
plicate bom la ,lanted aad later aecured
by the baad, but befere Its contents are
cmaaalned the bom asynterloualy dl.a,-
peara.
Madina himself checkmated at tnrj
turn, Bralne endeavor, ta eameak the
llargreave household la the law la ardar
to gala free aeceaa ta the hauae. 1%.
timely <ll.cover, of tho plot by Norton
acta the police at the herla of the pack
aad re.ulla la a raid oa tke gang's rea
dervovia, which, however, proven ta ba
barren as results.
The Blark Hundred begin to fear !tar
t.a and plan to dlapoaa as him. Afata
the unnoticed butler shewn hla hand bp
reaming .Norton and defeating Bralne.
Florence .ecure. a mysterious paper
which la of vital Importance te her
father'* aafetr* Bralne loses hope as
■ecuring tho gI.OOtgOOO aad turns to ra
veage.
Heart Servan la gtvea documentary
evidence against tho Black Haadred.
They try to get It from him hy a clever
ruse, hut again Janea heats them ta It.
down tbn copy. He opened a drawer and
look out two envelopes. The blue one he
lore up and dropped Into the waste basket.
Norton understood and amile-1. They had
meant to discharge him If he fell down. The
other envelope was a fat one.
“ Open it," said the editor, smiling a lit
tle himself.
Tills envelope contained a check for
$3,(100, two round trip drat class tickets ta
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I together with Innumerable con
tinental tickets such as are issued to tsar
ist#.
” Why two? ” asked Jim Innocently.
“ Forget It, my boy, forget It. You ought
to know that In this office we don't employ
blind men. The whole staff is on. There
yon are, a fat check and three months' va
cation. Go and get married; and if you
return before the three months are up I’ll
fire you myself on general principle*.”
Jim laughed happily and the two men
shook hands. Then Jim went forth to com
plete th# big assignment. Five minute*
later Florence called hiss up te learn that
he had gone.
What should the do? Joaet had told her
to stay ia the boute and not to leave it
But whore was he? Why did he not come?
What wa* the meaning of this desertion by
th# servant*? She wandered about sim-
lessly, looking out of windows, Imagining
forms in the shadows. Her imagination had
not deeelveJ her; she had heard doors clos,
softly.
“Susan, Susan!” she murmured; but
Susan was in the hospital.
Oliver Twiat! What had possessed her
to start reading that old tale again? She
should have read something of a light and
Joyous character. After half an hour's
wandering about the lonely house ahe re
turned to the library, feeling that she would
be safer where both telephone and revolver
were.
And while ahe sat waiting for she knew
not what, her swiftly beating heart send
ing the blood into her throat so that it al
most suffocated her, a man turned into the
street and walked resolutely toward the Har
greavo place. He passed a man leaning
against a lamp post, but he never turned to
look at him.
'’ap"' j
otiEu.£nJCaix or coutojnT olqa
This man, however, threw away his cigar
and hot looted It to the nearest pay station.
He knew in hi* sout that he had just aeen
the man for whom they had been hunting
all these weary bnt strenuous week* Stan
ley Hargreave in the flesh! Half an hour
after hi* terephon# message the chief of
the Black Hundred and many lesser lights
were on their way to the house of mystery.
Had they but known!
Now, the man who had created thia tre
tnendoua agitation went serenely on. He
proceeded directly and fearlessly to the front
door, produced a latch key and entered. Ho
passed through the hall and reception room
to the lihfary and paused on the threshold
dramatically. Florence atepped back with
a aharp cry of alarm. She had heard the
hall door open and close and had taken 't
for granted that Jones had returned.
There was s tableau of abort duration.
“Don’t yon know me?” asked the
stranger In a singularly pleasant voice.
Florence had been imposed upon too many
times. She shook her head defiantly, though
her knees shook so that she was certain
that the least touch would send her over.
"I am your father, child!”
Florence slipped unsteadily behind the
desk and seized the revolver which lay in
♦he drawer. The man by the curtain*
smiled sadly. It was a smile that caused
Florence to waver a bit. Still, ahe extended
her arm.
“You do not believe me?” said the man,
advancing slowly.
“ No. I have l»een deceived too irony
times, sir. Stay where you are. Yon will
wait here till my butler returns. 0, if I
were only sure!” she burst out suddenly
and passionately. “ What proof have you
that you are what you say?”
IQ ELQORe OT©
ile came toward her, holding out hi*
hands “This, tha tyou cannot shoot me.
Ah, the damnable wretches! What have
they done to yon, my child, to make you
auaplrioug of every one? How I have
watched over you in secret! I will tell you
what only Jone* and the reporter know,
that the aviator died, that I alone wat res
cued. that I gava Norton the five thousand,
that 1 watched the windows of the Rus
sian woman, and overheard nearly every
plot that was hatched in the council cham
ber of the Black Hundred; that I was shot
in the arm while croaeing the lawn one
night. And now we have the scoundrel!
Juat where we want them. They will be in
tlii* house for tue within half an hour, and
not one of them will leave it In freedom.
1 am your father, Florence; 1 am the lonely
father who ha* spent the heat years of his
life away from you in order to secure your
safety. Can’t you feel the troth of all
this?’
“ No, no! Please do not approach any
nearer; stay where you are!”
At that moment the telephone rang. With
the revolver still leveled she picked up the
receiver.
“Hello, hello! Who Is It? . . . O,
Jim, Jim, come at once! I am holding at
bay a man who says he is my father. Hold
him where he Is, you say? All right, I
will. Come quick!”
“Jim!" murmured the man, still advan
cing. He must have that revolver. The
poor child might spoil the whole affair. “So
what Jones tells me is true: that you are
going to marry this reporter chap?"
She did not answer.
“With or without my consent?”
If only he would drop that fearless smile!
she thought. “ With or without anybody’s
consent,” ahe said.
“ What In the world can I eay to you to
convince you? ”he cried. “ The trap is set;
but If Braine and his men come and find
us like this, good heaven, child, we are both
lost! Come, come!”
“Stay where you as#!’’
At that moment she heard a sound at the
door. Her gaze roved; and it was enough
for the man. He reached out and caught
her arm. She tried to tear herself loose.
“My child, In God’s name, listen to rea
son! They sre entering the hall and they
will have us both.”
Suddenly Florence knew. She could not
have told you why; but there was an ap
peal in the man’s voice that went to her
heart
“ You are my father! ”
“ Yes, yes! But you’ve found It out Just
n trifle too late, my dear. Quick; this side
of the desk!”
Braine and hla men dashed Into the
library. Olga entered leisurely.
“Both of them!” yelled Bmlne exult
antly. “ Both of them together; what luck! ”
There was a sharp, fierce struggle; and
when It came to an end Hargreav© was
trussed to a chair.
“Ah, so we meet again, Hargreave! ” said
Braine.
Hargreave ahrugged. What he wanted
was Time.
“ A million! We have you. Where Is It,
*r I’ll twlat your heart before your eyes.’’
“ Father, forgive me! ”
“ I understand, my child.”
“Where is It?” Braine seized Florence
tty the wrist and swung her toward him.
” Don’t tell him. father; don't mind me,”
said the girl bravely.
Braine, ensiling hi# old evil smile, drew
the girl close. It was the last time he
ever touched her.
"Look!" screamed Olga.
Every one turned, to see Jones’ face peer
ing between the curtains. There was an
ironic smile on the butler's lips. The face
vanished.
“After him!” cried Braine, releasing
Florence.
“After him!" mimicked a voice from the
hall.
The curtains were thrown back suddenly.
Jones appeared, and Jim and the Russian
agent and a dozen policemen. Tableau!
Braine was tha only man who kept his
head. He floored Norton, smashed a win
dow. and leaped out. The blow dazed Nor
ton, but be was on his feet almost instantly
„od followed Braine through the window.
Across the lawn the two sped, with an ex
change of shots which emptied both auto-
matics but did no damage. Bralne headed
for his auto. He jumped in, only to be
hauled out again by the furious reporter. A
hand to hand fight followed; and the clean
life of the reporter told.
“There, my angelic friend, T believe that
the game Is up. There Is one shot left in
this antomatic. If you make any attempt
to escape, I’ll let you have it; not to kill
but to disable. You and your precious
countess will sail tomorrow morning for the
Baltic, and from there you will go to the lead
mines.” He dragged his prisoner toward
the house.
"Your troubles are over, my child,” said
Hargreave, as he pressed Florence to big
heart
“And mine have begun,” murmured
countess. “ But I have still one shot.”
The police stood encircling lier. Calmlv
she opened her handbag and took out her
handkerchief. It was a thick and heavy
■ilk one. Swiftly she unscrewed the top of
her walking stick (it will be seen now that
the carrying of it was not an affectation!),
extracted a vial and th-~— it violently ta
the floor. An overpowering sweet odor filled
the room. Jones, knowing how deeply
versed Brnine was in oriental poisons and
narcotics, made a desperate but futile effort
to tear down a curtain to throw over the
liquid; but even in the effort he felt hla
senses going. The last he was conscious of
yvas a mocking laugh.
But the entrance of Jim, dragging Bralne
after him, shocked all the banter out of the
countess. She turned and rushed madly
for the stairs, without having the least Idea
how she was to manage an escape from the
upper stories. She had thought Bralne free.
As she flew up the steps all the past re
turned, all her warnings to that stubborn
man. This was the end . . . Russia I
The horrors of the cold and the deadly
damps of the mines . . . forever!
Jim, still holding the battered conspira
tor, watched her flight in amazement. He
could not understand —till he pushed Braiue
into the library and the vanishing odor as
sailed his nostrils. What these fumes were
he was never to know, but they proved to
be transitory. Five minutes sufficed to bring
all back to their senses. For the while they
forgot Olga.
“ This man is mine,” said Servan, nodding
toward Bralne,
“He’s yours without charge,” said Jim.
“ I am an American citizen,” said Bralne,
who, realizing what the future held, readily
preferred a long prison term in America to
the horrors of Russian exile.
“ Your certificate has been destroyed,” said
Servan, “ and the state department consid
ers your papers void because you obtained
them under false oaths. You are an unde
sirable citizen; and the republic is happy to
learn that you will be taken off its hands.”
" And because,” added Norton, “ yon have
laid too many mines in the blackmailing
business, and the government does not pro
pose to have them made known to the pub
lic through a. long and useless trial. It was
a long run, old top; but right is right. And
by the way, I want you to meet Mr. Jed
eon, formerly of Scotland Yard.
He indicated Jones, who started.
"Yes,” went on the reporter, “I recog
nized him long ago.”
“ It Is true,” said Hargreave, taking Jones’
hand in his own. “ Fifteen years ago I em.
ployed him to watch my affairs, and very
well has he done so. And to yon, yon
wretch,” turning upon the haggard Bralne,
"listen: there is a million, and you have
been within a foot of it a dozen times. It
has been under your very nose. Do yon
remember Poe’s ‘Purloined Letter’? Ha!
Under your very nose, within touch of your
hand! Now, take him away, Mr. Servan.
The police will be satisfied with the pris
oners they have.”
So, presently, Hargreave, Jones, Florence,
and Jim were alone. That smile which had
revealed to Florence her father’s identity
stole over his face again. He put his hand
on Jim’s shoulder and beckoned to Flor
ence.
“ Ar * really anxious to marry this
young man?”
Florence nodded.
Well, then, do so. And go to Europe
with him on your honeymoon; and as a
wedding present to you both, for every
dollar that he has I will add a hundred;
and when you get tired of travel you will
both come back here to live. The Black
Hundred has ceased to exist.”
“And now," said Jones, shaking his shoul
ders.
“Well?" said Hargreave.
“My business is done. Still " Jones
paused.
“Go on.” said Hargreave soberly.
" ell, the truth is, sir, I’ve grown used
to you. And If you’ll let me play the butler
till the end I shall be most happy.”
" I was going to suggest It.”
Norton took Florence by the hand and
drew her away.
“Where are you taking me?" she asked.
"I'm going to take this pretty hand ot
yours and put it flat upon $1,000,000. And
if yon don't believe it, follow me.”
She followed.
[TAi* is the last chapter of " The Million
Dollar Myttery” that will appear until after
the SIO.OOO prize hat been awarded, when tha
concluding chapter!, written by Mr. MacOrath
from the best solution offered, will be pub
lished.}