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MILLION OIMMYSTERYxS $10,000 FQR 100 WORDS. y u The Mitlien Holler Mystery" story will run for ticcnty-t ir0 consecutive Weekt in this paper. Jig a-n arrangement irith the Thanhouser Film company it has been made pottible net only t0 read the story in this paper hut also to see it each icreL in the various moving picture theaters. For the solution of this mystery story ! tlO,000 will he -itvn by the Thar.honser Film corporation. ; COXDITIOX GOVERNING THE CONTEST. The prise of $10,000 irill he icon by the man, uoman, or child mho write th most acceptable, solution of the mystery, from which the last tiro reels of motion picture drama trill be made and the last ttr0 chapters of the story written by Harold MacfJrath. Solutions may he sent to the Than housor Film corporation, cither at Chicago or Sew York, any time up to midnight, Jan. 1 . 27ms allous scleral toeeke after the lost chapter has been published. A board of three judges will determine which of the many solutions received is the most acceptable. The judges are to be Harold MarGrath , Lloyd Lonergan, and Must Mae Tmee. The judgment of this hoard icsll be absolute and final Nothing of a literary nature irill bo coniulered in the dreisu)n, nor given any preference in the selection of the winner of the S10,000 prize. The hist tiro reels, irhieh icill give the most accept able solution to the mys tery, irill be presented in the theaters having this feature as soon at it it POS sible tO produce, the same. The stat u corre sponding to these motion pictures IcW ap pear in the nr irspapcrs eomcidentolly, or as soon after the appearance of the pic tures as pi acticable. With the last twej reels tcill be ehown the pictures of the irm tin, his or her home, and other Interesting features It is undcrstoed that the newi papers, to far as practicable, in printing the last tiro chapters of the ttory by Har old MacGrath, tcill also show a picture of the suocettfal contestant. Solutions to the mystery must not be more than 100 tcords long. He-e are some question to be kept in mind in connection infi thi mystciy a aa aid to a solution: No. 1 What becomes of th millionairef No. 5 What becomes of the $1000,000? i No. 3 TVhovt does Florence marry? i No. ' What bccome$ of the Russian oouwtettf i Xohody connected either directly or In I directly toith " The Million Dollar Mys tery" will be considered at o contestant. gTirOPSIS OF IPRESVIOUI CHArTEro. Stanley- Ilnrtrrcave, millionaire! after a inlrncTJ Iouh pnospc from tbe Son of tb jranjc of brilliant thieves kronn a the Blnck Hundred, llv the life o-f a roolue for elublcen rear, HarftreiTe acct drnlnllT moot Brnlnc. UaOfr of the BlncU Hundred. KnnnlD Braino vrlll try to net btm, he encBprs from his otto home bj- a balloon. Before ewcaptnn he write a letter to tbe girl' aehool. where eighteen yearn before be mysteri ously left on the doorstep his fonby daughter. riorenee C ray. That day llBrpn ai nlv draws one million dol-InT-s Cram the bunk, but It 1h reported tbnt this dropped lolo tbe sen. ubm the balloon he esenped In was punctured. Florence arrives from the tjMsf BChOsL Countess OJga, Bralne's oompnnlon. vis Its her rind claims to be a relnle. Two boo detectives call, hot ihelr plot 1st foiled by Norton, a neiTspnprr man. By brlblnc tbe captain of tbe Orient Norton lays ix trup for Brnlne and bin (jan:;, Connte-s 'ili;a also llts tbe Ori ent's captain and she easily falls Into the reporter's anare. The plan proves abor tive through Bralne's (rood luck, and only blrillngs fall luto the bauds of the police. After falling; In tbelr llrst attempt the Black Hundred trap rioreuoe. They nsk t her for mouoT, but sho escapes, uaaln. zollln them. Norton find the eonntens call on Flor ence the next day. once more Hf at borne. The visitor hnlnp oiic. Jones remove a section of flooring:, and from m cavity takes a box. Pnraued by mero bera of the Black Hundred, he rusbea to tbe wnter front and ancceeda la drop ping tbe box Into tbe sea. Brolne conceives the Idea of giving a Coaeblnjr partr. to which Florence la In vited. Jones and Norton both fro nlonic and are fortunately on band to save Florence from being: Imprisoned In the ronntry house to which she Is lured- Florence ifoea horseback riding and la captured by one of Bralne's men along the roadside. Norton reseUM her, 1 hey are pursued, however, and the pair make their complete eicspe only after Norton baa exploded a tire on the fast approach Ina; machine with a bullet. Countess Olgrn, acbemlnc to break the cneug;ement now cxlbtlng between Flor ence Harajrenve and Norton. Invites them both to her apartments and pre tends to faint In the reporters arms. Florence appears in the doorway Juat at the planned moment, and ns a result gieji Norton back his rlnff. CHAPTER IX. . JITJH LEAP THE DARK. 4 0 fnr an Jones was concerned, he was rather pleased with the tarn of affolrx k This waa do Lime for lovemaklnK; no tirao for Hillr, Innocuous Qiiarrele and bickering, in whlcH love rnuet indulge r die. Florence no longer ro.le horseback, and Nor ton roturnerl to his accustomed haunta, where no one made the s!it,'htet attempt upon his lir- In ail present state of mind he would haTo wekumed it " What's the mnltpr with Jim0" caked the night city editor, raising his eye ehade. " I don't know," nnwere'l the copy reader. 4 Goes around as ir he'd been eating dope; humped into the boss a while ago and never topped to apologize." " Perhaps he's mapping out the front pa?e for that Hargrcave stuff, ' lausherl the copy reader. " Between you and tue and the gate post. I don't believe th're t-rer was a mau by the name of HargrsaTe." , "0, there was a chap by that name, all right He's dead. A man can't fwim 300 mileF In rough water, life buoy or no. They night to have funeral services, and let it at that." "But whm Nsa the reason tor that f-'o cable from Gibraltar saving that Orts was alive? I don't see any aenae in thjit " "The man who pulled it off did. I think, for my part, that both Oris and Harj;reavo ere dead, and that the innn picked up by the tramp steamer Orient was riding somo other balloon. " "You're wrom: there, The description of it proved that it tvos Orr' machine 0, Jim probably lio.H pot a man's size yarn up hLs sleeve, but he'M a lonp time In clelirrr:n; thn goods. lie's beginning to mope a good deal. omnn lack of it Komewhcpv Haven't hold down this copy job for twelve year with out being able to make some tolerablo gueRes. Jim's a star man. When he ?ris Ktartc-d DOtbing ran stop him. He eovoreil tbe Chinese Bo.vcr rebellion better than any at once, and T requeptsd yon to come to the house, and you sjild you could uot. I de- lined to stir." "What do you think?" "Exactly what you're thinking thit they have come to 1 if apnlu." "Jones, ia Mi- Florence aviuke?" " No." " Do you think there Ir any hope of having her understand what really happened?" ' I am her? only to guard her. I cannot undertake to r'ad her thoughts ' "You're not quite In favor of a reconcilia tion ? " " 0, yes. if it wpnt no further. Yoiini? people are young people the world over." "What does that mean?" "That they would not create imaginative j other correspondent there. I Wonder how old he Is'1 " " O, 1 should ay about thirty-one or two. Here he comes now. 'I, Jim! " "Hello! Wher' Ford? He gave me a ticket to the theater tonight1 and I want to purirh his head. What's drama coming to, nnyliow? Cisarcts and DOOM and mlsmated couples. Can't they 6rid good enough things out of doors? O, 1 know. Tbfv cater to loft of fro!s who believe that what thy see Is an expression of high life in New York and London. And It's rot, pluin rot. It's merely the wuin on the boiling pot. And any old housptrife would skim it Off and chui k it into the slops. Life? riffle! " "What', the grouch?" Looking for th dramatic Job?" "No. I've just len w.ndfiing how far theeo theatrical managers can go without slitting the golden l-v;:v." Norton nought his desk and began rum maging the drawers. He v:ik not hunting for anything; b was merely passing sway the time. By and by, when the pastime no ;ouger served, he pulled bis chair over to l ho window and sat down, staring at stnrn su b ns Copernicus never dreamed of. Ships going down to sea, ferries Swooping diagonally hither and thither, the clockwork signs: but be took no note of these marvels of light. "Not at home!" he muttered. He had called, written, telephoned. No use. The door remained shut, Jones an swered the telephone, and the letters came back lie hean to think very deeply con cerning tho Perigofl woman. Had she played a trick? Had that fainting spell been bun combe for his benefit as well as Florence's? But he bad ul a shadow of s proof. The thing that puzzled him equally with this wa tbut all attempts against liis life had mirac ulously ceased: no safes thundered down in front of him, and do autos tried to carve him in two. The only thing that kept him active was the dally call of Jones by wire. Mis Florence was well: that was h11 Jones wan permitted to say. Restlessly Norton f primed his chair and walked over to tho telephone booth. It was midnight H.- might or rcipht not be able to pet ,Tons. But almost instantly a voice said, " What is It " " Jones ? '' " Yeg. Who is it? " " Norton.'1 " Why, you called me up not ten minutes ago " "Not I!" "It was your voire, as plain a 'lay." "Wbni did I want?" keen all at unee. Tho reply did not come immediately. " You are certain it was not you?" " Wait a moment and I'll call the editor. He will prove t . yon that 've been bi re for an h'oir, and that tbbv is tho tot call l'e made. Somo one has been imposing on you. What did they ank you t, do?" ou aolxril ine. to COtUS frown to the off! 0 heart aChea if they were not young. Better let things remain exactly as they are. When all ihse troubles are settled finally, the lesser trouble may be talked over sensibly. But this is not the time. There is no news. Good-night." Norton returned to his chair, gloomier than eTer. With his feet upon the window sill, he stared and stared aDd dreamed and dreamed till a hand fell upon his shoulder. It belonged to one of the ol&Yc boy6. " Note f'r you, sir " Norton read it and tore it into little pieces. Then he rose and distributed the pieces ia the several yawning waste baskets which strewed the aisle leadlug to the city desk. 11 I'm not wanted for anythinc? " he asked. " No. Clear out!" laughed the night city editor. "Tbi sight of you is putting every body in the gloom ward." Norton went down to the street. At the left of the entrance he was quietly joined by a man whose arm was carried in a sling. He motioned Norton to get into the taxlcab. They were dropped in a deserted spot in Biverdale, On foot they went forward to thcit destination, which proved to be the deserted hangar of the aviator William Orbs. " I want rou to tell Jones that a tug and sevoml divers ere it work on the spot where he threw the client That's all. Now, doc tor, rewind this arm of miue." The amateur surgeon made n very good job of it: nt for nothing had he followed fighting armies to the front. " Did they find anything?" " Nt up to date. But we might If wo cared to. They have left B buoy over the spot they're exploring. But just now It floats a quarter of a mile to the east of the spot " " Who were the men in the motor boat that chased Jones? " " Only Jones can Ml you. Queer old codger, eh?" A bit stubborn. He wants to handle it without police assistance." " And he's right. We are not aiming to arrest any one," siniitorly. " There can't be any draw to this game. Here, no smoking. Too much gas afloat." Norton put the clgtrels back Into his pocket. "What's tine real news?" he de manded. "You would not bring mc out here Juat to rebandage that arm. It really did not need it. t'orno, out with it" " You're sharp." " I'm paid to be sharp." "I've found where- the Black Hundred holds its sessions." " By George, that is news! " "Tho room above in vacant. A little bolts in the celling, and who knows what might happen ? " "What do you want mo to do?" "Tell Jones. When the next meeting cornea around I'll adviso you I've stumbled upon a dissatisfied member. Ho. buck up, they say. We've got two ends of Hie net J"b, and v.ilh a little care we'll have theiji all. Now. let me have a hundred." Norton drew out a packet of bills and counted off five twenties. "Why don't you draw the cash yourself?" " It happens to be in your name, son." "I forgot," said Norton. "But what a chance for me! Nearly five thousand, all mine for a ticket to Algiers!" A grunt was the only reply. " 1 want you to tell me about the Pcrigoff woman." " I know only one thing that Braine is there every night.'' " No! " "The orders are for you to play toe game jnst as you erf playing it Whpu we strike, it must be the last blow. All this hide-and-seek business may look foolish to you, It 'a like that Japanese game called 'jo.' It looks simple, but chess Is a tyro'R game beside It. Can yon find Vour way back all right?" "I can." " Well, you'd better he going. That's all the light I have, In this torch here. Got a lot to do tomorrow and need sleep." Norton stole awny with great caution. His first intention was to proceed straight to tho city, but despite his resolution he found himself within a quarter of an hour gazing up at the windows of the Hargreave house. " Not- at home! " Quite unconscious of the fact, he was as close to death as any mortal man might care to be. The policeman, suddenly looming up under the arc lamp, proved to be his savior. The lull made Jons doubly alert. He wan positivo that they were preparing to strike lE IS THERE EVEr NIGHT again But from what direction and in what manner? Hs had not the gift of claiivuv ance, o he had to wait; and waitiug is a terrible ame when perhaps death Is ba! aucing the scales. It Is always easier to make an assault than to avioit it: and it is B good general who always Bnds himself prepared. But It made his heart ache to watch the cLild. She went about cheerfully when any one was In the room with lier. Many a lime, however, he had stolen to the door of her bedroom and heard the heart renting sobs, a vain attempt being made to stido them among the pillows She was only 16; it was first love; and first loves are pale, evanescent attachment, It hurt now; but ahe would got oer It presently. Youth for gets. Time, like water, smooths away the ragged places. The Countess call-d regularly. She was, of course, dreadfully sorry over what had happened. She had heard something about Lis character; newspaper men weren't always the best. This one was a mere fortuu hunter, a two faced one, at that. She was never more surprised in her life when he threw lus anus around ber. And so on, and bo forth, half lies and half truth, till the putleut Jnnet; fff wrluglng her neck. From his vantage point tho butler smiled Ironically. He could read the heart of this Perigofl woman as he could read the page of a book. The effrontery I And all the while he ruuft gravely admit her and pretend wheu the b! iod rloteij in his veius at the sight of her. But he dared not swerve a single Inch from the plant lmd down. It was a cup of bitter gall, and there was no way of avoid ing the putting of it to h!s lips. She ema nated poison as nightshade- emanate it, the upan tree And he mut bow when Khe en tered nud bow when she left! Still, she had done him an indirect favor in breakiug up this love business. One afternoon Braine summoned his run about and called upon two physicians. When be w iia ubhered info the deserted office of tho first he veut hi cn rd In. Hie doctor replied In person. His fnrs was pjle and bis hands shook. " Good afternoon," said Braine, smiling affably. Tbe doctor eyed him like a man hypno tised. " You . . . you wished to 6ee me on some, particular business?" " Very particular," dryly. " My car is out Jde. Will you be so good as to accompany me? " The doctor slowlv wpnt Into the hall for his hat and coat. He left the house and got into the car with never a word of protest. "Thinking?" Md Braine, " I am always thinking whenever I see your evil face. What devilment do yon re quire of me this time?" "A mere stroke of the pen." "Where are we going?" "To call on another physician of your standing," significnntly. " It is a great thing to have friends like yoa two. Always ready to 6erve ns, for the mere love of it." ' There's no need of using that kind of talk to me. You have me in tbe hollow of your hand. Why should I bother to deny if? I have broken the law. I broke it becauso I was starving." "It i9 better to starve in freedom than to est fat joints up the river. Todaj it is a question of Eauity." " And you want mo to assist in signing away the liberty of some person who is per fectly Kane? " "The nail on the head," urbanely. " You're a fine scoundrel!" " Not so loud! " warningly. " As Loud ns I please. I am not forget ting that you need me. I'm no coward. 1 recognize that you hold ihe whip hand. But you can send me to the chair before I'll crawl to you. Now, leave me aloue for a while." The other physician had no such qualms of conscience He was ready at all times for the generous emoluments which accrued from his dealings with the man Brnne. The Countess Perlgoff was indisposed ; so it was quite in the order of things that she should summon physicians. There is a law in the state of New York jui-t or unjust, whichever you please that reads that any person may be adjudged in sane If the signatures of two registered physi cians are affixed to the document. It does not say that these poysicians shall have been proved reputable. There were, besides the physician a motherly looking woman and a man of benign countenance. Their faces wore valuable asets. To gain another person's confidence Is, perhaps, among tho greatest human achievements. A confidence man and woman in the real Ben; of the word. In your mind's eye you could e this mnn carrying the con tribution plate down the aisle on Sunday mornings, and his wife Kate putting her mite on the plate for the benefit of some poor, untidy Hottentot. On Tuesday of the followiug week Florence and .Susan went chopping. The chauffeur was a strong young fellow whom Jones relied upon. If you pay a man well and hold out fine promises, you generally can trust him. As 1 1: "ir car left the corner another followed Leisurely. This second auto mobile contained Thomas Wendt and his wife Kate. The two young women stopped at the great dry goods shop near the public library, and for the time being naturally for got everything but the marvels which had come from all part of the world. It is a natural for 8 woman to buy ft ii is for a man to sell. Ia some manner or otLer Florence becaiuo teparated from Susan. She hunted through aisle after aisle, hut could not find her for I the simple reason that Susan was huntin I for her. It occurred to the girl that Susan B might have wisely concluded the best place t to wait would bo in the taxicab. And so i Florence hurried our into the street, iuto C the arms of tbe Wendt family, who were E patiently awaiting ber. I The trusted chauffeur had been sent I around to thr- Md entrance by tho major I domo. The young lady had so requested I so he said. I Florence struggled and called for the no- f liceman, who came running up, followed b7 f the usual idle, curious crowd. L "The poor young woman is insane," said i tbe motherly Kate, tears in her eyes. The j benign Thomas looked at heaven. " We are her keepers." j "It is not true'" cried Florence dee- J perately. J "She has the hallucination that she is I the daughter of the millionaire Stanley $ Harcreave." And Thomas, exhibited his document, which was perfectly legal, so far as appearances went. I " Hurry up and get her off the walk. I f can't have the crowd growing any larger." I said the policeman, convinced. So, despite her cnes and protestations, Florence wa hustled info the automobile, J even the policeman lending a hand. ( "Poor young thing!" he said to the j crowd. " Come, now, move on. I can't f have the walk blocked up. Get a gait on He was congratulating himself upon tho I orderliness of the affair when a keen eyed young man in the garb of a chauffeur j touched his shoulder. 1 ' Whnt's this I hear about) an insane I woman?" he demanded. If "She was inssoe, all right. They hal papers to prove, it. She kept crying that i she was Stanley Hargreave's daughter." J, ' My God!" The young man struck his f forehead in despair. "You ass; she wai J Stanley Hargreave's daughter, and they've I kidnaped her right under your nose! What f was the number of that car?" f " Cut out that line of talk, young fellah: I know my business-. Tbey had the proper F documents." " But you hadn't brains enough to inquire whether thtjy were genuine or not! You I wait'" shrilled the chauffeur. "I'll have J you broken for this work." He wheeled and ran back to his car, to find Susan aud ( the countess in a great state of agitation. " They got her. they got her! And T swore L on the book that they never should, so long as I drove the car " Susau wept, and the countess tried Is vain to console her. I And when Jones wa& informed he fright ened even the countess with the snar' of rage which buried across his lips. He tore ' into the hall, seized his hat, and was gone. Not a word of reproach did he offer to the chauffeur. He understood that no one Is infallihle. He found tbe blundering police man, who now realized that he stood in for a whiff of the commissioner's carpet. All ! he could do was to give a good description j of the man and woman. Word was Mnt j broadcast through the city. The police had to be informed this time. V Late in the day an officer whose beat in eluded the ferry landing at Hoboken said J he had seen the three. Everything bl 1 looked all right to him. It was the mother ly j'ace of the one and the benign counte nance of the other that bad blinded him. At midnight Jones, haggard and with the air of one beaten, returned home "No wireless yet?" asked Norton. " Tbe George Washington of the North German Lloyd does not answer. Something j bus happened to her wires; tampered with, M possibly." l "So long as we know they are at sea, j t. e can remedy the evd. They Will not be side to land at a single port. I have sent ten cables. They can't get away from th wire. If I could only get hold of the names of those damnable doctors who signed that document! Twenty years. ' J Jones rnt bis head lo his hands, and Norton tramped the floor till the souud of his 1 footsteps threatened to drive the moaning Susan iuto hysterics. "If is only a mutter of a few days." " But can the child stand the terrors? " questioned Jones, ' Who knows that they may not really drive her insane?" On board the George Washington every one felt extremely sorry for this leautiful girl, it was a frightful misfortune to be so stricken at her age. I "She Is certainly insane," said one of the passengers, who had known Hargreave glightly through some banking business. J "Hsrcreae wasn t married. He lived alone." After the second day out Florence was j permitted to wander about the ship as she j pleased ) A good many of the passengers, wers mightily worried when they learned that the wireless had in some mysterious way l.eeD tampered with .r:'r the boat had mad' JM the open sea. It was Impossible to put I about. The apparatus must be fixed at sea. I And when finally Norton's wireless caught I the wires Of the George Washington he was Bravely luformod that tho young lady re ferred to had leaped the rail off the Bank at night and had been drowned. She had not been missed till the following morning. fTO BE COMUUXD.