f tOLLAp MYSTEPT f HAR.QLD MAO GRATH wJ^iiim SIO,OOO FOR 100 WORDS. "The Million Dollar Mystery" story will run for ticenty-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 it each week in the various moving picture theaters. For the solution of this mystery story SIO,OOO will be given by the Thanhouser Film corporation. CONDITIONS GOTERXIXG TEB COXTEST. The prize of S IO,OOO will be won by the man, woman, or child who *or\tes the most acceptable solution of the mystery, from which the last tuo 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 Chioago or X'eto York, any time up to midnight, Jan. l!f. This allows several weeks after the last chapter has been published. \ board of three judges will determine which of the many solutions received is the most acceptable. The judges are to be Harold MacGrath, Lloyd Lonergan, and Miss Mae Tinee. 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 trco reels, which will give th>t 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 me pic tures as practicable. Ififft the lest two reels will be shown the pictures of the win ner, his or her htme, and other interesting features. It is understood that the news papers, so far as practicable, in printing the last two chapters of the stor« by Har old MacGrath, idll 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 tn connection with the mystery as an aid to a solution : Xo. I—What1 —What becomes of the millionaire 1 No. 2—What becomes of the $1,000,000t No. 3 —Whom docs Florence marryt 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 PREVtOrS CIJAPTEnS. Stanley Hnrerrenve, millionaire, nfter • nlraculouM cwrnpo from the drn of the K"»RT of brilliant thieve* known an the Blaek II undred, live* the life of n reeluse for eighteen years. Ilargreave acci dentally meet* limine, leader of the Blnek Ifnndred. Knowing? Rralne trill try to Ret him be eseapes from hi* own home by n balloon. Before eseaplng he a letter to the girl** aehool, Tvbere eighteen year* before he mysteri ously left on the doorstep hi* baby daughter, Florence Gray. That day Hargreaie also draw* one million dol lars from the hank, hut It I* reported that this dropped Into the sea. Tvhen the balloon he escaped In was pnnetnred. Florence arrive* from the girls' achool. Countcsn niga. Hralne'a companion, vis- Its her end claims to he a relative. Two bogi:. detective* call, hut their plot la foiled by Norton, a newspaper man. By bribing the captain of the Orient Norton lays a trnp for Braine and hla Bant;. Countess Olca also visits Ihe Ori ent's eaptaln and she enally fall* Into the reporter's snare. The plan prove* abor tive through Braine** good luck, nnd only birelinKS fall into the hand* of the poller. After fnlltng In their flrst attempt the Black Hundred trap Florence. They ask her for money, but ahe escapes, again foiling them. Norton and the countea* call on Flor ence the next day, once more safe at home. The visitors having gone, Jonea remove* a section of flooring, and from ■ cavity takes a bos. Pursued by mem bers of the Iliaek Hundred, he rushes to the water front nnd succeeds In dropping the box Into the sea. Braine conceive* the Idea of giving a Coaching party, to which Florence Is in vited. Jones anil Norton both go along and are fortuuately on hand to save Florence from being Imprisoned In the country house to which ahe Is lured. Florence goes horseback elding and I* captured b) ooe of Itraine's men along the roadalde. Norton readies her. They are pursued, however, and tile pair make their complete e»«*ape only after \orton ban exploded a tire on the font approach ing mxirhine irlth n bullet. CHAPTER VIII. THE WILES OF A WOMAN. Al-'TER the affair of the auto bandits— inri-e of whom were killed —a lull fol lowed. If you're a sailor you know what kiud of a lull I mean : blue-black cloud, down the southwest horizon, the water crinkly, the booms wabbling. Suddenly a series of " accidents" began to happen to Norton. At fiist he did not give the matt r much thought. The safe which fell almost at his feet aud crashed through the sidewalk merely Indu.-ei; him to believe he was lucky. At an otii r time an automobile came furiously .around H corner while be wus crossing the 'stri <•' ami only amazing agiiit.v saved him from bodily hurt. The car was out of sight iwlieu lie thought to recall the number. Then came the jolt in the subway. Only a desp rate grab by one of the guards saved him from being crushed to death. Even then he tho'i.iht nothing. But. when a new box of eigarets arrived and he tried one and found it strangely perfumed, and, upon further analy sis. found it to contain n .Tavanse narcotic, a slow but sure death, he became wide awake enouch. They were after him. He began to walk carefully, to keep in public places aa oft'-n as he possih'y could. • ll® was not really nfriid of death, but he did abhor the thought of Its coming up from behind. Except for the dgarets they were all " accidents "; he could not have proved any thing before a jury of his intimat • friends. He never entered on elevator without scru pulous care. He never passed under coverings over the sidewalks where construction was going on. Still, careful as he was, death con fronted him once more. It was his habit to have his coffee and rolls —he rarely ate any thing more fdr his breakfast—set down out side his door every morning. The coffee, being In a silver thermos bottle, kept its heat for hours. When he took the stopper out and poured forth a cup it looked oddly black, dis colored. It is quite probable tliat had there been no »eries of " accidents " he would have drunk a cup—and died in mortal agony. It contained bichloride of mercury. Very quietly he set about to make inquiries. This was really becoming 'serious. In tlia kitchens downstairs nothing could be learned. The maid had set the thermos bottle before the door at 10:30. Norton had opened the door at 1:30—three hours after. The outlook was not the cheerfulest. He knew perfectly well why all these things " happened " : he had interfered with the plans of the scoundrels who were making every possible move to kidnap Florence Hargreave. One afternoon he paid Florence a visit. Of course he told her nothing. They had become secretly engaged the day after he had r soiled her from the auto bandits. They were secretly engaged because Flor> nee wanted it so. For once Jones suspected nothing. Why should he? He had troubles enough. As a matter of fact, Norton was afraid of Jones. He was afraid of him in the same sens.' as a boy is afraid of a policeman. But on this day, when the time came, he accosted the butler and drew him into the pantry. *I. NEVER W THAT RINQBEFORE* "Jones, they are after m*' now." "You? Explain." Norton briefly recounted the deliberate at tempts against his life. " You see, I'm not liar enough to say that I'm not worried. I am, devilishly worried. I'm not worth any ransom. I'm in the way, and they seem determined to put me out of it." " To any other man I would say travel. But to you I say when you leave your rooms don't go where you first thought you would—that is. some usual haunt. Th y'll be everywhere, near your restaurants, your clubs, your office. You're a methodical young man; become er ratic. Keep away from here for at least three days, but always call me up by tclephoni- some time during the day. Never under any cir cumstance, unless I send for you, come here at night. Only one man now watches the house during the day. but five are prowling around after dark. They might have instructions to shoot you on sight. 1 can't spare you just at present, Mr. Norton. You've been a godsend; and if it seems that sometimes I did not trust you fully it was because I did not care to drag you in too deep." Deep? Norton thought of Florence and smiled inwardly. Could anybody be in deeper than he was? Once it was on the tip of his tongue to confess his love for Florenc , but the gravity of Jones' countenance was an ob stacle to such move; it did not invite it. To be sure, Jones had no real authority to say what Florence should or should not do with her h art. Still, from all points of view, it was better to keep the affair under the rose till there came a more propitious hour in which to make the disclosure. Love, in the midst of all th'se alarms! Sharp, desperate rogues on one side, mi'lions on the other, and yet love could enter the scene ser nely, like an actor who had missed his cue and came on too soon. Oddly enough, there wiui no real lovemakin? such ns you often read aoout. A pressure of the hand, a glance from the eye, there was seldom anything more. Only once—that mem orable day on the river road —had he kissed her. No word of love had been spoken on either side. In that wild moment all conven tionalities had disappeared like smoke in the wind. There had been neither past nor future. THE TELEGRAPH, HARRISBURG, PA„ AUGUST ICU. only the present in which they knew that they loved. With her he was happy, for he had no tim« to p'.an over the future. Away from her he saw the inevitable barriers providing against the marriage between a poor young man and a very rich youug woman. A man who haß any respect wants always to b" on equal terms with his wife, financially more than in any other thing. Its the way this peculiar organization called Society has writ ten down it rules. Doubtless a relic of the stone age, Ab went out with his club to seek a wife and drag her by the hair to his den, and there to care for her and to guard her with his life's blood. It is one of the few primitive sensations that remain to us. this wanting the female dependent upon the male. Perhaps this accounts for man's lack of inter- est on the suffraget question. Only Susau suspected the true state of af fairs, beiug a woman. Having had oo real romance herself, ahe delighted in having a sec ond hand one, as you might say. She inter cepted many a glance nnd pretended not to see the stolen hand pressures. The wedding was already full drawn in hor mind's eye. These two young people should be married at Susan Farlow's when the roses were climbing up the sides of the house and the young robins were boldly trying their fuzzy wings. It struck her as rather strange, but she could not conjure up tat this wedding) more than two men besides the minister, the bridegroom, and the butler. By forsaking his accustomed haunts, under the advice of Jones, the hidden warfare ceased temporarily. You can't very well kill a man wh' n you don't know where to find him. He ate his breakfasts haphazardly, now here, now there. Me received most of Ms assignments by telephone and wrote his stories and articles in his club, in the writing rooms of hotels, and invariably dispatched them to the office by messenger. The mauaging editor wanted to know what all this meant; but Norton de clined to tell him. It irked him to be forced to rearrange bis daily life—his habits. It was a revolution against his ease, for he loved ease when he was not at work. He had the sensation of having been sudd' nly robbed of his home, of having been cast out into the streets. And on top of all this he had to go and fall in love! There was no longer a shadow opposite the apartments of the Princess Perigoff. Braine came and went nightly without discovering any one. This rather worried him. It gave him the impression that the shadow had found out what he had been se-king and no longer needed to watch the coming and going of either himself or the Countess Perigoff. " Olga, it looks as if we were at the end of our rope," he said discouragedly. "We have faiied in all attempts so far. The devil watches over that girl." "Or God," replied the countess gloomily. " In nearly every instance their success has been due to chance. Somehow I'm convinced that we began wrong. We should have let Ilargreave escape quietly, followed him, and made him fast when the right opportunity came. After a month or so his vigilance would have relaxed; he would have arrived at the belief that he had eluded us." "Indeed!" ironically. "He wasn't vigilant all these years in which he did elude us. How about the child ho never sought but guarded? Vigilance! He never was anything else all these seventeen years. The truth is, success has develop d a coarseness in our methods. And now it is too late for finesse. We have tried every device we can think of; and there they are —the girl fr<-e, Norton unharmed, and the father as secure in his retreat as though he wore au invisible cloak. My head aches. I have ceased to be inventive." , " The two are in love with each other." "Are you sure of that?" " I have ray eyes. But I begin to won-Jec.'* "About what?" " Whether or not .Ton<-s suspects me ami 'a • giving me rope to hang myself with. Not. onee have the police been called in and to!£ what has really happened. Thsy are totally at sea. AnJ what has become of the man over the way ?" "By the Lord Harry!" exclaimed Braine, clapping his hands. " I believe I've solved that. We shot a man coming out of Har greave's. Since then there's beeu no one across the way. One and the same man !" " But that knowledge doesn't get us any where." "No. You say they are in love?'' " Secretly. I don't believe the butler has an inkling of it. It is possible, however, that Susan has caught the trend of affairs. But, being rather romantic, she will in no wise interfere." Braiue smoked in silence. Presently a smile twisted his lips. V -IT HAD ALLTHE AN AFFECTIONATE EMbKfiCEL. "You have thought of something?" she asked. " You might try it," he snid. "They have accepted your friendship; whetlvr with ulte rior purpose remains to be learned. She has been to your apartments two or three times to tea and always got home safely." " No," she said determinedly. "Nothing shall happen here. I will not take the risk." " Wait till I'm through. Break up the ro mance in such a way that the girl will bar Norton from the house. That's what we've been aiming at: to get rid of that meddling reporter. We've tried poisons. Try your kind." " What do you mean?" " Lies." " Ah! I understand. You want me to win him away from her. It cannot be done." " Pshaw! You have a bag full of tricks. Y'ou can easily manage to put him into an equivocal position out of which he cannot pos sibly squirm so far as the girl is concerned. A little melodrama, arranged for the benefit of Florence. Fall into Norton's arms at the right moment, or something like that." " I suppose I could. But if I failed ..." " You're too damnably clever to fail in your own particular work. Something has got to be done to keep those two npart. I've oftea thought of raiding the house boldly and carry ing off the whol" family, Susan and all. But a wholesale affair like that would be too noisy. Think it over, Olga; we have gone too far to back down now. There's always Russia; and while I'm thn boss over here they never cease to watch me. They'll make me answer for a failure like this." She eyed him speculatively. " You have money." "O, the money doesn't matter. It's the game. It's the game of playing fast and loose with Society, of pilfering it with one hand and making it kow-tow with the other. It's the sport of the thing. What was your thought?" "We could go away together, to South America." " And tire of each other within a month," he retorted shrewdly. " No; we arc in tho same boat We could not live but for thin never ending excitem' nt. Anil, more than tliat. we never could get fur enough away from the long arm of the First Ten. We'll have to stick it out here. Can't you see?" " Yes. I can see." But in her heart she knew that she con!d have lived in a hut with this man till the end of her days. Sh>. abhorred life, though she never, by the slightest word, let him becom* nware of It. There was always that abiding fear that at the first sign of weakness he would d sert her. And she was wise in her deductions. Braine was loyal to her because she held his interest. Once that failed, he would be off and away. The next afternoon the countess, having matured her plans against the happiness of the young girl who trusted her, drew up be fore the Ilargreave place and alighted. Her welcome was the same as ever, and this strengthened her confidence. The countess was always gesticulating. Her hands fluttered to emphasize her words. And the beautiful diamond solitaire caught the girl's eye. She seized the hand. Having an affair of her own, it was natural that she should be interested in that of her friend. " I never saw that ring before." " A gift of yesterday." The countess as sumed a shy air which would have deceived St. Anthony. She twisted the ring on her finger. " Tell me!" cried Florence. " You are en gaged?" " Mercy, no!" "Is he rich?" " No. Money should not matter when your heart is involved." A& this thought was in accord with her own, Florence nodded her head sagely. "It is nothing serious. Just a fancy. I shall never marry again. Men are gay de ceivers ; they always have be- n and always will be. / Perhaps I'm a bit. wicked; but I rather like to prove my theory that all men are weak. If I had a daughter I'd rather have her be an old man's darling than a young man's drudge. I distrust every man I know. I came to ask you and Susan to go to the opera with me tonight. You will come to my apartments first. You will come?" "To be sure we will! " " Simple little fool! " thought the Russian on the way borne. " She shall sec." " I believe the countess is engaged to be married." said Florence to Jones. " Indeed, miss? " " Yes. I couldn't get anything definite out of her. but she had a beautiful ring on her finger. She wants Susan and me to go to the opera with lier tonight. Will that be all right? " Jones gazed abstractedly at the rug. When ever a prob'em bothered him he seemed to find the solution in the delicate patterns of the Persian rugs. Finally he nodded. " I see no reason why you should not go. Only, watch out." " Jones, there Is one thing that will make me brave and happy. Will you t 11 me if you are in direct communication with my father?" " Yes, Miss Florence," he answered prompt ly. " Rut do not breathe this to a single soul, neither Susan nor Norton." " I promise that. But, ah '. hasten tile day when he can come to me without fear." " That is my wish also." " You need not call me miss. Why should you ? " " It might no' be wise to have any one hear me call you thus familiarly," he objected gravely. " Please yourself about that. Now I must telephone Jim." "Jim?" the butler murmured. He caught the word which was not Intended for his ears. But for once Jones had been startled out of himself. " Is it wrong for me to call Mr. Norton Jim?" she asked with a bit of banter. " It is not considered quite the proper thing. Miss Florence, to call a young man by his first name unless you are engaged to marry him, or grew up with him from childhood." "Well, supposing I were engaged to him?" haughtily. " That would be a very grave affair. What have you to prove that he may not wish to marry you for your money?" " Why, Junes, you know that I haven't a penny in the world I call my own! There is nothing to prove, except your word, that I am Stanley Ilargreave's daughter." " No, there is nothing to prove that you are his daughter. But hasn't it ever occurred to you that there might be a purpose back of this? Might it not be of inestimable value that your father's euemies should be left in doubt? Might it not be a means of holding them on the leash? There is proof, ample proof, my child; and when the time comes these will be shown you. But meantime put all thought of marrying Mr. Norton out of your head." " That I refuse to do," quietly. " I am at least mistress of my heart; and no o e shall dictate to me whom I shall or shall not marry. I love Mr. Norton and he loves me, knowing that I may not be an heiress after all. And some day 1 shall marry him." Jones bowed. This seemed to appear final to him, and nothing more was to b • said. Norton did not return to his rooms till 7. He found the telephone call and also n note in a handwriting unfitmilfcir. He tore off the envelope and found the contents to be from the Countess Pcrigoff. "Call at 8 tonight," he read. "I have an important news story for you. Tell no one, as I cannot be involved in the case. Cordially, Olga, Countess Perigoff.'' Humph Norton twiddled the note in his fingers and at length rolled it into a ball nnd threw it into the wastebasket. He, too, made a mistake : he should have kept that note. He dressed, dined, and hurried off to the apart ments of the countess. He arrived ten minutes b fore Florence and Susan. And Jones did some rapid telephoning. " How long, how long!" the butler mur mured. How long would this strange combat last ? The strain was terrific. He slept but little during the nights, for his ears were always waiting for sounds. He had cast the chest into the sea, and it would take a dozen expert divers to locate it. And now, atop of all these worries, the child must fall in love with the first comer! It was heartbreaking. Norton, so far as he had learned, was cool and brave, honest and reliable in a pinch ; but as the husband of Stanley Hargreave's daugh ter, that was altogether a different matter. And he must devise some means of putting a stop to it, but But he was saved that trouble. Mongoose and cobra, that was the game be ing played; the cunning of the one against the deadly venom of the other. If he forced matters he would only lay himself open to the strike of the snake, lie must have patience. Gradually they were breaking the organiza tion, lopping off a branch here and there, but the peace of the future depended upon getting a grip on the spine of the cobra himself. The trick was simple. The countess had news'; trust her for that. She exhibited a cablegram, dated at Gibraltar, in which the British authorities stated definitely that no such a person as William Orts, aviator, had arrived at Gibraltar. And then, as he rose, she rose also and gently precipitated hers If into his arms, just at the moment Florence appeared in the doorway. Very simple, indeed. When a woman falls toward a man thrre is nothing for him to do but extend his arms to prevent her from fall ing. Outwardly, however, to the eye which saw only the picture and comprehended not the cause, it had all the hallmarks of an affectionate embrace. Florence stood perfectly still for a moment, then turned away. "I beg your pardon!" said the countess, "but a sudden fainting spell seized me. My heart is a bit weak." " Don't mention it," replied the gallant Nor ton. lie was as innocent as a babe as to wnat had really taken place. Florence went back home. She wrote a brief note to Norton and inclosed the ring which she had sicretly worn attached to a little chain around her neck. When Norton came the next day she refused to see him. It was all over. She never wished to see him again. " He says there has been some cruel mis take," said Jones. " I saw him with the counftoss in his arms. I do not see any cruel mistake in that. I saw him. Tell him so. And add that I never wish to see him again." Then she ran swiftly to her room, where the broke down and cried bitterly and would not be comforted by Susan. "In heaven's name," demanded the frantic lover, " what has happened ?" The comedy of the whole affair lay in the fact that neither of the two suspected the cauntess, who consoled them both. 'TO BE CONTINUED.]
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