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THE DEMOCRAT, LIBERAL, KANSAS. "UllfJ ifiiiiiuiiiuiiai in fly HAROLD Illustrated from Scenes in the Photo Drama of the Same Nam by the Thanhouser Film Company (Copyright, 11114, bf SYNOPSIS.-. Stanley Hargreave, millionaire, after a miraculous escape from the oVn of the gang of brilliant thieves known as the Flack Hundred, lives the life of a recluse for eighteen years. Hargreave accidental ly meets Bralne, leader of the Black Hun dred. Knowing Bralne will try to Ret him, he escapes from his own home by a bal loon. Hi fore escaping he writes a letter to the girls' school where eighteen years before he mysteriously left on the door stop his baby daughter. Florence Orny. That day Hargreave also draws fl.OOO.OOO from the hank, but It Is reported that this dropped into the sea when the balloon he escaped in was punctured, Florence arrives from the girls' school. CountesH Olga, Braine's companion, visits her and claims her as a relative. Two bogus de tectives call, but their plot Is foiled by Norton, a newspaper man. After falling In their first attempt, the Black Hundred trap Florence. They ask her for money, but she escapes, again foiling them. Nor ton and the countess call on Florence the next day, once more safe at home. The visitors having gone, Jones removes a ectlon of flooring and from a cavity takes a box. Pursued by members of the Black Hundred, he rushes to the water front and succeeds In dropping the box Into the sea. Accomplices of Bralne kid nap Florence and hurry her off to sea. 8he leaps overboard and la pinked up In a dated condition by . fishermen. Braine, disguised as her father, takes her back to aea with him. Florence seta fire to the boat and Is rescued by a ship on which Norton has been shanghaied. Concealed above the rendezvous of tha Black Hun dred, a man learns of the recovery of J he box from the sea by a sailor and of r subsequent return to the bottom of the nea, and he quickly communicates the fact to Jones. A .duplicate box is planted and later secured by the band, but before Its contents are examined the box mys teriously disappears. Finding himself checkmated at every turn, Bralne endeav ors to enmesh the Hargreave household In the law In order to gain free access to the house. The timely discovery of the plot by Norton seta the police at the heels of the park and results in a raid on the gang's rendexvous, which, however, proves to be barren of results. Following a tele phone message Jones received from a mysterious person whom he addressed as "sir." Florence Is .again lured from her home and taken out to sea.- Through Norton's daring and skill as an aviator she Is rescued and returns to her home In time to confront an agent of the Black Hundred. Through treachery In the Har greave household Florence Is delivered In to the hands of an unscrupulous doctor, who Is In the pay of the Blnck Hundred. From the faithful Susan Norton learns that the doctor has declared that Flor ence is stricken with smallpox and that he Is preparing to spirit her away. By act ing quickly the reporter, with the aid of Buian, succeeds In extricating the young woman from the danger after an encoun ter with members of the gang. CHAPTER XVII. Setting Traps for Norton. The Black Hundred possessed three separate council chambers, always in preparation. Hence, when the one in uee was burned down they transferred their conferences to the second coun cil chamber appointed Identically the same as the first. As inferred, the or ganization owned considerable wealth, and they leased the buildings in which they had their council chambers, leased them for a number of years, and refurnished them secretly with trap floors, doors and panels and all that apparatus to necessary to men who are sometimes compelled to make a quick getaway. When the Atlantic City attempt was turned into a fiasco by Norton's timely arrival Braine determined once more to rid himself of this meddling re porter. He knew too much, in the first place, and in the second place Bralne wanted to learn whether the reporter bore a charmed life or was just ordinarily lucky. He would at tempt nothing delicate, requiring finesse. He would simply waylay Nor ton and make a commonplace end of him. He would disappear, this re porter, that would be all; and when they found him he might or might not be recognizable. So Braine called a conference and lie and hfs fellow rogues went over a number of expedients and finally agreed that the best thing to do would te to send a man to the newspaper, ostensibly as a reporter looking for a situation. With this excuse-he would toe able to bang around the city room for three or four days. The idea back of this was to waylay Norton on hts -way to some assignment which took bim to the suburbs. All this was arranged down to the smallest detail; and a man whom they were quite certain Norton had not yet seen was selected to play the part. He had been a reporter once, inore's the pity; so there was no doubt of his being able to handle his end of the game. "I want Norton, I want him badly," declared Bralne, "and woe to you If you let booze play in between you and the object of this move." The man selected to act the re porter hung his head. Whisky had been the origin of his fall from hon est living, and he was not so cal loused as not to feel the sting of remorse at times. "More," went on Braine, "I want Norton brought to 49. It's a little off the beat, and we can handle Norton as we please. When we get rid of this newspaper ferret there'll be an other to eliminate. But he's a fox, and a fox must be set to trail him." "And who Is that?" "Jones, Jones, Jones!" thundered Braine. "He's the live wire. But the reporter first Jones depends a lot on him. Take away this prop and Jonea will not be so sure of himself. There's a man outside all this circle, u4 all thM weeks ot warfare have iry MAC GRATH . Harold HaeQrath) not served to bring him into the circle." "Hargreave Is dead," said Vroon stolidly. "As dead as I am," snarled Bralne. "Two men went away In that balloon; and I'll wager my head that one man came back. I am beginning to put a few things together that I have not thought of before. Who knows? That balloon may have been carried out to sea purposely. The captain on that tramp 'steamer may have lied from beginning to end. I tell you, Hargreave is alive, and wherever he is he has his hand on all the wires. He has agents, too, whom we know nothing about Hang the million! 'I want to put my hands on Hargreave Just to prove that I am the better man. He communicates with Jones, per haps through the reporter; he has hud me followed; it was he who changed the boxes, bored the hole in the cell ing of the other quarters and learned heaven knows what." "If that's the case," eald Vroon, "why hasn't he bad us apprehended?" Braine laughed heartily. "Haven't you been able to see by this time what his game is? Reveuge. He does not want the police to meddle only in the smaller affairs. He wants to put ter ror Into the hearts of all of us. Keep this point In your mind when you act. He'll never summon the police unless we make a broad daylight attempt to get possession of his daughter. And even then he would make it out a plain case of kidnaping. Elimination, that's the word. All right. We'll play at that game ourselves. No. 1 shall be Mr. Norton. And If you fall I'll break you," Braine added to the ex-reporter. "I'll get him," said the man sullenly. Later, when he applied for a situa tion on the Blade, it happened that there were two strikes on band, and two or three extra men were needed on the city Btaff. The man from the Black Hundred was gven a temporary job and went by the name of Gregg. For three days he worked faithfully. abstaining from his favorite tipple. He had never worked in New York, a4 cW Norton Was at His Desk. so his record was unknown. He had told the cltv editor that he hnri worked on a Chicago paper, now defunct. He paid no attention whatsoever to Norton, a sign of no little acumen. On the other hand Norton never went forth on an assignment that Gregg did not know exactly where be was going. But all these stories kept Nor ton in town; and it would bo altogeth er too risky to attempt to handle him anywhere but outside of town. So Gregg bad to abide his time. It came soon enough. Norton was idling at bis desk when the city editor called him up to the wicket. "General Henderson has Just re turned to America. Get his opinion on the latest Balkan rumpus. He's out at hlB suburban botne. Here's the address." "How long will you hold open for me?" usked Norton, meaning how long would the city editor wait for the story. "Till one-thirty. You ought to be back by midu'ght it's only eight now." "All right; Henderson's approach able. I may get a good story out of him." 1 "Maybe." thought flrur t. t,-j lost nothing of this conversation. It was bis opportunity. He Imme diately left tha ot tis fc- - V lor a telephone booth. '' But as be passed the line of desks and busy reporters be did not note the keen scrutiny of a smooth faced, gray haired man who stood at the side of Norton's desk awaiting the reporter's return. "Why, Jones," cried the surprised Norton. "What are you doing all this way from home?" "Orders," said Jones, smiling faint ly as he delivered a note to the re porter. "Anything serious?" "Not that I am aware of. Miss Flor ence was rather particular. She want ed to be sure that the note reached your hands safely." "And do you mean to say that you came away and left her alone In that house?" Again Jones smiled. "I left her well guarded, you may be sure of that. She will never run away again." He wait ed for Norton to read the note. It was nothing more than one of those love orders to come and call at once. And she had made Jones ven ture into town with It! The reporter smiled and put the note awuy tenderly. And then he caught Jones smiling, too. "I'm going to marry her, Jones." "That remains to be seen," replied the butler, not unkindly. "Well, anyhow, thanks for bringing the note. Hut I've got to disappoint her tonight. I'm off in a deuce of a hurry to Interview General Hender son. I'll be out to tea tomorrow. You can find your way out of this old fire trap. By-by!" The moment he turned away the smile faded from Jones' face, and with the quickness and noiselessness of a cat he reached the side of the booth in which Gregg ' believed lilme!f so se cure from eavesdropping. The half dozen words Jones heard convinced him that Norton was again the object of the Black Hundred's attention. He bud seen the man's face that memora ble night when the balloon stopped for Its passenger. Before Gregg came out of the booth Jones decided to over take him and forewarn bim, but un fortunately the reporter was nowhere in sight. There was left for Jones nothing else but to return home or follow when he came out. As this night he knew Florence to be exceptionally well guarded, both within and without the house, he decided to wait and follow the spy. When Braine received the message be was pleased. Norton's assignment fitted his purpose like a glove. Before midnight he would have Mr. Meddling Reporter where he would bother no one for some time if he proved tract able. If not, he would never bother any one again. Braine gave his or ders tersely. Unless Norton met with unforeseen delay, nothing could pre vent his capture. When Norton arrived at the Hen derson place, a footman Informed him from the veranda that General Hen derson was at 49 Elm street for the evening, and it would be wise to call there. Jim nodded his thanks aud set off in haste for 49 Elm street The footman did not enter the house, but hurried down the steps and slunk off among the adjacent shrubbery. His mission was over with. The bouse In Elm street was Braine's suburban establishment. He went there occasionally to hibernate, as it were, to grow a new skin when close pressed. ' The caretaker was a man rightly called Samson. He was a bruiser of the bouncer type. It was fast work for Braine to get out there. If the man disguised as a footman played his cards badly Braine would have all his trouble for noth ing. He disguised himself with that infernal cleverness which had long since made him a terror to the police, who were looking for ten different men Instead of one. He knew that Norton would understand instantly that he was not the general; but on the other hand he would not know that he was addressing Braine. So the arch-conspirator waited; and so Norton arrived and was ushered Into the room. A single glance was enough to satisfy the reporter, always keen eyed and observant. "I wish to see General Henderson," he said politely. "General Henderson Is doubtless at his own house." "Ah!" "Don't be alarmed yet," said Bralne emoothly. "I am not alarmed." replied Norton. "I am only chagrined. Since General Henderson Is not to be found here I miiFt be excused." "I will excuse you presently." "Ah! 1 begin to see." "Indeed!" mocked Braine. "I have tumbled or walked into a trap." "A keen mind like yours must h;tve recognized that fact the moment you discovered I was not the general." "I am indebted to the Black Hun dred?" coolly. "Precisely. We do not wish you ill, Mr. Norton." "To be sure, no!" Ironically. "What with falling safes poltoned cigarettes, ond so forth, I can readily see that you have my welfare at heart. What puzzled me was Die suddenness with which these affectionate signs ceased." "You're a man of heart" said Pralne with genuine admiration. "These af fectionate signs, as you call them, ceased because for the time being you ceased to be a menace, rou have become that onoe more, and here you are!" "And what are you going to do with me now that you have got me?" "There will be two courses." Braine reached Into a drawer and drew out a thick roll of bills. "There are here something like 15,000." "Quite a tidy sum; enough for a Mrrlut e The two eyed tca other steadily. And In his heart Bralne sighed. For he saw In this young man's eyes In corruptibility. "It Is yours on one condition," said Bralne, reaching out his foot stealthily toward the button which would sum mon Samson. "And that is," Interpolated Norton, "that I join the Black Hundred." "Or the great beyond, my lad," took up Bralne, his voice crisp and cold. Norton could not repress a shiver. Where bad be heard this voice before . . . Braine! He stlffeueti. "Murder in cold blood?" he managed to say. "Indefinite Imprisonment. Choose." "I have chosen." "H'm!" Braine rose and went over to the sideboard for the brandy. "I'm going to offer you a drink to show you that personally there are no hard feel ings. You are in the way. After you, our friend. Jones. This brandy Is not poisoned, neither are the glasses. Choose either and I'll drink first. We are all desperate men, Norton; and we stop at nothing. Your life hangs by a hair. Do you know where Har greave is?" Norton eyed his liquor thoughtfully. "Do you know where the money is?" Norton smelt of the brandy. "I am eorry," said Bralne. "I should have liked to win over a bead like yours." Norton nonchalantly took out his watch, and that bit of bravado per haps saved his life. In the case of his watch he saw a brutal face behind him. Without a tremor, Norton took up his gluss. "I am sorry to disappoint you," he mild, "but 1 shall neither join you nor go to by-by." Quick as a bird shadow above grass, he flung the brandy over his shoulder Into the face of the man behind. Sam son yelled with pain. Almost at the same instant Norton pushed over the table, upsetting Bralne with it. Next he dashed through the curtains, slammed the door, and fled to the street, very shaky about the knees, if the truth is to be told. General Henderson's views upon the latest Balkan muddle were .missing from the Blade the following morn ing. Norton, instead of returning to the gVneral's and fulfilling his assign ment like a dutiful reporter, hurried out to Riverside to acquaint Jones with what had happened. Jones was glad to see him safe and sound. "That new reporter started the game," he said. "I overhead a word or two while he was talking in the booth. All your telephone booths are ramshackle affairs, you use them so constantly. I tried to find you, but you were out of sight Now, tell me what happened." "Sh!" warned Norton as he spied Florenca coming down the stairs "I thought you couldn't come!" she cried. "But ten o'clock!" ... "I changed my mind," he replied laughing. He caught her arm In his and drew her toward the library. Jones smiled after them with that enigmatical smile of his, which might have signified Irony or affection. After half an hour's chat, Florence, quite aware that the two men wished to talk, re tired. At the door Norton told Jones what had taken place at 49 Elm street. "Ah! we must not forget that num ber," mused Jones. "My advice Is keep an eye on this Gregg chap. We may get somewhere by watching him." "Do you know where Hargreave Is?" Jones scratched his chin reflectively Norton laughed. "I can't get any thing out of you." "Much less any one else! I'm grow ing fond of you, my boy. You're a man." "Thanks; and goodnight." When Olga Perlgoff called the next day Jones divested himself of his liv ery, donned a plain coat and hat, and left the house stealthily. Today he was determined to learn something definite In regard to this suave, hand some Russian. When she left the house Jones rose from bis hiding place bnd proceeded to follow her. The re- suit of this espionage on the part of Jones will be seen presently. Meantime Jim went down to the office and lied cheerfully about his missing the general. Whether the city editor believed him or not Is of no matter. Jim went over to his desk. From the corner of his eye he could see Gregg scribbling away. He never raised his heud as Jim sat down to read bis mail. After awhile Gregg rose and left the office; and, of course, Jim left shortly afterward. When the newcomer eaw that he was being fol lowed, he smiled and continued on his way. This Norton chap was suspi cious. All the better; his suspicions should be made the hook to land him with. By and by the man turned Into a drug store and Jim loitered about till he reappeared. Gregg walked w ith brisker steps now. It was his In- tenflon to lead Norton on a wild goose chase for an hour or so, long enough to give Braine time to arrange a wel come nt another houee. Norton kept perhaps half a block in the rear of his man all the while. Rut for this caution he would have wit nessed a little pantomime that would have put him wholly upon his guard. Turning a corner, Gregg all but bumped Into the countess. He was quick enough to place a finger on hts lips and motion his head toward a taxlcab. Olga hadn't the least idea who was coming around the corner,, but she hailed the cab and was off in It before Jim swung around the cor ner. Jones, who had followed the count ess for something over an hour and a half, hugged a doorway. What now? he wondered. The countess knew lba man. That -was evidence enough for the astute butler. But what meant the pantomime and the subsequent hurry? He soon learned. The man Gregg went his way, and then Jim turned the corner. Jones cast a wist ful glance at the vanishing cab of the Russian, and decided to shadow the shadower in other words, follow the reporter, to see that nothing serious befell him. The lurer finally paused at a- door, opened It with a key, and swung it behind him, very careful, however, not to spring the latch. Naturally Jim was mightily pleased when he found the door could be opened. When Jones, not far behind, saw him open the door, he started to call out a warn ing, but thought the better of It If Norton was walking Into a trap It was far better that he, Jones, should re main outside of it. It Jim did not appear after a certain length of time, he would start an Investigation on his own account No sooner was Jim In the hallway than he was set upon and overpow ered. They had In this house what was known as "the punishment room." Here traitors paid the reckoning and were never more heard of. Into this room Jim was unceremoniously dropped when Braine found that be f ' 'M if n- --S i . ks I ! .. f ffi f l "-- ' V ' M ' - : j ; t Iff" ! iff L Up This Rope Norton Swarmed. could get no Information from the res olute reporter. The room did not look sinister, but for all that It possessed the faculty of growing smaller and smaller, slowly or swiftly, as the man above at the lever willed. When Jim wns apprised of IIiIb fuel, he ran madly about in search of some mode of escape, know ing full well in his heart that he should not find one. Presently the machinery began to work, and Norton's tongue grew dry with terror. They hud him this time; there was not the least doubt of it And they had led him there by the nose Into the bargain. Twenty minutes passed, and Jones concluded It was time for him to act He went forward to try the door, but this time it was locked. Jones, how ever, was not without resource The house next door was vacant, and he found a way Into this, finally reaching the roof. From this he jumped to the other roof, found the scuttle open, and crept down the stairs, flight after flight, till the whir of a motor arrest ed him. Conspirators are often overeager, too. So Intent were the rascals upon the business at hand that thfy did not notice the door open slowly It did not take the butler more than a moment to realize that his friend and any was near certain death. With an oath he sprang into the room, gave Bralne a push which sent him down to Join the victim, and pitched Into the other two. It was a battle royal while It lasted. Jones knocked down one of them, yelled to Norton, and kicked the rope he saw down Into the pit. One end of this rope was attached to a ring In the wall. And up this rope Norton swarmed after he had disposed ot Braine. The tide of battle then swung about in favor of the butler, and shortly the fake reporter and his companion were made to Join their chief. Jones stopped the machinery. He could not bring himself to let bis en emies die so horribly. Later be knew he would regret this sentiment When the people came, summoned by some outsider who had heard the racket of the conflict, there was no one to be found in the pit. Nov there any visible sign of an exit. There - was one, however, built against such an hour and known only to the chiefs of the Black Hundred. And still, the golden tinted bank notes reposed tranquilly In their bid ing place! (TO BR CONTINUED.; Proof 'oiltlva. "Don't you be afraid, Fritx!' called the ally as Frit pommelled the new comer at school. "He ain't got no big brother. His schoolbooks are per frUr now." HAD TO BE TAUGHT FRENCH English Horses, in Service of Gallio Owners, Unable to Understand Words of. Command. A French writer tells a quaint story' cavalry In France found themselves in possession of a number of horses which were not found suitable for cavalry work. By arrangements with the French government they sold them off to French peasants for agricultural work. The farmers were delighted; though the horses were not adapted for cavalry work, they were better than they had been accustomed to have for farm work. But when they came to work them a difficulty arose. The horses did not understand French. When addressed with "Hue" or a "Dla!" (which is Idiomatic French for "Gee up!" and "Way, whoa!") they did not budge. No doubt carters In France, as In England, have a whole vocabulary of horse talk. Apart from the starting and stopping, there are special cries which tell the horse to turn to the right or left or to take up a particular posture when it Is being groomed. Even In England these carters' and grooms' words differ In different coun ties, but probably that would be no difficulty in the way of transferring a horse, Bay, from the north of Eng land to the south. For, as the experi mental psychologists tell us, animals rln nnr resllw llnilnratanA artfntilnHnn " " " " ......... x. ...... .... U.UV'".. , what they do understand Ib the tone In which words are spoken. This has been said even of dogs, which are much more Intelligent than horses and much more attentive to the speech of man. Dog lovers, however, deny this, and say that dogs under stand the spoken word In whatever tone It h uttered or however quietly. However that may be, It would not help thr. English horses In France, since the French tones expressing the various moods of entreaty or com mand differ even more from the Eng lish than does the pronunciation of the words. The horse Is not the only animal to which French would be a foreign tongue. In France you call a cat not by a hissing sound, "Tsh, tsh," or "Psh, psh," as we do, but by some thing between a kiss, and a whistle. Hence In France the vocative of "cat" Is not "Puss" but "Mlmi" Aeroplanes of Russian Make. SukhomlinofT saw that a weak point In the Russian army was that too much of Its equipment came from abroad a vulnerable situation in war time, as the present shows So be set himself busily building up arms factories, cartridge factories, and so on within the boundaries of Russia, and at the same time established a central laboratory where new mechan isms, explosives, Inventions might be tried out. He also organized and this gives ns the measure of his foresight a first class school of military aviation, and set the best Russian mechanics at the development and manufacture of aero planes, which today take the place of cavalry as "the eyes of the army." The reBiiIt Is that for the laBt four or five years Russia has been making her own aeroplanes and training a large staff of officers able to use them. Sukhom linofT also developed an effective corpi of army ntitomobiles. for the rapid transport of men and supplies. Amer ican Review of Reviews. The Dutch at Whitby. WhUby's Inst experience of naval warfare was rather curious. In June, 1636, two Dutch warships chased "a plckroon belonging to the king of Spain" into the harbor, and though In neutral water, England being at peace with both combatants, lowered their boats to board the Spanish vessel. The governor of the town, Sir Hugh Cholmley, protested, but the Dutch carried out their design and captured the enemy's ship. Thus set at defi ance, Sir Hugh called up the trained bands, took boats, recaptured the Spanish ship and took prisoner one U . I II.J UUIVII lHj'll.IllU. Whitby's chief fame Is that from Its abbey emerged the first English singer, Caedmon. He was remarkable among his fellows for bis ignorance of such simple skill in the art of song as belonged to the monks of those days. Pall Mall Gazette. Another Edison Marvel. When the telephone was nothing more than an experimental toy in 1870, Mr. Edison predicted that this form ot communication would not be perfect until combined with the phonograph, so that telephone messages would b recorded automatically. And now, for ty-five years later, when fifteen mil lions of conversations are carried an- nually over the telephone wires. Mr. Edison is ready to exhibit at the Pau- . ama-Paciflc fair for the first time the telescribe, a combination of the tele phone and dictaphone, which will put upon a cylinder for reproduction every syllable uttered Into the trannnitter A little thought will enable anv one to realize what a revolution will, ha wrought In commercial and legal af fairs when a telephone conversaticn can be proved bevond dispute as read ily as a written document. Woes of an Author. "How's your new bock coming on?" "Passably well The demand isn't what It should be. I mean among pur chasers And, ot course, if people don't buy the book there's nothing in It for me'; "I see By the way, I'm reading it now. . . .Binks . loaned .me a copy that Tompkins borrowed from Bradley. Pretty fair story." Cleveland Plain Dealer.