BDUAR MTSTM^S™ 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 Thanhot/ser 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 this mystery story SIO,OOO will be given. CONDITIONS GOVERNING THE CONTEST. The prize of SIO,OOO will be toon by the man, woman, or child who writes the most acceptable solution of the mystery, from which the labt two reels of motion picture drama will be made and the last two chapters of the story written by Harold MacGrath. Solutions may be sent to the Than houser Film corporation, either at Chicago or New York, any time up to midnight, Deo. llf. This allows four weeks after the first appearance of the last film releases and three weeks after the last chapter i« published in this paper in which to submit solutions. A board of three judges will 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 the decision, nor given any preference in the selection of the winner of the SIO,OOO prize. The last two reels, which will give the most acceptable solution to the mys tery, will be presented in the theaters having 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 after the appearance of the pic tures as practicable. TFitA the last two reels will, be shown the pictures of the win ner, his or her home, and other interesting features. It is understood that the news papers, so far as practicable, it printing the last two chapters of the story by Har old MacOrath, will also show a picture of the successful contestant. Solutions to the mystery must not be more than 100 words long. Here are some questions to be kept in mind in connection with the mystery as an aid to a solution: No. I—What1 —What becomes of the »•• illionairet No.2 —What becomes of the $1,000,0001 No. 3 —ir/iom does Florence marry t No. I —What becomes of the Russian countessf Nobody connected either directly or in directly with "The Million Dollar Mys tery " will be considered as a contestant. SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. Stanley Hnrgreave, millionaire, after a miraculous escape from the den of the K'"* of h'rllllant thlevea known as the Black Hundred, lives the life of a recluae for eighteen year*. Hargreave one night enter* a Hroailvray rentaurant and there come* face to face with the gang'i leader, Bralne. After the meeting, during which ■either man apparently recognizes ' the Other, Hargreave hurries to hla magnifi cent Rlverdale home and laya plana for making hla rucape from the country. He writes a letter to the girls' achool In New Jersey where eighteen years before he had mysteriously left on the doorstep his baby daughter, Florence Gray. He also pays a visit to the hangar of a daredevil aviator. O Bralne and members ot his band sur round Ilargreave's home at night, but as they enter the house the watchers out side see a balloon leave the roof. The ■afe Is found empty—the million which Hargreave waa known to have drawn that day was gone. Then some one an nounced the balloon had been punctured and dropped Into the sea. Florence arrives from the girls' school. Princess Olga. Bralne's companion, vis its her and claims to be a relative. Two bogus detectives call, bnt their plot is foiled by Norton, a newspaper man. By bribing the captain of the Orient Norton lays a trap for Bralne and his gang. Princess Olga also visits the Ori ent's captain and she easily falls Into ICie reporter's snare. The plan proves abor tive through Bralne's good luck, and only hirelings fall Into the hands of the police. After falling In their first attempt, the Black Hundred trap Florence. They ask her for money, but she escapes, again foiling them. CHArTEIR. V. THE PROBLEM OF THE SEALED IIOX. ONE!" * 1 Jones kept wying to himself that he must strive to be calm, to think, think. Despite all his warnings, the warnings of Norton, she had tricked them and run away. It was mad dening. He wanted to rave, tear his hair, break things. He tramped the hall. It would be ■wasting time to send for the police. They would only putter about fruitlessly. The Blark Hundred knerv how to arrange these abductions. How had they succeeded in doing it? No one had entered the house that day without his being pre&cnt. There had been no tele phone call he had not heard the gist of, nor any letters he had not first glanced oyer. How had they done it? Suddenly into his mind flashed the remembrance of the candle light under Florence's door the night before. In a dozen bounds he was in her room, searching drawers, paper boxes, baskets. He found nothing. Ho returned in despair to Susan, who, during all this turmoil, had sat as if frozen in her chair. • "Sp«ak!" he cried. "For God's Mike, say something, think something! Those devils are likely to torture her, hurt her!" He leaned against the wall, his head on his arm. When he turned again he was calm. He walked with bent head toward the door, opened it and stood upon the threshold for a space. Across the street a shadow stirred, but Jones did not see it. His gaze was at tracted by something which shone dimly white on the walk just beyond the steps. He ran to it. A crumpled letter, unad dressed. He carried it hack to the house, smoothed it out and read its contents. Flor ence in her haste had dropped the letter. WAS A MEETING OF THE CALLED TWE BLACK WUNDTLED~ 7 <► THE NEXT AFTER.NOON TUE PRINCESS CALUEO UPON FLORENCE He clutched at his hat, put It on and ran to Susan. " Here!" he cried, holding out an auto matic. "If any one comes in that you don't know, shoot! Don't ask questions, shoot!" "I'm afraid!" She breathed with difficulty. "Afraid?" he roared at her. He put the weapon in her hand. It slipped and thudded to the floor. He stooped for it and slammed it into her lap. " You love your life and honor. You'll know how to shoot when the time comes. Now, attend to me. If I'm not back here by 10 o'clock, turn this note over to the police. If you can't do that, then God help us all!" And with that he ran from the house. Susan eyed the revolver with growing terror. For what had the peace and quiet of Miss Farlow'sc assassination, rob bery, thieves, and kidnapers? She wanted to shriek, but her throat was as dry as paper. Gingerly she touched the pistol. The cold steel sent a thrill of fear over her. He hadn't told her how to shoot it! Two blocks down the street, up an nlley, was the garage wherein Hargreave had been wont to keep his car. Toward this Jones ran with the speed of a track athlete. There might be half a dozen taxicabs nbout, but he would not run the risk of engaging any one of them. The Black Hundred was cap able of anticipating his every movement. The shadow across the street stood unde cided. At length he concluded to give Jones ten minutes in which to return. If he did not return within that time, the watcher would go up to the drug store and telephone for instructions. <- But Jones did not come back. "Where's Howard?" he demanded. "Hello, Jones; what's up?" " Howard, get that car out at once." " Out she comes. Wait till I give her radia tor a bucket of water. Gee ! " whispered How ard, whom Hargrrave often used as his chauf feur, " get on to his nibs! First time I ever saw him awake. I wonder what's doing? You never know what's back of those mummy facej headwaiters. . . . All right, Jones!" The chauffeur jumped into the car and Jones took the seat beside him. " Where to ? " " Number 78 . . ." the rest of 5t trailed away, smothered in the violent thunder of the big six's engines. During the enr's flight several policemen hailed it without success. Down this street, up that, round this corner, fifty miles an hour; and all the while Jones shouted: " Faster, faster! " Within twelve minutes from the time it left the garage, the car stopped opposite to No. 78 Grove street, and Jones got out. " Wait here, Howard. If several men come rushing.out, or I don't appear within ten min utes, fire your gun a couple of times for the police. I don't want them if we can manage without. They'd only bungle." " All right, Mr. Jones," said the chauffeur. He had, in the past quarter of an hour, ac quired a deep and tasting respect for the butler chap. He was a regular fellow, for all his brass buttons. As Jones reached the curb, Florence came forth as if on invisible wings. Jones caught her by the arm. She flung him aside with a strength he had not dreamed existed in her slim body. , " Florence, I am Jones ! " She stopped, recognized him, and without a word ran across the street to the automobile and climbed into the tonneau. Jones followed immediately. " Home! " The car shot up the dimly lighted street, shone palely for « second under the corner lamp, and vanished. " Ah, child, child!" groaned the man at her side, all the tenseness &one from his body. He was Jones again. Still she did not speak but stared ahead with unseeing eyes. No further reproach fell from the butler's lips. It was enough that God had guided him to her at the appointed moment. He felt assured that never again would she be drawn into any trap. Foor child! What had thjy said to her, done to her? How, in God's lame, had she escaped from them who never THE TELEGRAPH, HARRISBURG, PA„ JULY 1914. Jet anybody escape? Presently she would be come normal, and then she would tell him. "I found the lying note. You dropped it." " Horrible, horrible!" she said almost in audibly. *' What did they do to you?" "He said he was my father. ... He put his arms around me. . • . And I knew ! " " Knew what? " " That he lied. I can't explain." " Don't try 1" Suddenly she laid her head against the butler's Bhoulder and cried. It was terrible to hear youth weep in this fashion. Jones put his arm about her, patted her, and tried to console her. " Horrible ! " she murmured between the violent hiccoughs. " I was wrong, wrong! Forgive me! " Unconsciously the arm sustaining her drew her closer. " Never mind," he consoled. " Tell no one what has happened. Go about as usual. Don't let even Susan know. Whatever your poor father did was for your sake. He wanted you to be happy, without a care in the world. " I promise." And gradually the sobs ceased. " But I feel so old, Jones, so very old. I threw over the lamp. I threw a chair through the window. They thought that it was I who had jumped out. That gave me the neces sary time. I don't understand how I did it I wasn't frightened at all till I gained the street." They found Susan still Beated in the chair, the ■automatic in her lap. She had not moved in all this time! Rraine paced the apartment of the Princess Perigoff. From the living room to the boudoir and back, fully twenty times. From the divan Olga watched him nervously. He was like a tiger, fresh in captivity. All at once he paused in front of her. "Do you realize what that mere chit did?" " I do." " Planned to the minute. We had her i seven of us; doors locked, «nd all that. No weeping, no wailing; I could not understand then, but Ido now. It's in the blood. Har greave was as peaceful as a St. Bernard dog, till you cornered him, and then he was a lion. O, the devil! Slipped out of my fingers like an eel. And across the street, Jones in a racer! I never paid any particular at tention to Jones, but from now on I shall. The girl may or may not know where the money is, but Jones does, Jones does! Two men shall watch. Felton on the street and Orloff from the windows of the deserted house. With opera glasses he will be able to take note of all that happens in the house during the day. He will be able to see the girl's room. And that's the important point. It was a good plan, little woman; and it would have been plain sailing if only we had remembered that the girl was Ilargreave's daughter. Be very careful hereafter when you call on her. A night like this will have made her sus picious of every one. Our hope lies with you. Anything on your mind?" " Yes. Why not insert a personal in the Herald?" She drew son.'''writing paper to ward her and scribbled a few words. He read: " Florence—the hiding place is discovered. Remove it to a more secret spot at once. S. H." —He laughed and shook his head. "I'm afraid that will never do." "If she reads will. The man with the opera glasses may sec something. There's a chance Jones might become worried." " Well, we'll give it a chance." It was midnight when he made his depar ture. As he Btepped into the street, he glanced about cautiously. On the corner he saw a policeman swinging his night stick. Otherwise the street was deserted. Braine proceeded jauntily down the street. And yet, from the darkened doors of the bouse across the way, the figure of a man emerged and stood contemplating the win dows of-the Perigoff apartment. Suddenly the lights went out. The watcher made no effort to follow Braine. The knowledge he was after did not necessitate any such pro cedure. Of course, Florence read the " personal." She took the newspaper at once to Jones, who smiled grimly. " You see, I trust you." " And so long as you continue to trust me no harm will befall you. You were left in my care by your father. I am to guard you at the expense of my life. Last night's affair was a miracle. The next time you will not find it so easy to escape." Nor did she. "There will be no next time." gravely. " But I am going to ask you a direct ques tion. Is my father alive'.'" The butler's brow puckered. " I have prom ised to say nothing, one way or the other." She laughed. "Why do you laugh?" " I laugh because if he were dead there would be no earthly reason for your not say ing so at once. But I hate money, the name of it, the sound of it, the sight of it. It is at the bottom of all wars and crimes. I de spise it! " " The root of all evil. Yet it performs many noble deeds. But never mind the money. Let ug give our attention to this personal. Doubtless it originated in the wime mind which conceived the letter. Your father would never have inserted such a personal. What! Give his enemies a chance to learn his secret? No. On the other hand I want 'you to show this personal to all you met today, Susan, the reporter, to everybody. Talk about it. Say that you wonder what you shall do. Trust no one with your real thoughts." " Not even you, Mr. Jones," thought the girl as she nodded. " And tell them that you showed it to me and that I appeared worried." That night there was a meeting of the or ganization called the Black Hundred. Braine asked if any one knew what the Hargreave butler looked like. " I had a glimpse of him the other night; but being unprepared, I might not recognize him again." Vroon described Jones minutely. Braine could almost see the portrait. " Vroon, that memory of yours is worth a lot of money," was his only comment. " I hope it will be worth more soon." " I believe I'll be able to recognize Mr. Jones if I see him. Who is he and what is he?" " He has been with Hargreave for fourteen years. There was a homicidal case in which Jones was active. liargreave saved him. He is faithful and uncommunicative. Money will not touch him. If he does know where that million is, hot irons could not make him own up to it. The only way is to watch him, fol low him, wait for the moment when he'll grow careless. No man is always on his mettle; he lets uo sooner or later." " He is being watched, as you know." Vroon nodded approvingly. " The captain of the tramp steamer Orient, oy the way, was ' seen with a roll of money. He was in one of the water front saloons, bragging how he had hoodwinked some one." "Did he say where he'd got the cash?" asked Braine. " They tried to pump him on that, but he shut up. Well, we have agreed that Felton shall watch from the street and Orloff from the window. Orloff will whistle if he sees Jones removing anything from any of the rooms. The rest will be left to Felton." " And, Felton, my friend," said Braine soft ly—he always spoke softly when he was in a deadly humor—" Felton, you slept on duty the other night. Hargreave stole up, con sulted Jones, and got away after knocking me down. The next failure will main short shrift. Be warned ! " " I saw only you, sir. So help me. I was not asleep. I saw you run down the street after the taxicab. I did not see any one else." Braine shrugged. " Remember what I said.'* Felton bowed respectfully and made his exit. He wished in his soul that he might some day catch the master mind free of his eternal mask. It was an iron hand which ruled them and there were friends of his (Felton's) who had mysteriously vanished after a brief period of rebellion. The boss was a prob ably belonged to clubs and society which he adroitly pilferred. The organization always had money. Whenever there was a desperate job to be undertaken, Vroon simply poured out the necessary to promote it. When ever Braine and Vroon became engaged in earnest conversation they talked Slav. Braine was never called by name here; the boss, sim ply that. Well, 10 per cent of a million was a hun dred thousand. This would be equally divided between the second ten of the Black Hun dred. Another 10 per cent would go to eighty members; the balance would be divided be tween Vroon and the boss. But his soul re belled at being ordered about like so much dirt under another man's feet. He would take his ten thousand and make the grand get away. The next afternoon the princess called upon Florence. Nothing was aaid about {he ad venture, and this fact created a vague unrest in the scheming woman's mind. She realized that she must play her cards more carefully than ever. Not the least distrust must be permitted to enter the child's head. Once that happened good-by to the wonderful emeralds. Was it that she rtally craved the stone? Was it not rather a venom acquired from the knowledge that this child's mother had won what she herself, with all her cleverness, was not sure of —Braine's love? Did he really care for her or was she only the catspaw to pluck his hot chestnuts from the bre? When Florence showed her the " personal," her vague doubts became instantly dissipated. The child would not have shown her the newspaper had there been any distrust on her part. "My child, your father is alive, then?" animatedly. " We don't know," sadly. " Why, I should say that this proves it." " On the contrary, it proves nothing of the sort, since I have yet to discover a treasure in this house. I have hunted in every nook, drawer; I've searched for panels, looked in trunks for false bottoms. Nothing, nothing! Ah, if I could only find it! " "And what would you do with it?" ! " Take it at once to some bank and offer tne whole of it for the safe return of my father, every penny of it. I don't know what to do, which way to turn," tears gathering in her eyes and they were genuine tears, too. " There are millions in stocks and bonds and I cannot touch n penny of it because the legal documents have not been found. I can't even prove that I am bis daughter, except for half an old bracelet, and my father's lawyers say that that would not hold in any court." " You were born in St. Petersburg, my dear. Have the enihnssy there look up the birth registers." " That would not put me into possession. Nothing but the return of my father wfil avail me. And there's a horrible thought al ways of my not being bis real daughter." " There's no doubt in my mind. I have only to recall Katrina's face to know whose child you are. But what will you live on?" Here WBB a far greater mixup than she had calculated upon. Supposing after all it was only a resemblance, that the child was not Ilargreave's, a substitute just to blind the Black Hundred? To keep them away from the true daughter? Her mind grew bewil dered over such possibilities. The single and only way to settle all doubts was to make this child a prisoner. If she was Hargreave's true daughter he would come out of his hiding. She heard Florence answering her ques tion : " There Is a sum of ten or twelve thou sand in the Riverdale bank, under the control of my father'* butler. After that Is gone, I don't know what will happen to us, Susan and me." " The door of Miss Farlow's will always be open to yoju, Florence," replied Susan, with love in her eyes. v This interesting conversation was interrupt ed by the advent of Norton. He was always dropping in during the late afternoon hours. Florence liked him for two reasons. One was that Jones trusted him to a certain extent and the other was that . . . that she liked him. She finished this sentence in her heart defiantly. Today h'e brought her a box of beautiful roses, and at the sight of them the princess smiled faintly. Set the wind in that quarter? She could have laughed. Here was her re venge against this meddler who took no par ticular notice of her while Florence was in the room. She would encourage him, poor grubbing newspaper writer, with his beggarly pittance! What chance had he of marrying this girl with millions within reach of her hand? The peculiar thing about this was that Nor ton was entertaining the same thought at the same time: what earthly chance had he? In the second story window of the house over tbo way there was a worried man. But when his glosses brought in range the true contents of the box he laughed sardonically. " This watching is getting my goat. I ■mell a rat every time I see a shadow." He wiped the lenses of his op~ra glasses and pro ceeded to roll a ci&nret. When the princess and Norton went away Jones stole quietly up to Florence's room and threw up the curtain. Two round points of light flashed from the watcher's window, but the saturnine smile on Jones' lips was not observed. He went to the door, opened it cautiously, a hand to his ear. Then he closed the door, turned back the rug and removed n section of the flooring. Out of this cavity he raised a box. There was lettering on the 111; in fact, the name of its owner, Stanley Har greave. Jones replaced the flooring, tucked the box under his arm er.d made his exit. The man lounging in the shadow heard a faint whistle. It was the signal agreed upon. The man Felton ran across the street and boldly rang the bell. It was only then that Florence missed the ever present butler. She hesitated, then sent Susan to the door. " I must see Mr. Jones upon vitally im portant business." " He has gone out," mid Susan, and very sensibly closed the door before Felton's foot succeeded in getting inside. It was time to act. He ran around to the rear. The ladder convinced him that Jones had tricked him. He was wild with rage. He was over the wall in an instant. Away down the back street his eye discovered his man in full flight. He gave chase. As he rame to the first corner he was nearly knocked over by a man coming the other way. "Who are you bumphig into?" growled Felton. " Not so fast, Felton ! " "Who the devil are you?" The stranger made a sign which Felton in stantly recognized. " Quick ! What has happened? " " Jones has the million and is making his getaway. See him hiking toward the water front? " The two men began to run. There followed a thrilling chase. Jones engaged a motorboat and it was speeding sen ward when the two pursuers arrived. The.v were not laggard. There was another boat and they made for it. " A hundred if you overtake that b<mt," said Felton's strange companion. Felton eyed him thoughtfully. There was something familiar about that voice. ' Great plumes of water shot np into the air. It did not prove a short race by any means. It took half an hour for the pursuer to over haul the pursued. " Is that Jones? " " Yes." Felton fired hk revolver into the «ir in hopes of terrifying Jones' engineer; but there was five huudred dangling before that individual's eyes. " Let them get a little nearer," shouted the butler. The engineer let down the speed a notch. The other boat crept up within twenty yards. Jones sought a perfect range. He would have to find this spot again. " Surrender! " yelled Telton. In reply Jones raised the precious box and deliberately dropped it into the Bea. Then he turned his automatic uppn his pursuers and succeeded in setting their boat afire. All this within the space of an hour. Dur ing dinner that night (there was now a cook) Jones walked about the dining table, rubbing his hands together from time to time. " Jones," said Florence " why do you rub your hands like that?" " Was I rubbing my hands, Miss Florence? " he asked innocently. (TO BE OnNTliVTlinvl
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