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