DOLIAR MYSTE SIO,OOO FOR 100 WORDS. " The Million Dollar Mystery" story will run for twenty-two consecutive weeks in 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 if each week i»» the parious moving picture theaters. For the solution of this mystery story Islo,ooo will be given. CONDITIONS GOVERNING THE CONTEST. The prise of SIO,OOO will be won by the man, woman, or child who icrites the most acceptable solution of the mystery, from \ which the last two reels of motion picture j-drama will be made and the last two yohapters of the story written by Harold HocGrath. Solutions may be sent to the Than houser Film corporation, either at Chicago or New York, any time up to midnight. Dep. H. They must bear postoffice mark not later than that date. This allows four weeks after the first appearance of the last fibn rtleases and three weeks after the last > chapter is published in this-paper in which }to submit solutions. A board of three fudges wtll determine which of the many solutions received is the most acceptable. The Judgment of this board will be absolute and final, Nothing [ of a literary nature will be considered in ff/fe decision, nor giitn any preference in selection of the winner of the SIO,OOO ppize. The last two reels, which will give fhe most acceptable solution to the mys tery, UHII be presented in the theaters hav \ im 7 this feature as soon as it is prac .tfcol *0 produce same. The story corre tpondiny to these motion pictures will ap pear in the newspapers coincidentaOy, or as soon ajter the appearance of the pic tures as practical. 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 newtl - papers, so far as practical, in printing the f, last two chapters of the story by Harold MacGrath, will also show a pioturo of the successful contestant. Solutions to the mystery must not be more than 100 words lonj;. Here are gome questions to be kept in mind 4« \ connection with the mystery as an aid jto a solution : No. I —What becomes of the millionaire? No. £—What becomes of the $1,000,000? No. B—Whom does Florence marry f No. 4 —What becomes of the Russian countess f Nobody connected either directly or in directly with " The Million Dollar ifys tory" will be considered as a contestant. SYNOPSIS OF CHAPTKHS ONE AND TWO. Stanley Hargreave, millionaire, after a miraculous escape from the den art the gang of brilliant thieve* known n* the Black Hundred, liven the life of a recluse for eighteen years. Hargreave one night enters a Broadway restaurant and there comes face to face with the gang's leader, Bralne. After the meeting, during which neither man apparently recognlsea the other, Hargreave hurries to his magnifi cent Hlverdale home and lays plans for making his escape from the country. He writes a letter to the girls' school In New Jersey where eighteen years before be had mysteriously left on the doorstep bis baby daughter, Florence Gray. Ha also pays a visit to the hangar of a daredevil aviator. Bralne and members of his band sur round Hargreave's home at nlKht, but as they enter the house the watchers out alde see a balloon leave the roof. The aafe Is found empty—the million which Hargreave was known to have drawn that day gone. Then some one an nounced the balloon had been punctured and dropped to the bottom of the aea. Florence arrives from the girls' school. IPrlncess Olga, Bralne's companion, vis its and claims to be a relative. Two bogns detectives call, but their plot la (ailed by Norton, a newspaper man. I Copyright: 1014: By Harold MacGratti.] BBS BATE IN THE LONELT WAREHOUSE. T HE princess did not remain long after the departure. of the police with the bogus detectives. It had been a very difficult corner to wriggle out of, all became Braine had added to his plans after •ha had left the apartment. But for the ad vent of the meddling reporter the coup would have succeeded, herself apparently perfectly ioaooent of complicity. That must be the keynote of all her plans: to appear quite imooent and leave no trail behind her. She bad gained the confidence of Florence and her companion. And she was rather certain that f&e had impressed this lazy-eyed reporter and the stolid butler. She had told nothing but the truth regarding her relationship. They xronld find that out. She was Katrina Push kin's cousin. But blood with her counted as naught. She had room in her heart but for two things, Braine and money to spend on her caprices. " How long has your highness known Mr. Braine?" asked the reporter idly, as he smoothed away all signs of hiß recent con flict "O, the better part of a year. Mr. Har greave did not recognize me the other night. That was quite excusable, for when ho last saw me I was not more than 12. My child," she said to Florence, " build no hopes regard ing your mother. She is doubtless dead. Upon Bome trivial matter—l do not know what it was —she was confined to the fortress. That was seventeen years ago. When you enter the fortress at St. Petersburg, you cease to be." " That is true enough." " I did not recall myself to your father. I did not care at that moment to shock him with the rerfiembrance of the paßt. Is not Mr. Braine a remarkable man?" All this in her charming broken English. "He is, indeed," affirmed Norton. " He's a superb linguist, knows everybody and has traveled everywhere. No matter what sub ject you bring up he seems well informed." " Come often," urged * .orence. " I shall, my child. And any time you THE TELEGRAPH, HARRISBURG, PA„ JULY 1914. need m?, call for me. After'all, I am nearly your aunt. You will find life in the city far different from that which you have been ac customed to." She limped down to her limousine. In trip ping up Norton he had stepped upon her foot heavily. " She is lovely! " cried Florence. " Well, I must bo on my way, also," said Norton. " I am a worldly wise man. Miss Florence. As Jones here. Never go any place without letting him know; not even to the corner drug store. I am going to find your father. Some one was rescued. I'm going to find out whether it was .the aviator or Mr. Hargreave." Jones drew in a deep breath and his eyes closed for a moment. At the door he spoke to the reporter. "What do you think of that woman?" %<• *H r - • "" "I believe that she has told the truth. She is charming." " She is. But for all her charm and truth I cannot help distrusting her. I have an idea. I shall call up your office at the end of each day. If a day comes without a call, you will know that something is wrong." " A very good idea." Norton shook hands with every one and departed. " What a brave, pleasant young man!" murmured Susan. "I like him, too; and I'd like him for a friend," said the guileless girl. "It is very good to have a friend like Mr. Norton," added Jones; and passed out into the kitchen. All the help had been discharged and upon his shoulders lay the burden of the cooking till such time when he could rein state the cook. There was a stormy scene between Braine and the princess that night. "Are yon in your dotage? " she asked vehemently. " There, there; bring your voice down a bit. Where's the girt? " "In her home. Where did you suppose she would be, after that botohwork of letting me go to do one thing while you had in mind another? And an ordinary pair of cutthroats, at that!" 44 The thought came to me after you left. I knew you'd recognize the men and under stand. I see no reason why it didn't work." " It would have been oil right if you had consulted a clairvoyant." "What the deuce do you mean by that?" Braine demanded roughly, " I mean that then you would have learned your friend the reporter was to arrive upon the scene at its most vital moment." "What, Norton?" " Yes. The trouble is with you, you have been so successful all these years that you ha?ve grown overconfident. I tell you that there is a desperately shrewd man somewhere back of all this. Mark me, I do not believe Hargreave is dead. He is in hiding. It may be neflr by. He may have dropped from the balloon before it Ifft land. The man they picked up may be Orts, the aeronaut. The five thousand might have been his fee for rescuing Hargreave. Here is the greatest thing we've ever been up against; and you start in with every day methods! " " Little woman, don't let your tongue run away with you too far." " I'm not the least bit afraid of you, Leo. You need me, and it has never been more apparent than at this moment." " All right. I fell by the wayside this trip. Truthfully, I realized it five minutes after the men were gone. The only clever thing I did was to keep the mask on my face. They can't come back at me. Rut the thing looked so easy; aud it would have worked but for Norton's appearance. 44 You nil but compromised me. That butler worries me a little." Her expression lost its anger and grew thoughtful. " He's always about, somewhere. Do you think Hargreave took him into his confidence?" 44 Can't tell. He's been watched straight for forty hourß. He hasn't mailed a letter or telephoned to any place but the grocery. There have been no telegrams. Some one in that house knows where the money is, and it's ten to one that it will be the girl." 44 She looks enough like Katrina to be her ghost." Braine went over to the window and stared up at the stars. "You have made a good impression on the girl?" with his back still toward her. " I had her in my arms." " Olga, my bat is off to you," turning, now that his face was again in repose. " Your very frankness regarding your relationship will pull the wool over their eyes. Of course, they'll make inquiries and they'll find out that you haven't lied. It'- perfect. Not even that newspaper weazel will see anything wrong. Toward you they will eventually ease up and you can act without their even dream ing your part in the business. We must not be seen in public any more. This butler may know where I stand eve i though he cannot prove it. Now, I'm going to tell you some thing. Perhaps you've long since guessed it Katrina was mine till Hargreave—never mind what his name was then—till Hargreave came into the fold. So sure of her was I that I used lier as a lure to bring him to us. She fell in love with him, but too late to warn him. I had the satisfaction of seeing him cast her aside, curse her, and leave her. In one thing she fooled us all. I never knew of the child till you tol£ me." He paused to light a cigaret. " Hargreave was madly in love with her. He cursed her, but he mme back to the house to forgive her, to find that she had been seized by the secret police and entombed in the fortress. I had my revenge. It was I who sent in the information, bogus. But in Russia they never question; they act and forget. So he had a daughter! " He began paring the floor, his hands be hind his back; and the woman watched him, oscillating between love and fear. He came to a halt abruptly and looked down at her. " Don't worry. You have no rival. I'll leave the daughter to your tpnder mercies. " The butler," she said, " has full powers of attorney to act for Hargreave while ab sent, up to the day the giirl becomes of legal age." " I'll keep an eye on our friend Jones. From now on, day and night, there will be a cat st the knothole, and "ware mouse! Could you make up anything like this girl?" sud denly. " A fair likeness." "Do it. Go to that ship which picked up the man at sea and quiz the captain. Either the aviator or Hargreave is alJ»e. It is im portant to learn which at once. Be very care ful ; play the game as only you know how to play it. And if Hargreave is alive, we win. Tomorrow morning, early. Tears of anguish, and all that. Sailors are easy when a woman weeps. No color, rememoer; just the yellow wig and the salient features. Now, by-by! " " Aren't you going to kiss me, Leo? " He caught her hands. " There is a species of Delilah about you, Olga. A kiss tonight from your lips would snip my locks; and I need a clear hrad. Whether we fail <*• win, when this game is played you shall be my wife." He kissed the hands and strode out into the hall. The woman gazed down at her small white hands and smiled tenderly. (The tigress has her tender moments!) He meant it! She went into her dressing room and for an hour or more worked over her face «nJ hair, till she was certain that if the captain 01 the ship described her to any one else he could not fail to give a fair description of Florence Hargreave. But Norton reached the captain first. Other reporters had besjeged him, but they had suc ceeded in gathering the vaguest kind of in formation. They had no description of Har greave, while Norton had. Before going down to the boat, however, he had delved into the past of the Princess Olga Perigoff. It cost him a pocketful of money, but the end justified the means. The princess had no past worth mentioning. By piecing this and that together he beCame assured that she had told the sim ple truth regarding the relationship to Flor ence's mother. A cablegratr had given him all the facts in her history; there were no gaps or discrepancies. It read clear and frank. Trust a Russian secret agent to know what he was talking about. So Norton's suspicion*—and he lmd enter tained some—were completely lulled to sleep, he wouldn't have doubted her at all' ex- cept for the fact that Braine had been with her when he had introduced Hargreave. Har greave had feared Braine; that much the reporter had elicited from the butler. But there wasn't the slightest evidence. Braine had been in New York for nearly six years. The princess bad arrived in the city but a year gone. And Braine was a member of several fashionable clubs, never touched cards, and seldom drank. He was an expert chess player and a wonderful amateur billiardist. Perhaps Jones, the taciturn and inscrutable, had not told him all he knew regarding his master's past. Well, well; he had in his time untangled worse snarls. The office had turned him loose, a free lance, to handle the case as he mw fit, to turn in the story when it was complete. But what a story it was going to be when he cleared it up! The more mystifying it was, the greater the zest and sport for him. Norton was like a gambler who played for big stakes, and only big stakes stirred his cravings. The captain of the tramp steamer Orient told him the same tale he had told the other reporters: he had picked up a man at sea. The man had been brought aboard totally exhausted. "Was there another body anywhere?" " No." "What became of him?" " I sent a wireless and that seemed to bother him. It looked to me that he did not want anybody to learn that he had been rescued. The moment the boat touched the pier lie lost himself in the crowd. Fifty reporters came aboard, but he was gone. And I could only tell them just what I'm telling you." " He had money? " " About five thousand." " Please describe him." The captain did so. It was the same de scription he had given to all the reporters. Norton looked over the rail at the big ware house. "Was it an ordinary balloon?" "There you've got me. My Marconi man mys the balloon part was like any other bal loon ; but the passenger car a new busi ness to him. It could be driven against the wind." " Driven against the wind. Did you tell this to tne other chaps?" " Don't think I did. Just remembered it. Probably gome new invention; and now it's at the bottom of the sea. Two men, as I understand it, went off in this contraption. One is gone for good." " For good," echoed the reporter gravely. Gone for good, indeed, poor devil! Norton took out a roll of bills. " There's two hundred in this roll." "Well?" said the captain, vastly aston ished. " It's yours if you will do me a small favor." " If it doesn't get me mixed up with the police. I'm only captain of a tramp; and some of the harbor police have tuken a dis like to me. What do you want me to do?" " The police will not bother yon. This man Hargreave had some enemies; they want either his life or his money; maybe both. It is a peculiar case, with Kussia in the back ground. He might have laid the whole busi ness befoTe the police, but he chose to fight it out himself. And to tell the truth, I don't believe the police would have done any good." " Heave her over; what do you want me to do tor that handsome roll ot money?" " If any man or woman who is not a re porter comes to pump you tell them the man went ashore with a packet under his arm." " Tie a knot in that." " Say that the man was gray haired, clean shaven, straight, with a scar high up on his forehead, generally covered up by his hair." " That's battered down, my hid. Go on." " Say that you saw him enter yonder ware house, and later depart without his packet." " Easy as dropping my mudhook." " That's all." Norton gave the captain the money. " Good-by and many thanks." " Don't mention it." Norton left the slip and proceeded to the office of the warehouse. He approached the manager's desk. " Hello, Grannis, old top! " The man looked up from his work surlily. Then his face brightened. /'Norton? What's brought you here? O, yes; that balloon business. Sit down." " What kind of a man is the captain of that old hooker in the slip?" " Shifty in gun running, but otherwise as square as a die. Looks funny to see an old tub like that fixed up with wireless; but that has saved his neck a dozen times when he was running it into a noose. Not going to interview me, are you ? " " No. I'm going to ask you to do me a little favor." " They always say ttmt. But spin her out. If it doesn't coat me my job, it's yours."- " Weil, there will be persons making in quiries about the mysterious aeronaut. All I want you to say is, that he left a packet with you, that you've put it in that safe till he cnlls to claim it." Grnnnis nibbled the end of his pen. " Sup posing some one should come and demand that I open the safe and deliver?" " All you've got to do is to tell them to show the receipt signed by you." The warehouse manager laughed. "Got a lot of sense in that ivory dome of yours. All right. But if anything happens you've got to come around and back me'up. What's it about? " " That I dare not tell you. This much, I'm laying a trap and I want some one I don't know to fall into it." "On your way, James. But if you don't send me some prize fight tickets next week for this, I'll never *do you another favor." In reply Norton took from his pocket two bits of pastebonrd and laid them on the desk. " I knew you'd be wanting something like this." . " Ringside! " cried Grannie. " You report er are lucky devils! " "I'd go myself if there "was any earthly chance of a real scrap. Yon make me laugh, Gran. You're always going, always hoping the next one will be a real one. But it's all bunk. The pugs are the biggest fakirs on top the sod. They've got us newspaper mm done to a frazzle." " I guess you're right. Well, count on sie regarding that mysterious bundle In the safe." "At 8 o'clock this afternoon I wnnt you to call mo up. If no ono has called, why tlio game is up. But if some one does come ■round and mako inquiries, don't fall to let me know." " I'll be hero till 5. I'd better call you up then." Then Norton returned home and Idled about till afternoon. lie went over to lUverdale. Five times he walked up and down the front of the Ilargreave place, flunlly plucked up his courage and walked to the door. After all, ho was a lucky mortal. 110 had a good excuse to visit this house every day iu the week. And there was something tantalizing in the risk he took. Besides, he wanted to prove to himself whether it was Ml passing fancy or something deeper. That's the way with humans; we never see a sign " Fre*h Paint *' that we don t have to prov« it. TTP chatted with Florence for a while nnd found that, for all she might be guileless to the world, she was a good linguist, a fine musician, and talked with remarkable keen ness about books and arts. But unless he roused her, the sadness of her position al ways lay written in her face. It was not difficult for him to conjure up her dreams in coming to the city and the blow which, like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky, haJ shattered them ruthlessly. " You must come every day and tell me how you have progressed, she said. " I'll obey that order gladly, whenever I can possibly do it. My visits will always be short." " That is not necessary." " No," said Norton in his heart, " but it is wise." Always he found Jones waiting for him at the door, always in the shadow. "Well?" the butler whispered. " I have laid a neat trap. Whether this balloon was the one that left the top of this house I don't know. Hut if there were two men in it, one of them lies at the bottom of the sea." "And the man found?" The butler's voice was tense. "It was not Hargreave. I met Orts bnt once, and as he wore a beard then, the cap tain's description did not tally with my recol lection." " Thank God! But what ®R this trap? " " I propose to find out by it who is back of all this, who Ilargreave's real enemies are." Norton returned to his rooms, there to await the call from Grannis. He was sorry, but if Jones would not take him into his fullest confidence, he must hold himself to blame for any blunder he (Norton) made. Of course, he could readily understand Jones' angle of vision. He knew nothing of the general run of reporters; he had heard of them by rumor and distrusted them. He was not aware of the fact that the average reporter carries more secrets in his head than a prime min ister. It was, then, up to him to set about to allay this distrust and gain the man's com plete confidence. Meanwhile that same morning a pretty young woman boarded the Orient and asked to be led to the captain. Her eyes were red; she had evidently been weeping. When the captain, susceptible like all sailors, saw her his promises to Norton took wings. "This is Capt. Hagan?" she asked, balling the handkerchief she held in her hand. "Yes, miss. What can I do for you?" He put his bands embarrassedly into his pockets —and felt the crisp bills. But for that magic touch he would have forgotten his lines. He squared his shoulders. " I have every assurance that the man you picked up at sea is my father. I am Flor ence Hargreave. Tell me everything." The captain's very blundering deceived her. " And then he hustled down the gang-plank and headed for that warehouse. He had a package which he was as tender of as if it had been- dynamite." " Tlrank you! " impulsively. " A man has to do his duty, miss. A sailor's always glad to rescue a man at sea," awk wardly. When she finally went down the gang-plank the sigh the captain heaved was almost as loud as the exhaust from the donkey engines which were working out the, crates of lemons from the hold. " Maybe she is his daughter; but two hun dred is two hundred, and I'm a poor sailor man." Then Grannis came in for his What was a chap to do when a pretty girl appealed to him? "I am sorry, miss, but I can't give you that package. I gave the man a receipt and till it is presented to me the package must remain in yonder safe. You understand enough* about business to realize that. I di.l not solicit the job. It was thrust upon me'. I'd give a hundred dollars if the blame thing was out of my safe. You say It is your for tune. That hasn't been proved. It may be gunpowder, dynamite. I'm sorry, but you will have to find your father and bring the receipt." The young woman left the warehouse, dab bling her eyes with the sodden handkerchief. " I wonder," mused Grannis, as he watched her from the window, " I wonder what the 'deuce that chap Norton is up to. The girl, might have been the man's daughter. . . . Good Lord, what an ass I am! There wasn't any man!" And so he reached over for the telephone. Immediately upon receipt" of the message the reporter set his machinery in motion. Some time before dawn he would know win the arch-conspirator was. He questioned Grannis thoroughly, and Grannis' description tallied amazingly with that of Florence Har greave. But a call over the wire proved to him conclusively that Florence had not been out of the house that morning. On the morrow the newspapers had scare heads about an attempt to rob the Duffy warehouse. It appeared that the police had been tipped beforehand nnd were on the grounds in time to gnther in several notorious gunmen, who, under pressure of the third degree, vowed that they had been hired and paid by a man in a mask nnd had not the slightest idea what ho wanted them to raid. Nothing further could be gotten out of the gunmen. That they were lying the police had no doubt, but they were up against a stout wall and all they could do was to hold the men for the grand jury. Norton was i.n a fine temper. After all his careful plnnning, he hra<* gained nothing, absolutely nothing. But wnit; he hnd gained something: the bitter enmity of a cunuing and desperate man, who had been forced to remain hidden under the pier till almost dawn.
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