S©MLLDN DOLLAR MYS»«
SIO,OOO FOR ONE HUNDRED WORDS.
"The Million Dollar Mystery" itory
will run for twenty-two co**ecutive weeks
in this paper. By an ai with
the Thanhouser Film company it has been
mode 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 GOVERNING THE
1 CONTEST.
T\« prise of SIO,OOO will be won by the
man, woman, or child who writes the most
acceptable solution of the mystery, from
wkioh the last two reels of motion picture
drama wiU be made and the last two
chapters of tht story written by Harold
MaoGrath^
Solutions *n«y be sent to the Thanhouser
Film corporation, either at Ckioapo or New
York, any time up to midnight, Jan. 14.
{This allows several weeks after the last
chapter hat been published.
A board of three judge* toill determine
which of the many solutions received it the
most acceptable. The judges are to be
Harold MacQrath, Lloyd Lonergan, and
Hiss Mae Tinee, The judgment of thit
board uill be absolute and final. Nothing
SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS.
Stanley HaT*reave, millionaire, alter • the water front and succeeds la drop.
Miraculous eacape from the den of tko plnf the box Into the sea.
■an* of brilliant thtevea known aa the
Black Hundred, Uvea the life of t re
triune for eighteen yea re. HargrenTe ac-
Irldentally meeta Bralne, leader of the
tDlark Hundred. Knowing Bralne will
fltry to aret htm, he eacapes from hla own
itme by a balloon. Before escaping he
* letter to the girls' achool where
Vlghteen yeara before he mysteriously
(eft en the doorstep hla baby daughter,
Florence Gray. That day Hargreave
Li.n (raw* *1.000.000 from the bank, bnt
kt la reported that thla dropped Into the
£iea when the balloon he esraped la was
Florence arrlTea from the atria' achool.
iCounteaa Olga. Bralne'a companion,
Ita her and clalma her ae a relative. Two
k'n> deteetlves rail, bnt their plot la
foiled by Norton, a newspaper maa.
j By bribing the captala of the Orient,
Norton lnya a trap for Bralne and hla
gaag. Countess Olga also visits the Orl.
eat's captain, and ahe easily falls Into
the reporter'a anare. The plan proves
abortive through Bratne's good lurk and
only hirelings fall Into the hands of the
police.
After falling In their flrut attempt, the
Black Hundred trap Florence. They ask
her for money, bnt she escapes, again
foiling them.
Norton and the countess call on Flor
ence the next day. once more ssfe st
home. The visitors having gone. Jones
removes a section of flooring and from
a cavity takes a bo*. Pursued by mem
bers of the Black Hundred, he rnsfcen to
fOoryrlffht: 1P14: By RaroM MficGrath.}
PHAPTFR XIV.
NORTON MAKES A DISCOVERY.
PERHAPS the most amusing phase of the
secret agent's discomfiture was the fact
that neither Jones nor Florence had the
least Idea what had happened in the
mmmer house nor that anything had hap
pened. Florence regretted a hundred times
during the evening that she had not gone out
to the summer house. It might really have
been her father. Her regret grew so deep
in her that just before going to bed she con
fessed to Jones.
" Ton received a letter of that sort and did
not show it to me?" said Jones, astonished.
" Tou warned me never to pay any atten
tion to them."
"No; I warned you never *o act upon tliem
•without first consulting me. And we might
tave made a enpture! My child, always show
■me these things. I will advise you whether to
tear them up or not."
" Jones, I believe you are going a little too
Yar," Mid Florence haughtily. "It might
have been from my father."
"Never in this wide world, Miss Florence.
Still, I beg your pardon for raising my voice.
What I Jo and have done is only for your
own sake. There are two things I wish to
Impress upon your mind before I go. This
ca.n be made a comedy o~ a terrible tragedy.
Tou have already had a taste of the latter;
and each time you escaped because God was
good to us. But He is rarely kind to thought
less people. They have to look out for them
selves. I am acting under orders; always re
member that."
"Forgive me; I acted wrongly. But I'm
so weary and tired of this eternal suspicion of
everybody and everything. Can't I go some
where, some place where I can have rest?"
"If I thought for a single moment it was
possible to take you thousands of miles from
this spot, it would be done this very night.
But this is our fortress. So far it has been
Impregnable. The police are watching it; and
that prevents a general assault by the scoun
drels. If we tried to leave we would be fol
lowed ; and they play that game exceedingly
well. Now, good-night. We'll have ynu out
of all this doubt and suspicion one of these
days. There will not be any past; that will
b» lopped off as you'd lop a limb from a tree."
" Please let it be quick. I want to see my
father." i
Jones'* eyes sparkled. " And you have my
word that he wants to see you. But more I
daro not tell you."
" Do you think he would object to Mr. Nor
ton?" she asked, studying the rug.
"In what capacity?" he countered, forcing
her hand.
'• As—us a husband?" bravely.
Jones in his turn studied the patterns In the
rujr. "It is only natural for a father to look
high for his daughter's husband. Rut, after
all, an honest man is worth a* much as any
thtnr I know of. And Norton is honest and
loyal and brave."
'Thank you. Junes. 1 intend to marry him
when the time com«s : so you may as well pre
pare father for this eventuality."
"There is an old a.lase —"
But she. interrupted him. "If rou hare a
of a literary nature will be considered in
the decisiou, nor fiven any preference in
the selection of the winner of the SIO,OOO
prise. 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 »* the newspapers coinoidentally, or
as soon after the appearance of the pic
tures as practicable. With the last two
reels will be shown the pictures of the win-
ner, his or her home, and other interesting
features. It is understood that the 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 are some
questions to be kept in mind in connection
with the mystery as an aid to a solution:
No.l—What becomes of the millionairet
No. 2—Wh<it becomes of the 51,000,000
No.S—lTtom does Florence marry?
Jio. I —What becomes of the Ruttian
countess T
Nobody connected either direotly or in
direct irith " The Million Dollar Mys
tery" will be considered as a contestant.
Countess Olga causes an cstragement
between Morion and Florence.
Accomplices of Bralne kidnap Florence
while ahe Is shopping and hurry her ofT
to sea. She leaps overboard and Is
picked op In a dazed condition by flsh
rrmen. The Black Hundred locate her
nnd Bralne, disguised as her father, taken
her bark to sea with him. Florence acts
lire to the boat and Is rescued by a ship
on which Morton hns been shanghaied.
Norton and Florence, aafely ashore
nnd with no longer any misunderstand
ing between them, take the train for
home. The train la wrecked and the
Black Hundred carry the Injured Flor
ence to a deserted but. Norton, who
tries to rescue her. Is tied to the railroad
tracks. Florence saves blm and Anally
Jonrs comes to the rescue of both.
Concealed above the rendetvona of the
Black Hundred, a man learns of the re
covery from the sea of the box of jew
els by a sailor nnd of Its subsequent re
turn to the bottom of the sea, and he
quickly communicates the fact to Jones.
A duplicate box Is planted and later se
cured by the bnnd, but before Its eon
tents are examined the box mysteriously
disappears.
Owing to the falling off of contribu
tion* to the parent organization In Rus
sia. sn agent arrives nnd assumes the
leadership of the American branch of the
Black Hundred. Through the conniv
ance of the conntcss, the new head la
thoroughly humiliated. Brnlne pursues
hla own plnns pending restoration to
power.
new adage, Jones, 1 shouldn't mind bearing
it. But I'm only just out of school, where old
adages are served from soup to pudding.
Good-night."
And Jones wont to the rear of the house,
chuckling.
In the passing it. might well be observed that
the Ilargreave house hnd a remarkable me
nage. There was a gardener, a cook, and a
maid; nn,l the three of them reported to Jones
each night before going to bed. They vyere all
three detectives from one ot the greatest or
ganizations in America.-
Finding themselves unable to lure Florence
away from the environs of the Ilargreave
home, the Black Hundred set some new ma
chinery in motion. They proposed to rid the
house of every one in it by a perfectly logical
device. But the first step in this new move
was going to be extremely delicate and risky.
It was no small adventure to enter the Har
greave home ; and yet this must be done. So
finally " Spider" Beggs was selected for the
work. The man could practically walk over
crockery without causing a sound; he could
climb a house by thp window ledges; and he
could hold his breath like those professional
tank swimmers.
Three or four nights after the Paroff fiasco,
Jones started the rounds, putting out the
lights. He left the erne in the hall till the last,
for it was his habit, after having turned off
that light, to stand by the door for several
minutes, watching. One never could tell.
On the other hand. " Spider " Bpggs never
approached a house till an hour after the
lights went out. Persons were likely to move
about for some minutes later; they might
want something to eat, a drink of water. So
he remained bidden behind the summer house
till long after midnight. When at last he felt
assured that all in the Hargreave house were
asleep, he moved out cautiously. Both his
future and his pocketbook depended upon
t'ne success of this venture. It took him
ten minutes to crawl from the summer houso
to the veranda, and to have detected this
approach Jones, had he been watching, would
have needed a searchlight. Beggs hugged
the lattice work for another ten minutes and
then drew himself up and wriggled to one
of the windows. Here was an operation that
needed all his art and skill; to lift this win
dow without sound. But he was an old
'p.nnd and windows with ordinary locks were
playthings under his deft touch. He raised
the window, stepped over the sill into the
library, and crouched down. He did not
close the window; house thieves never do.
They leave windows and doors open, because
sooner or later they have got to make their
escape that way.
Presently lie stood up, flashed his torch,
found the library shelves, and tiptoed toward
them. He then selected three or four vol
umes, opened them at random and laid neat
packages of money between tiie leaves. It
was not real money, but only a bank clerk
could have told you that. This done, he
moved toward the window Benin.
"Stop!" said .Tones quietly.
"Spider" RCJTKS si sped, it was so unex
pected; but at the same time almost instinct
ively he plnnßed headlong throueh the win-
and the bullet w'nich followed snipped
*rTTB nSLEGRAFH, HARRISBTTRG, PA.. SEPTEMBER 1914.
a lock of his hair. He threw himself off the
veranda and scurried across the lawn, itig
*ag fashion. But no more bullets followed.
Jones turned on the lights and investigated
the room, but 'ne could not find anything
disturbed, and naturally came to the conclu
sion that the intruder had been interrupted
before he had begun his work. He turned
off the lights and sat up the major portion
of the nig'nt. Nothing more happened. Flor
ence came down, but he sent her back to bed,
explaining that some one had attempted to
enter the house and he had taken a shot at
him.
" Spider" Beggs had a letter to write.
He was in 'nigh feathers. He had tackled
a difficult job and had come away without
a scratch. But he had the misfortune to
write his letter to the secret service officials
in a hotel often frequented by Norton. And
so .Tim, on finishing his own letter, Wotted
it and casually glanced at the blotter. A
single word caught his eye. Being an alert
newspaper man, always on the hunt, for
stories, he examined the blotter with care.
It was an easy matter for him to read writ
ing backward, having fooled away many an
hour in the composing rooms. The word
which 'nad awakened the reportorial sense
in him was " counterfeit." He held the blot
ter toward tKe mirror and rend enough to
satisfy himself that the Black Hundred had
become active once more. And this was one
of toe best ideas they had yet conceived.
Hargreave had always been something of
a mystery to bis neighbors. Where be had
lived in other days was unknown; neither
had any one the remotest idea from what
source 'tils riches had been obtained. And
nothing was known of Jones or the daughter.
It was a very shrewd method of clearing
every one out of the house and leaving It to
be examined at leisure. And he had fallen
upon this thing: he, Norton, all because uis
tailor had written him a sharp note about
his bill and he had been provoked to reply
In kind! Counterfeit money. There was
quite a flurry these days over certain issues
of spurious paper. It vras so good that only
experts could detect it. Tnere were two
plates, one for ten and another for twenty.
For a while he was pulied between duty and
love. Well, it would only ndd another in
teresting chaper to the genera! story when
he published it. He started out to Riverdale
to acquaint .Tones with the discovery.
"Humph!" said .Tones; "not a bad Idea
this. So that's what the sneak was doing
here last night. I've been wondering and
wondering. Let's have a look."
He went through the books and at length
came across the three volumes. These held
a thousand in excellent counterfeit.
"Mighty good work that What are you
going to do?" asked the reporter.
•Tones rubbed his chin reflectively. " How
long may a counterfeiter be sent up?"
"Anywhere from ten to twenty years."
" That will serve. My boy, this time we'll
go and take Mr. Black Hundred right in his
cubby hole."
"You know where it is?"
"Every nook and corner of It. Now you
go at once to the chief of the local branch
of the secret service aud put the matter to
him frankly. I, Florence, Susan, and the
rest of us must be arrested. The weetches
must believe that the house is empty. They'll
rove about fruitlessly and will return to
tneir den to report the success of the coup.
All the while you and some detectives will
be in hiding upstairs, dictagraph and nil
that. When the time conies you will follow.
This will not reach the bends, perhaps, but
it will demoralize t'ne organization in sncli
a way ns to make it helpless for several
months to come. There is a tunnel from
the stable* to this house."
"What, a tunuelZ*
"Yes, Mr. Hargreave had it built several
years ago. I don't know what his idea was;
possibly he anticipated an event like this.
Von and your men will find entrance by t'ais
method. It can be done without exciting
the suspicions of the watchers."
" Looks as if my yaru wasn't going to be
delayed so long after all. Jones, you ought
to have been in the secret sen ice yourself,"
admiringly.
Jones smiled and shrugged. " I am per
fectly satisfied with my lot —or would be if
the Black Hundred could be wiped out of
existence."
" I'll see the secret service people at once.
I stand in well wit'fl them all."
" And good luck to you. We'll need good
luck."
Norton was welcomed cordially by the
chief. The secret service men trusted him
and told him lots of tales that never saw
light on the printed page. The reporter went
directly to the point of his story, without
elaboration, and fne chief smiled and handed
him the original letter.
"Norton, I've been after this gang of
counterfeiters for months and they are clever
beyond words. I've never been able to get
anywhere near their presses. And for a mo
ment I thought this note was from a squealer.
I ve a dozen men scouring the country. They
find t'ne bogus notes, but never the men who
pass them. Ton see, it's new stuff. I know
what all the old timers are at; but none of
them has had a hand in this issue. Rome
foreigners, I take it. under the leadership
of a man I'd very much like to know. Now,
what's your sc'neme?"
■Tim outlined it briefly.
"It nil depends," said the cliief. "upon
the fact that they will be impntient. If
they have the ability to wait, we lose. But
we can afford to risk the chance. The man
w'no wrote this letter is not a counterfeiter.
He's an oid yeggman. We haven't heard
anything of him lately. We tried to corner
him on a postoflico job, but he slipped bv.
He may be a stool. Anyhow, I'll draw hiro
in somehow."
"There'll be some excitement."
"We're used to that: you, too. AH we've
got to do is to locate this man Beggs. Toere
are signs of spite in this letter. Very well
played, if yon want my opinion. What's this
Black Hundred?"
" I'm not at liberty to tell just yet. It's
a strange game; half political, half blackmail.
It's a pretty strong organization. But if
they're back of this counterfeiting, there's
a fine chance of landing thom all."
Here t'ne chief's assistant came in. " Got
Bcggs on the wire. Says he'll conduct you
to the home if you'll promise him immunity
for some other offenses."
" Tell him he shall have immunity on the
word of the c'uief. But also say that he
must come to see me in person."
"All right, sir."
" I don't believe it would be wise for
Bcggs to see me here. I gave him a good
send-off—Sing Sing—five years ago. lie may
recollect," said Norton.
" Suit yourself about that. Only, keep
into communication with me by telephone
slid I'll tip you off as to when the raid shall
take place. Lucky you came in. I should
have honestly gone there and arrested In
nocent people, and they would have had a
devil of a time explaining. It would have
taken thom nt least a week to clear them
selves. That would leave the Rouse empty
all thnt time."
Norton did not reply, but he put t'ne blotter
nway carefully. There was no getting away
from the fact, but the god of luck was with
him.
"Do you know what's back of it all?"
" I can't tell you any more thnn 1 have,™
said Norton.
" Then 1 pass. I know yon well enough.
If you've made up your mind not to talE a
man couldn't get anything out of you wit'a
a can-opener. And that's why we trust you,
my boy. Don't forget the telephone."
" I shan't. So long."
That same night Braine paid the Russian
woman a brief visit.
" I think that here's w'nere we go forward.
The secret service will raid the house to
morrow and then for a few days well roam
about as we bally please. I'm hanged If I
don't have every plank torn up and all the
walls pulled down. More and more I'm con
vinced that the money is in t'nat house."
" Don't be too confident," warned Olga.
" So many times have we been tripped up
when everything seemed In our hands. The
house should be guarded but not entered for
a day or two; at least not till after the raid
is cold. I'm beginning to see traps every*
where."
" Nonsense! L*ave it to me. We shan't
stick our 'oeads inside the Hargreave house
till we are dead certain that it is absolutely
empty. Olga, you're a gem. I don't think
Russia will bother us for awhile. Eh?
Paroff will not dare tell how he was flim
flammed. The least he can do to save his
own skin is to say that we are fully capa
ble of taking care of ourselves."
Olga laughed. "To t'nink of his writing a
note like that! Florence would have recog
nized—and no doubt did —a palpable attempt
to play an old game twice."
"How does she act toward you?"
"Cordial as ever; and yet . . ."
" Tet what? "
" I thought her an ordiuary school girl,
and yet every once in awhile she makes
what you billiard players call a professional
snot. What matter? So long as they do
not shut the door in my face. I ask nothing
more. But do you want my opinion? I feel
it in my bones that something will go wrong
tomorrow."
"Good lord, are you losing your nerve?"
cried Braine impatiently. "The secret serv
ice has the warning; they will find the green
stuff, and Jones & Co. will mog off to the
police station. And there'll be a week of
red tape before they are turned loose again.
They'll dig into Ilargreave's finances and ail
that. We'll have all the security in the worlJ
to find out if the money is in the house or
not. Why worry?"
" It's only the way I feel. There is some
thing uncanny in the regularity of that girl's
good luck."
"Ah, but we're not after her this time;
it's the whole family."
"The servants, too?"
" Everybody in the house will be under
suspicion."
"And you can trust Beggs?"
" His life is in the hollow of my hand.
You can always trust a man when you hold
the rope that's around his neck."
Still the frown did not leave Olga's brow.
With all her soul she longed to be out of this
tangle. It had all looked so easy at the
start; yet here they were, weeks later, no
further forward than at the beginning, and
added to this thc.v had paid much in lives and
money. Well, if she would bo fool enough to
love this man she must abide with the con
sequences. She wanted him all by 'norself,
out of danger, in a far country. He might
tire, but she knew in her heart that she never
would. This was her one great passion, and
while her mode of living was not as honest
as might be, her love was honest enough
and unswerving, though it was not gilded by
the pleasant fancies of youth.
"Of what are you thinking?" Vie asked
when he concluded that the pause had been
long enough.
" lou."
" H'm. Complimentary ? "
" No; just ordinary everyday love."
"Ah, Olga, why the deuc« must you p>
and fall in love with a bundle of aaaes like
myself? Ashes and bitter a&hes, too. Some
times I regret. But the regretting only
seems to make me all the more savage. What
opium and dope are to other men, danger
and excitement are to me. It i* not writ
ten that I shall die in bed. I have told you
that already. There is no other woman—
now. And I do love you after a farfnion, «a
a man loves a comrade. Wait till this dan
cing bout is over and I may talk otherwise.
And now I am going to a reception. I am
going to shake hands and hobnob with the
01ite —beautiful word! And while X bow and
smirk and crack witticisms, I and the devil
will be chuckling in our sleeves. But this
I'll tell you, while there's a drop of blood in
my veins, a breat'n in my body. 111 stick to
this fight if only to prove that I'm not a
quitter."
He caught her suddenly In hla arms, ktased
her, ran lightly to the door, and w»s gone
before she could recover from her astonlih
ment.
The affair went smoothly, without a hitch.
Norton and his men gained the bouse through
the tunnel without attracting the least at
tention. The Blnck Hundred, watching the
front and rear of the nouse, never dreamed
that there existed another mode of entrance
or that there was a secret cabinet room.
Half an hour later the head of the secret
service, accompanied by his men, together
with "Sp'der" Begga, who was !n high
feather over his success, arrived, demanded
admittance, and went at the fount of the
business at once.
"Tour name is .Tones," began the chief.
The butler nodded, thongh his face evinced
no little bewilderment at the appearance of
these men.
"What Is it you wish, sir?"
" I am from the secret service and I have
It from a pretty good source that there ia
counterfeit money hidden in this house. More
than that. T can put my hand on the very
place it is hidden."
" That is impossible, air," declared Jonea
indignantly.
"T'm an old hand, Mr. Jones. It will not
do you a bit of good to put on that bold !
front."
Be-ggs smiled. How was he tx> know that
this was a comedy set especially for hla
benefit.
" I should like to see that money," said
Jones, not quite so bravely.
"Come with me," said the secret service
man. "Where's the library?"
" Beyond that door, air."
The c'nief, beckoning to his men, entered
the library, went directly to a certain shelf,
extracted three volumes, and there lay th«
money in three neat packages.
"Good heavens!" gasped Jones.
" I shall have to request you and the fam
ily to accompany me to the station."
" But it is all utterly impossible, sir! I
know nothing of fnat money, nor how it got
there. It's a plot I declare on my oath,
sir, that I am innocent, that Miss Florence
and her companion know nothing about It."
" You will have to tell all that to the fe<T
eral Judge, sir. My duty is to take you all
to the station. It would be just as well not
to say anything more, sir."
"Very well; but some one shall smart for
this outrage."
"That remains to be seen," was the terse
comment of the secret service man.
He led his prisoners away directly.
Norton and his men had to wait far into
the night. The Black Hundred did not in
tpnd to make any mistake this time by a
hasty move. At quarter after 10 they de
scended. Braine was not with t'nem. This
was due to the urgent request of Olga. who
still had her doubts. The men rioted about
the house, searching nooks and corners, ex
amining floors and walls, opening books, pnll
ing out drawers, but they found nothing.
They talked freely, however, and t'ne dicta
graph registered every word. The printing
plant, which had so long defied discovery,
was in the cellar of the house occupied by
the Black Hundred. Norton and his men
determined to follow and raid the building.
And the reporter promised himself a good
front page story without in any way con
flicting with his promises to .Tones.
Events came to pass as they expected. The
trailing was not the easiest thing. Norton
knew about where the building was, but he
could not go to it directly. He was quite
confident that its entrance was identical with
that which had the trap door through which
he had been flung that memorable day when
he had been shanghaied.
When they reached the building Tie warned
the men to hug the wall to the stairs. The
trap yawned, but no one was hurt. They
scampered up the stairs like a lot of eager
boys; broke the door in—to find tb* weird
executive chamber dark and empty «nd an
acrid smoke In their nostrils. This
grew stifling as they blundered about In the
dark. By luck Norton found the exit and
called to the men to follow. They saw
Beggs at the top of the stairway and called
out to hhn to surrender. (He held np 'ais
hands and the stairs collapsed. Real fire
burst out and Norton and his companion had
a desperate battle with flame and smoke to
gain the street
The lire was pnt out finally, but there was
nothing In the rnlns to prove that tiwre had
been a counterfeiting den there. There wts,
however, at least eae consoling feature: in
the future the Blact Hundred would have to
hold their star-chambers elsewhere.
It was cbeckmaU: or, rather. It wts m
draw.
[TO BE cotmnum)