1 DOLLAP MYSTCPT f miiL. ■ (J3y HAROLD MAC GRATH— —— 'yt SIO,OOO FOR 100 WORDS. " The Million Dollar Mystery" story *riU 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 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. COXDITIOXB GOVERXIXG THE COXTEST. The pritb of S IO.OOO will he won by the man, woman, or child who writes the most acceptable solution of the mystery, from which the last tivo reels of motion picture drama will be made and the last two chapters of the story written by Harold MaoGrath. Solutions may be sent to the Than housor Film corporation, either at Chicago or Xeiw York, any, time up to midnight, Jan. 14. This allows several weeks after the last chapter has'been published. A board of three judges icill determine which of the many solutions received is the most acceptable. The judges are to be Harold MacGrath, Lloyd Lonergan, and Miss Maa Tinec. The judgment of this board will be absolute and final. Xothing of a literary nature will be considered in the decision, nor given any preference in the selection of the tcinner of the SIO,OOO prire. The last tiro reels, which will give the most acceptable solution to the mys tery. trill be presented in the theaters having this feature as soon as it is pos sible to produce the same. The storv corre sponding to these motion pictures will ap pear in the newspapers coincidentaUy, or as soon after the appearance of the pic tures as practicable. With the last two reels will be shoten 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, in printing the last two chapters of the story by Har old MacGrath, will also show a picture of the successful contestant. Solutions to the mystery must not be more than 100 words long. Here arc some questions to be kept in mind in connection with the mystery as an aid to a solution : Xo.l —What becomes of the millionairef Xo.2—What becomes of the SI ,000,000 f Xo. S—Whom does Florence marry f Xo. I —What becomes of the Russian countessf Xobody connected either directly or in -1 directly --with " The Million ltollar Mys tery " icill be considered as a contestant. SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOI'S CHAPTERS. Stanley Hargrcave. millionaire, nfter a ml rami on a escape from (he den of the *»n* of brilliant thieve* known an Blnck Hundred, Uvea the life of n recluse for eighteen year*. Hnrgrcnve aeeldentally meets limine, lender of the Black Han. dred. Knowing limine will try to Ret him, he escape* from hla own home by n balloon. Before escaping he write* n letter to the girl*' aehool where eighteen year* before he myatrrloualy left on the dooratep hla hnby daughter, Florence tiray. That day H» rgreave alao draw* one million dollar* from the bnnk, but It la reported that thin dropped luto the ■ea when the balloon he enenped In wna punctured. Florence arrive* from the girl*' achnol. Counte** Olgn, limine'* companion, vls- Ita her arfd clalma to be a relative. Two bogus detective* call, but their plot la foiled by Norton, a ncwapnper man. Ny bribing the cnptaln of the Orient Norton Inya a trap for limine and hi* gnng. Counte** Olgn nl*o vlalta the Orl cnt'a captain nnd alie cnally mil* Into the reporter'a nanrc. The plan prove* abortive through Brnlnc'a good luck, and only hireling* fall luto the band* of the police. After falling In their firat attempt the Black Hundred trap Florence. They n*k her for money, but *he cacapcs, again foiling them. Norton and the countc** call on Flor. cnce the next dny, once more anfe at home. The vlaltor* having gone, Jone* remove* a aectlon of flooring and from n cavity tnkc* n bo*. Purnued by mem ber* of the Black Hundred, he runhe* to the water front nnd nucceed* In drop ping the box Into the *ea. < onnte** Olga, achemlng to break the engagement exlntlng between Florence llargrenve nnd Norton, Invite* them both to her apartment* nnd pretend* to faint In the reporter'a nrma. Florence appear* In the doorway Juat at the planned moment, and na a result give* Norton back hla ring. Accomplice* of Brnlne nucceed In kid naping Florence while ahe la ahopplng and hurry her off to aea. Norton re ceives a wlrelcaa later Informing him thnt the girl hud leaped Into the aea and been drowned. Florenoe la picked np In a dazed con dition by a party of fishermen. The Black Hundred locate her nnd Bralne, disguised aa her father, succeed* In tak ing her back to aea with him. Florence seta Are to the boat and la rescued by a ship on which Norton has been ahiing haled. fOopyrlrht: 1014: By Harold MacGrath.] CHAPTER XI. WHEN Jones received the telegram that Florence was ante, the iron nerve of the twin brok® down. Th* suspense had been so "keenly tern- 1 hie that the sudden renction left him almost hysterically weak. Three weeks of waiting, 1 waiting. Not even the scoundrel and his wife who hnd been the principal actors in < the abduction had been found. From a 1 great ship in midocean they had disappeared. 1 Doubtless they had hidden among the im- 1 migrants, who, for a little money, would have fooled all the officers on bosrd. There 1 was no doubt in Jones' mind that the pair had landed safely at Madrid. ' As for Susan, she did hare hysterics. » eihe went about the room, wailing and laugh 1 inc 1 " and wringing her hands. Toil would 1 have thought by her actions that Florence I hnd just died. The sight of her stirred the j saturnine lips of the bntler into a smile. Rut 1 he did not remonstrats with her. In fact. t he rather envied her freedom In emotion. Man cannot let go in that fashion; it is a sign of weakness; and he dared not let even Susan see any sign of weakness in him. So the reporter had found her, and she was safe and sound and on her way to New \ork? Knowing by this time something of tlie reporter's courage, he was eager to learn how the event had come about. When he had not heard a telephone message from Norton in forty-eight hours, he had decided that the Rlack Hundred had finally suc ceeded In getting hold of him. It had been something of a blow; for while he looked with disfavor upon the reporter's frank re gard for his charge, he appreciated the fact thnt Norton was a staff to lean on, and hnd behind him all the power of the press, which included the privilege of going everywhere even if one could not always get back. As be folded the telegram and put it int'i his pocket, he observed the man with the opera glasses over the way. He shrugged. Well, let him watch till his eyes dropped out of his head; he would see only that which w«is intended for his eyes. Still, it was irk some to feel that no matter when or where you moved, watching eyes observed and chronicled these movements. Suddenly, not being devoid of a sense of dry humor, Jones stepped over to the tele phone and called up her highness the Priii cess Perigoff. " Who Is it?" He was forced to admit, however reluc tantly, that the woman had a marvelous!} - fine speaking voice. " It is Jones, madam." " Jones?" " Mr. Hargreave's butler, madam." "O! You have news of Florence?" "Yes." It will be an embarrassing day for humanity when some one invents a pho tographic apparatus by which two persons at the two ends of the telephone may ob serve the facial expressions of each other. " W hat is it? Tell me quickly." " Florence has been found, and she is on her way back to New York. She was found by Mr. Norton, the reporter." "I am so glad! Shall I come up at once and have you tell me the whole amazing story?" " It would be useless, madam, for I know nothing except what I learned from a tele gram I have just received. Rut no doubt some time this evening you might risk a call." " Ring up the instant she returns. Did she say what train?" " No, madam,'* lied Jones, smiling. He hung up the receiver and stared at the telephone as if he would • force his gaze in and through it to the woman at the other end. Flesh and blood! Well, greed was stronger than that. Treacherous cat* Let her play;- let her weave her nets, dig her pits. The day would come, and it was not far distant, when she would find that the mild eyed mongoose was just as deadly as the cobra, and far more cunning. The heads of the Rlack Hundred must be destroyed. Those were the orders. What good to denounce them, to send them to a prison from which, with the aid of money and a tremendous secret political pull, they might readily find their way out? They must be exterminated, as one kills off the poisonous plague rats of the orient. A wom an? Iu the law of reprisal there was no sex. Shortly after the telephone episode (which rather puzzled the princess) she received a wire from Rraine, which announced the fact that Florence and five had escaped and were coming to New York on train No. 25. and advising her to meet the train en route. She had to fly about to do it. When Capt. Rannock released Rraine, he had been in no enviable frame of mind. Tricked, fooled by the girl, whose mind was as unclouded as his own! She had suc ceeded in bribing a coal stoker, and had taken him unawares. The man had donned the disguise he had laid out for shore ap proach, and the blockhead Rannock had never susivected. He had not recognized Norton at all. It was only when Ranuock explained the history of the shanghaied stoker that lie realized his real danger. Norton! He must be pushed off the board. After this episode he could no longer keep up the pretense of being friendly. Norton, by a rare stroke of luck, had forced him out Into the open. So be It. Self-preservation is in no wise looked upon as criminal. The law may have its ideas about it, but the In dividual recognizes no law but its own. It was Rraine whom he loved and admired, or Norton whom he hated as a dog with rabies hates water. With Norton free, lie would never again dare return to New York openly This meddling reporter aimed at his ease and elegance. He left the freighter as soon as a boat could carry bim ashore. The fugitives would make directly for the railroad, and thither he went at top speed, to arrive ten minutes too late. " Free!" said Florence, as the train begau to increase its spe*»d. Norton reached over nnd patted her hand. Then lie sat hack with a sudden shock of dismay. He dived a hand into a pocket, into another and another. The price of the tele pram he had sent to Jones was all he had had in the world; and he had borrowed that from a friendly stoker. In the excitement he had forpotten all about such a contingency as the absolute need of naonej.^,- THE TELEGRAPH, HARRISBURG, PA.. SEPTEMBER 1914. <ljilP BE SZLE/YT yOU SCI/fT " SKjj? ) m s-ss— _____ AND HE FELL JTfTO A/Y AMBC/SJL WITH IT! A HUNDRED Y4RES OF tf/S GOAL "Florence. I'm nfrald -trp'ro cminrr fn u a « v* —*.*. »» i'i»rence, im atraid we re going to have trouble with the conductor when he comes." " Why?" He pulled out his pockets suggestively. " Not a postage stamp. They'll put us off at the next station. And," with a glance in the little mirror between the two windows, I shouldn't blame them a bit." He was unshaven, lie was 'wearing the suit substi tuted for his own; and Florence, sartorially, was not much better off. She Mniled, blushed, stood up, and turned her back to him. Then she sat down again. In her hand she held a small dilapidated roll of banknotes. " I had them with me when they abducted me, she said. " Besides, this ring is worth something." "Thank the Lord!" he exclaimed, reliev edly. So there was nothing more to do but be happy; and happy they were. They were quite oblivious to the peculiar interest they aroused among the other passengers. This un&haven young man, in his ragged coat and soiled jersey; this beautiful young girl, in a wrinkled homespun, her glorious blonde hair awry; and the way they looked at each other during those lulls in conversation pe culiar to lovers the world over, impressed the other passengers with the idea that something very unusual had happened to these two. The Pullman conductor was not especially polite ; but money was money, and the stock holders, waiting for their dividends, made it impossible for him to reject it. The regular conductor paid them no more attention than to grumble over changing a S2O bill. So, while these two were hurrying on to New York, the plotters were hurrying east to meet them. The two trains met and stopped at the same station about eighty miles froth New York. The princess, accompanied by Vroon, who kept well in the background, en tered the car occupied by the two castaways. In the mirror at the rear of the car Norton happened to cast an idle glance, and he mw the princess. Vroon, however, e&caped his eye. "Be careful, Florence," he said. "The princess w in the car. The game begins again. Pretend that you suspect nothing. Pretty quick work on their part. And that's all the more reason why we should play the comedy well. Here she comes. She will recognize you, throw her arms around you, and show all manner of effusiveness, just keep your head and play the game." " She lied about you to me." ' No matter." O!' cried the princess. She seized Flor ence in a wild embrace. Sha was an inimitable actress, and Norton could not help admiring her. "Your butler telephoned me! I ran to the first train out. And here you are, back safe and sound! It is wonderful. Tell me all about it. What an adventure! And, good heavens, Mr. Norton, where did you get those clothes? Did you find her and rescue her? What a newspaper story you'll be able to make out of it all! Now, tell me just what happened." She sat down on the arm of Flor ence's chair. The girl had steeled her nerves against the touch of her. And yet she was beautiful! How could any one so beautiful be wicked? " Well, it began like this," said Florence; and she described her adventures, omitting, to be sure. Braine'a part in it. She had reached that part where they had been rescued by Capv. Bannock when a thun dering, grinding crash struck the words from her lips. The three of them wore flunfc vio lently to the side of the car amid splintering wood, tinkling glass, and the shriek of steel against steel. A low wail of horror rose and died away as the enr careened over on its side. The three were rendered unconscious and were huddled together on the floor, under tlie up rooted chairs. Vroon had escaped with only a slight cut on the hand from flying glass. He climbed over the chairs and passengers with a single object in view. He saw that all three he was inter ested in were insensible. He quickly examined them and saw that they had not received seri ous injuries. He had but little time. The princess and Norton would have to take their chance with the other passengers, ilesolutely he stooped and lifted Florence in his arms and crawled out of the car with her. It was n difficult task, but he managed it. Outside, in the confusion, no one p;-.id any attention to him. So he threw the unconscious girl over his shoulder and staggered on toward the road. It was fortunate that the accident had oc curred where it did. Five miles beyond was the station marked for the arrest of Norton as an abductor and the taking in charge of Flor ence as a rebellious girl who had run away from her parents. If he could reach the Swede's hut, where his confederates were in waiting, the game was his. After struggling along for half an hour n carriage was spied by Vroon, and he hailed it when it reached his side. "What's the trouble, roister?" asked the farmer. " A wreck on the railroad." My daughter is badly hurt and I must take her to the nearest Tillage. How far is it?" " About three miles." " I'll give you twenty dollars for the use of that rig of yours." " Can't do it, mister." " But it'B a case of humanity, sir! " indig nantly. " You are refusing to aid the unfor tunate." The farmer thought it over for a moment. All right. You can have the buggy for twenty dollars. When you get to the village take the nag to Doc Sanders' livery. He'll know what to do." " Thank you. Help me in with her." Vroon drove away without the least inten tion of going toward the village. As a result when Florence came to her senses she found herself surrounded by strange and ominous faces. At first she thought that they had taken her from the wreck out of kindness; but when she saw the cold, impassive face of the man Vroon she closed her eyes and lay back in the chair. Well, ill and weak as she was, they should find that she was not without a certain strength. In the meantime Norton revived and looked about in vain for Florence. He searched among the crowd of terrified passengers, the hurt and the unharmed, but she was not to be found. lie ran back to the princess and helped her out of the broken car. " Where is Florence?" she asked dazedly. " God knows ! Here, come over and sit down by the fence till I see if there is a field tele graph." They had already erected one, and his mes sage went off with a batch of others. Thie time he was determined not to trust to chance. The shock may have brought back Florence's recent mental disorder, and she may have wandered off without knowing what she was doing. On the other hand, she may have been carried off. And against such a contingency he must be fortified. Money! The curse of God was upon it; it was the trail of the ser pent, spreading poison in its wake. By and by the princess was able to walk; and, supporting ber, he led her to the road, along which they walked slowly for at least an hour. They might ver- well have waited for the relief train. But he could not stand the thought of inactivity. The princess had her choice of staying behind or going with him. He hated the woman, but he could not refuse her aid. She had a cut on the side of her head, and she limped besides. They stopped at the rst farmhouse, ex plained what had happened, and the mistress urged them to enter. She, she had seen no one, and certainly not a young woman. She must have wandered off in another direction. She ran into the kitchen for a basin and towel and proceeded to patch the princess' hurts. She was extremely uneasy. That she should be under obligation to Norton galled her There was a spark of conscience left in her aoul. She had tried to destroy him, and he had been kind to her. Was he a fool or was he deep, playing a game as shrewd as her own? She could not tell. Where was ,'roon? Had he carried Florence off? An hour later a man came in. "Hullo! More folks from the wreck?" " Where's the horse and buggy, Jake?" his wife asked. " Rented it to a man whose daughter was hurt. He went to the village." " Will you describe the daughter?" asked Norton. Tit® princess twisted her fingers. The farmer rudely described Florence. "Have you another horse and a saddle?" "What's your hurry?" "I II tell you later. What I want now is the horse." is to become of me?" asked the princess. " l'ou will •—-J " he answer* briefly. " I am going to find out what ban become of Florence. Is tbere a deserted farm house hereabouts?" be asked of the farmer. " Not that I recollect." " Why, yes, there is, Jake. There'* that old hut about two miles up the fork," volunteered the wife. " Where the Swede died last win ter." "By jingo! I'm going into the village and see if that man brought in the rig." " But get my horse first. My name is James Norton, and I am on the Star in Mew York. Which way do ! go?" " First turn to the left Come on ; 111 get the horse for .vouJ' Once the horse was saddled, Norton set off at a run. He was unarmed; he forgot all about this fact. His one thought waa to find the woman he loved. He was not afraid of meeting a dozen men, not while his present fury lasted. And he fell into an ambush within a hun dred yards of his goal. They dragged him off the horse and buffeted and mishandled him Into the hut. " Both of them!" said Vroon, rubbing Ma hands. " I know you, you Russian rat!" cried Nor ton. " And If I ever get out of thia I'll kill you out of hand ! Damn you 1" " O, yes ; talk, talk ; but it never hurta any one." jeered Vroon. " You'll never have the chance to kill me out of hand, as you aay. Besides, do you know my face?" " I do. The mask doesn't matter. You're the man who had me shanghaied. The voice ia enough." , " Very gpod. That's what I wished to know. That's your death warrant. We'll do it like they used to do it at the old Academy: tie you to the railroad trock. We shall not hurt you at all. If some engine runs over you heaven is witness we did not guide the engine. Re member the story of the boy and the cat?" with sinister amiability, "The boy said he wasn't pulling the cat's tail, he was only hold ing It; the cat did the pulling. Bring him along, men. Time is precious, and we have a good d«*l to do before night aettles down. Come on with him. The track is only a short distance." " Jim, Jim!" cried Florence in anguish. " Never you mind, girl; they're only bluff ing. They won't dare." "You think go?" said Vroon. "Wait and eee." He turned upon Florence. "He is your lover. Do you wish him to die?" " No, no!" " We promise to give him his freedom twelve hours from now on condition that you tell where that money Is." " Florence !" warned Norton. Vroon struck him on the mouth. " Be silent, you scum!" " It Is in the chest Jones, the butler, threw into the sound," she said bravely. And so it might be, for all she knew. Vroon laughed. "We know about where that is." " Florence, say nothing on my account. They are not the kind of men who keep tbelp word." "Eh?" Bnarled Vroon. "Well see about that." He glanced at bis watch. "In half an hour the freight comes along. It may become stalled at the wreck. But It will serve." Norton knew very well that if need said must they would not hesitate to execute a melodramatic plan of this < hsracter. It waa the way of the Slav; they had to make crimei abnormal in order to enjoy it. Tbey could very well have knocked him on the head then and there and have done with him. But tha time used in corveylng him to the railroad might prove his salvation. Nearly four hour# had passed since the sending of the telegram to Jones. They bound Florence and left her seated in the chair. As soon as they were gone sha rolled to the floor. She was able to right her self to her knees, and after a torturous fiva minutes reached the fireplace. She burnt heß hands and wrists, but the blaze was the only) knife obtainable. She was free. Jones arrived with half a dozen policemen* Vroon alone escaped. The butler caught Florence in hU arms and nearly crushed the breath out of her. And she was so glad to see him that she kissed him half a dozen times. What if he was her fa ther's "butler? He was brave and loyal and kind. " They tied him to the track," she cried. " Look at my wrists!" The butler did so, and kissed them tenderly. " And I saved him." Jones stretched out a baud over Florence's shoulder. " When the time comes," he said ; "when the right time comes and my master's enemies are confounded. But always the' rooks, never the hawkd, do we cnt</h. God bless you, Norton! I don't know what I should have done without you." "When :i chap's in lo\e," began Norton, embarrassedly, " I know. 1 know." Interrupted Jones. " The second relief train is waiting. Let us hurry hack. I sha'u't feel secure till we are once more in the house." So. mm in arm. the three of them went down the trucks to the hand enr which had Iroucht the police. And no* f.-r the iron hound chest nt the bottom of the sen. [TO nE CO.VTI.TUED.J
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