Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1903-1919 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 15, 1914)
V THE DAILY CANT AL JOUXNAL, SALEM, OKXOOK. BATUBDAY. AUGUST 15, 19U. 1 MAC GMffl in US. V. J H I I I H li 11 W Ji II I 'II . M " 1 1f ltiMa Dollar Myttery tfors rMI rss or twenty-tire tonteeuilv tceeit t Mm poprr. fK arrangement toil tf-.r Thanhouter Film company U Aa let nJ pottiblt not only to rtai Iki ttory it thit paver tut alto to let it each tret in Ik rations woriiij piefar tkiottri. l or tlit solution of tki$ myttery ttory Slu.000 trill bo piren ly the Thanhouter film corporation. coxomoxs aovrnxixa tbb COXTEST. Tit prize of $10,000 will he won by Ho man, woman, or chili who uv.'et the mol acceptable tolulion of the myttery, from which thi lait tiro retli of motion picture Varna will be made and the last Oct chaptert of the ttory written by liar old UacGrath. Solutions may bo tent to the Than houter Film corporation, cither at Chicago ur Xete York, any time up to midnight, Jan. . 'i'kie aoir trrrral wtikt after the last chapter hat fir published. A io'ird of three judtict trill determine which of the many tolutlout received it the mott acceptable. The judget art to be Harold Mucliruth, Lloyd Loncrgan, and Mitt Mae Tince. The judgment of thit loard u ill be absolute and final. Xothing of a literary nature will be considered in the decision. i:or gircn any preference in the teketion of the id.i.icr o the i 10,000 prize. 'I'll a last tiro reclt, tchich will girt th i most urn plable solution to the myt trry. Kill be presented in the theatert having this jinluro at soon as it is pos sible to produce the tame. The ttory corre ('0.irfip to tli'.se motion pictures mil ap pear in the ttcicspapm coincidentally, or im toon after the oppeerance of me pio furrj at piat-.icuhlc. With the list tiro ruin in' be shoiin the pictures of the win ucr. his or hrr home, and other interesting feature!. 1 1 is under-ttood that the new piifert, to far us practicable, in printing he last tiro cliaplrrt of the f.or" b;i liar old Mavdralk, trill also s'loie a picture of the successful contestant. fo.'ii'i'oir to the mystery must not be tuvre than I'm words long, lhra are tome questions to be kept in mind tn connection Kith the MM.i.Vn as an aid to a solution: Ao. Wl at becomes of the millionaire Vo.'i-V'hat bi forms of the 5.'Mr A'o. 8 Whom docs Florence maryf Xo. J U'.af becomes of Mo Russian eountissH Xoloily connected either directly or in directly tu'.'i "The Million Dollar Myt fetii" will be considered as a ontcttant. srcrsis or pnnviors chapters. KtniWrf Ilnrgrrcve, millionaire, after a luiracuIuuN escape from the den of tbe scmifc of brllltunt thieves known as the Jllnck llmiilrril, lives the life of a recluse i (or elHhlren years. llnrrenvc acel j - deat-ll? meets . Urjilnc, Icailcr of. the ;.,JJIclt JIniiilreuV Kpouljij; Brnine Trlll I try to get lilm be escape from his own ; home by a balloon. Before enenjilou lie writes a letter to the Ctrl' nrhool, where eighteen years before be mysteri ously left on the doorstep his baby daughter, Florence Krnr. That day Hargreave also draws one million dol lars from the bank, hut It Is reported that thi dropped Into the en when the balloon he escaped la was punctured. Florence urrlre from the BlrlV school. Countess Olgn, limine' companion, vis Its her and claims to be a relntlve. Two frorran detectives call, bat their plot Is fetled by Norton, a aewspaper mau. By bribing- the captala of the Orient Morton laja a trap for Braloe and hla srssg. Coantess Olga also visits the Ori ent's captain and she easily fall lato the ieporters snare. The plan proves abor- -tire through Bralne's good luck, aad aly hirelings fall Into the hands of the police. After falling tn their first attempt the Black Hundred trap Florence. They ask her for mone; but she escspes, again foiling them. Norton and the eonatess call on Flor ence the next day, eaee shore safe at fcoaae. The visitors having gone, Jones removes a section of flooring, and from a cavity takes a has. Pursued by mem ber of the Black Hundred, he rushes to the water front and succeeds In dropping the box Into the sea. ! k Braine conceives the idea of giving a coaching party, to which Florence la In vited. Jones and Norton both go along aad, are fortunately oa hand to save Florence from being Imprisoned In the country house to which she Is lured. i Florence goes horseback riding and la captured by one of Bralne's mea aloaa; the roadside, Nortoa rescues her. They are pursued, however, aad the pair make their complete escape oaly after Nertoa has exploded a tire oa the fast approach- ' taaj anacalae with a bullet. t. . 1 CIIAPTEE VIII. THI WILIS OF A WOMAN. t h AFTER the affair of tbe auto bandits three of whom were killed a lull fol lowed. If you're a tailor you know y- ' what kind of a lull I mean : blue-black cJoudu down the toutbwest horizon, the water crinkly, the booms wabbling. Suddenly a series of "accidents" began to happen to Norton. At firtt he did not give the matter much thought The tafe which fell almost at bis feet and crashed through the sidewalk merely induced him to believe be waa lucky. At an other time an automobile came furiously aronnd a corner while he waa crossing the street, and only amazing agility saved him from bodily hurt. The car was out of sight trhen he thought to recall tbe number. r Then came the Jolt in the subway. Only a desperate grab by one of the guards saved him ' from being crushed to death. Even then he fbenght nothing. Bnt when a aew box of cigareta arrived and he tried one and found It strangely perfumed, and, npon further analy sis, found It to contain a Javanese narcotic, a alow bat tore death, he became wide awake caougb. They were after Hot He began to walk carefully, to keep in public places aa aa as W possibly cm!l " He was tot t Jly afraid af death, oat be ohl abhov the thtaght of IU astniag Bp from behind. Except for the rigrta tbey were all "accidenta"; be could sot hsv proved any thlag before jury of hi intimate frietda. Ht never entered an elevator without ecru puloua care, lit never passed under coverings orer th? aidewalka where tomlruction wa goloi on. Still, careful aa ht waa, death con fronted him one more. It waa bla kablt to hart hit roffet and rolla be rarely ate ant thins more for hia breakfaat aet down out aidt hia door every morning. The coffee, being In a tllver tbermoa bottle, kept ita heat for boura. When he took the atopper out and poured forth cup It looked oddljr black, die colored. It la quite probable that bad there b'en no aeriea of "accldenta" ke. would hare drunk a cup and died in mortal agony. It contained bichloride of mercury. Very quietly be aet about to make inqulrlea. This waa really becoming aerloue. In the kitchens downstairs nothing could be learned. The maid had aet the tbermoa bottle before the door at 10:30. Norton had opened the door at 1 :30 three boura after. The outlook waa uot the cheerfulctt lie knew perfectly well why all these things " happened " : he had Interfered with the plana of the scoundrels who were making every possible more to kidnap Florence Uargreave. One afternoon he paid Florence a visit. Of course be told her nothing. They hnd become aerretly engaged the day after he had racued her from the auto haudita. They were secretly engaged because Flor nce wanttd it so. For once Jones suspected nothing. Vihy should he? Ho hnd troubles enough. Aa a mntter of fiu't, Norton waa afraid of Jones. He waa afraid of him in the same sods.' as a boy ia afraid of a polireman. But on this day, when the time came, he aerosted the butler and drew him into the pnntry. ? Y'- . NEVER W THM RJNQ "BEFCQE i " Jones, they are after me now." "You? Explain." Norton briefly recounted the deliberate at tempts against hia life. " You see, I'm not liar enough to say that I'm not worried. I am, devilishly worried. I'm not worth any ransom. I'm in tbe way, and they seem determined to put me out of it." " To any other man I would say travel. But to you I say when you leave your rooms don't go where you first thought you would that ia, some usual haunt. They'll be everywhere, near your restaurants, your clubs your office. You're a methodical young man; become er ratic. Keep away from here for at least three days, but alwaya call me up by telephone some time during the day. Never under any cir cumstance, unlesa I aend for you, come here at eight. Only one man now watches the house during the day, but five are prowling around after dark. They might have Instructions to shoot you on sight. 1 can't apare you Juat at present, Mr. Norton. You've been a godsend ; and if it seems that sometimes I did not trust you fully it waa because I did not care to drag you in too flerp." Deep? Norton thought of Florence and smiled inwardly. Could anybody be lb deeper than be waa? Once it was oa the tip of hia tongue to cob fees his love for Florence, bnt the gravity of Jones countenance waa an ob stacle to such move ; It did not Invite It To be sure, Jones had no real authority to say what Florence should or should sot do with her heart Still, from all pointa of view, It was better to keep the affair ander the rose till there came a more propitious Lour la which to make the dlsetosure. Lore, la the midst of all these alarms! Shsrp, desperate rogues on one side, millions en the ether, aad yet lore could enter the scene senaely, liks aa actor wko bad missed bla em and came so too aoos. Oddly enough, there was no real Voteatakiaf sack as yoa sften read about. A pressor af the band, t la ace frees the eye, there wa eldem anything tnofe, Only one that snrat-' orable day ea rh fleer road had be kissed her. No wor4 of Is ka Wa svokea, oa either tide. Is) that wild uaw.ut alt ronvea tlonalitlee had dbMprarared like smoke in the wlal Tier had been sell her past nor future, i,7 A : only the pretest la which they knew that they lor.d. With her he waa happy, for be had no time to p'an orer the future. Away from her be taw the inevitable barriera providing gainet the marriage between a poor young man and very rich young woman. A man who haa any respect wauta alwaya to be on equal terma with hla wife, financially mora than in any other thing, it's the way thia peculiar organisation called Society haa writ ten down it ru'ia. Donbtlesa relic of the atoue age, wb n Ab went out with bia club to eek wife and drag her by the hair to hia den, and there to care for her and to guard her with bla life'a blood. It ia one of the few primitive e-natlons that remain to ua, thia wanting the female dependent upon the male. Ferns ps thia accounts for man's lack of inter eat on the euffraget question. Only Susan suspected the true atate of af fairs, being a woman. Having bad no real romance berseif, she delighted in having a sec ond hand one, as you might say. She inter cepted many a glance and pretended not to aee the stolen hand pressures. The wedding was already full drawn in her mind's eye. These two young people should be married at S.iKan Farlow'a when the rosea were climbing up the tides of the hoi.se and the young robins were boldly trying their fuzzy wings. It struck her as rather strange, but she could not conjure up (at this wedding) more than two men besides the minister, the bridegroom, nnd the butler. By forsnking hla accustomed haunts, under the advice of Jones, the bidden warfare ceased temporarily. You can't very well kill man wben you don't know where to find him. He ate hia breakfasts hnpliaiardly, now here, now there. He received most of hia assignments by telephone and wrote hia stories and articles la ,r4 t Ji r i .Ji i -ti .vi 'v bia club, in the writing rooms of hotels, and Invariably dispatched tbem to tbe office by messenger. The managing editor wanted to know what all this meant ; but Norton de clined to tell him. It irked him to be forced to rearrange bis dally life hit habits. It waa a revolution agaiust hia ease, for he loved ease when he was not at work. He bad the aensatlon of having been sudd, nly robbed of bia home, of having been cast out into the streets. And on top of all thit he bad to go and fall in love I There was no longer a shadow opposite the apartments of the Trincest Perigoff. Brains came and went nightly without discovering any one. Thia rather worried him. It gave bim tbe impression that the ahadow had found out what he had been aeking and no longer needed to watch the coming and going of either himself or tbe Countess Perigoff. 0I look we w,re ,he ,M 01 yr rope," he aald discouragedly. " We have faifed Tn "sll attempts so far. Tbe devil watches over that girl.' "Or God," replied the countesa gloomily. " In nearly every instance their success ha been due to chance. Somehow I'm convinced that we began wrong. We should have let Uargreave escape quietly, followed him, and made him fast when the right opportunity came. After a month or so hit vigilance would bare relaxed; he would have arrived at the belief that he had eluded ua." " Indeed !" ironically. " He wasn't vigilant all these years In whic h be did elude nt. How about the child be never sought bat guarded? Vigilance! He never was anything els all these seventeen years. The truth is, success baa develop -d a coarseness in our methods. And now it la too late for finesse. We have tried every device we can think of; and there tbey are tbe girl fr'e, Norton unharmed, and tbe father aa secure in his retreat as though he war aa Invisible cloak. My head aches. I bar ceased to be lavcbrlre." , "The tw are la love wl'h each ether." " Are you lure of that?" I hat my eyes. But I beaja t wander." "About whatr - Whether ot not Jets anapatts as aad as gxtitat at rope to hang myself with. Not oac have tbe police been called In and to'd what baa really happened. They are totally at tea.' Ani what hat become of the man over Ote wayr " By the lord Harry f etcUiiwd Uralna, clapping hia hands. "1 believe I've toUed that We shot a man coming out of liar reave'a. Siura then there's been no one acrota the way. On and the same man '." " But that knowlrdge doesn't get ua any where." "No. You y they are in loveT -" Secretly. -1 don't believe the bntler baa n inkling of it. It is poaalb'e, however, that Susan haa enngbt the trend of fairs. But, being rather rouantlr, she will In no wise interfere." Braine smoked In alienee. Freoently a smile twisted hia lips. ' v; -i 'it rv.;,-:. i 'M'VH- X'' hi'-' I i i m ; t&At " ; ' ' if, " 4 h A ' V h 1 t ? 1 H, J-1 " . , i -ITIWALLTHEHALLMARI " You have thought of something?" she asked. " You might try it," be said. "They have ." accepted your friendship! whether with ulte , rior purpose remains to be learned. She has been to your apartments two or three times to tea and alwaya got home safely." "No," she said determinedly. "Nothing shall happen here. I will not take the ribk." " Wait till I'm through. Break up the ro mance in such a way that the girl will bar Norton from tbe house. That's what we've been aiming at: to get rid of that meddling reporter. We've tried poisons. Try your kind." " What do you mean?" "Lies." "Ah I I understand. Yon want ma to win " him away from ber. It cannot be done." , " Pshaw 1 You have a bag full of tricks, You. can easily manage to put him Into aa equivocal position out of which he cannot pos- v aibly squirm so far as tbe girl ia concerned. A little melodrama, arranged for the benefit Vnll Into Vnrtnn'a arm at ttia right moment, or something like that." y . " I suppose I could. But If I failed . . . Jt " You're too damnably clever to fall in year own particular work. Something baa got t,o be done to keep those two apart. 1 ve ortea thought of raiding the bouse boldly and carry ing off tbe whole family, Susan and all. But a wholesale affair like that would b too fjolay. Think it over, Olga; w have gone too far to back dowa now. There' alwaya Russia ; and while I'm the boss over ber they never etas to watch me. They'll make m anawer for a failure like thia." She eyed bim speculatively. "Yoa her money." "0, the money doesn't matter. It's the game. It' tbe game of playing fast and loos with Society, ot pilfering it with one hand and making It kow-tow with the other. It's ths sport of ths thing. What was your thought?" "We could go away together, t South America." "Aad tire of each other within month," be retorted shrewdly. " No ; we are hi the same beat We could not live bnt for thit ever ending ex-item at. And, more tbaa that, w never eoald get far enough away from th long arm of tbe Firtt Tea. Well bar to stick It out ber. Can't yoa see?" " Tes, I can aeo." But la ber beast she knew that she couM bar lived in a but with tbh man tiit the end of ber dsys. Kb abhorred the life, fb ugli she ' never, by the slightest word, let him become 3 aware of It. There waa alwaya that abiding fear that at the first tign of weakness he would d aert her. And she waa wise ia her deductions. Braine waa loyal to her because she held hU Interest. Once' that failed, he would be oil and away. The next afternoon the countess, having matured her plana against tbe happiness of the young girl who trusted ber, drew up be fore the Hargrtave place and alighted. lier welcome waa tbe same aa ever, and atrengtliened ber confidence. The countess waa alwaya gesticulating. this Her hand fluttered to emphasise her words. And the beautiful diamond solitaire caught the girl's eye. She aeiied the hand. Having aa affair of ber own, It waa natural that the "OF AN AFFECTIONATE EMBRACE. should be Interested In that of ber friend. " I never saw that ring befofe." "A gift of yesterday." The countess as sumed a shy air which would have deceived St. Anthony. She twisted the ring on her finger. "Tell mel" crM Tlorenct. "You are en gaged r "Mercy, no 1" f$ "Ia he rich?" " No. Money should not matter when your heart Is involved." As thia thought waa In accord with ber own, Florence nodded her head aagely. Y "It ia nothing serious. Just a fancy. X - shall never marry again. Mtn are gay de ceivers; tbey always have been and always "' will be. Perhaps I'm a bit wicked; but I rather like to prove my theory that all men are weak. If I had a daughter I'd rather have her be an old man's darling than a young man'a drudge. I distrust every man I know. I came to ask yon and Susan to go to the opera with me tonight. You will come to anartmenta first YOU Will COmei" ilJ my apartments nrst, xou will come; v. .j ' " To ur w w111 ' " '' J$ 41 Simple little fool 1 " thought the Russian " on the way home. She shall eee. Jjy "J believe the countess la engaged to be married," said Florence to Jonea. "Indeed, mist?" " Yes. I couldn't get anything definite out of ber, but she bad a beautiful ring on ber finger. She wants Susan and me to go to th opera with ber tonight. Will that be all right?'? Jonea gated abstractedly at the rug. When ever a problem bothered bim be seemed to find tbe solution In the delicate patterna of tbe Persian rugs- Finally be nodded. " I tee no reason why you should not go. Only, watch out." "Jones, there it one thing that will make me brave and happy. Will you Ml me if yon are in direct communication with my father?" " Yet, Mlsa Florence," he noewered prompt ly. " But do not breathe thit to a tingle soul, neither Susan nor Norton." "I promise that. But, ab! lasten th day wben be can com to me without fear." "That la my with also." " You need not ca'l m mis. Why should you?" "It might sot he wine to have sny one hear me Call yn Inst fimtllsrly," he tbjct d tnrtty. " I'lrate vorrself abont that. Now I must telrplicne Jim." "Jim?" tbe butler murmured. II caught the word wbk-k wee not inter derj for hit ears. But for one Jone bsd beeta startled cut of himself. j " Ia It wrong for m to call Mr. Nortoa Jim?" ah asked with a bit of banter. " It is not considered quit th proper thing. Miss Florence, to call a young man by bis first name unless you are engaged to maxra him, or grew up with hia from childhood." " Well, supposing I were engaged to hlm?1 haughtily. " That would be a very grave affair. What hare you to prove that he may aot wish to marry you (or your money ? " . "Why, Jonea, you know that I haven't a penny in th world I can call my own 1 There la nothing to prove, except your word, that I am Stanley Uargreave' daughter." " No, there ia nothing to prov that you are bis daughter. But hasn't it ever occurred to you tbat there might be a purpose back of thia? Might It not be of inestimable vain that your father'a enemies should be left In doubt? Might it not be a means of holding them on th leasb? There la proof, atnpl proof, my child ; and when the time cw.m these will be shown yon. Rut menntinn ;ut ail thought of marrying Mr. Norton out of your head." "That I refuse to do," quietly. " I am at least miatreta of my heart ; and no oue sluil dictate to me whom I shall or aliali not iw. iy. I love Mr. Norton and he lore lie, lr.oW'g that I may not be an heiresa after .id some day I shall marry him." Joues bowed. Tbla aeemed to appear foul to him, and nothing more was to b' saicV Norton did not return to his rooms till 7. He found the telephone call snd Im a nnie in a handwriting unfumllrar. He tne t,tf il e envelope and found the contruta to be fp'in the Countesa Terigoff. "Call at 8 tonight," he read. "I he-. t Important hews story for you. Tell i.. nie, aa I cannot be involved in thi case. Lo.tlially, Olga, Countesa Perigoff.'' Humph 1 Norton twiddled the note in hia fingers nnd at length rolled it luto ball and threw It into the wsstebasket. He, to, made a mistake : he should have kept tin . note. He dressed, dined, end huriied off to the apart ments of the cm. He arrived ten minutes before Florence nnd Susan. '. , .' i And Jonea did some rapid telephoning. " How long, how long 1 " the bi.tler mur mured. Hon long would thia strange combat last? The attain wna terrific. He slept but little during the nights, for his cart woe always waiting for sounds. lie hud caat the chest, into the sea, and it would take a down expert divers to locate It. Anil now, Mop of all these worries, the child muNt fall in lo e with the first comer! It wag hcurthrculiii'g. Norton, to far aa he had learned, was cool and brave, honest and reliable in a pinch ; but aa the husband of Stanley Hargreave's dnugh ter, that waa altogether a different mntter. And be must devise some means of putting a atop to it, but But he wag saved that trouble. Mongoose and cobra, tbat waa the game le ing played; tbe cunning of the one ngainxt tbe deadly venom of the other. If he forced matters he would only lay himself open to the strike of th make. He must have patience. Gradually tbty were breaking the organiza tion, lopping off a branch here and there, bi t the peace of tbe future depended upon getting a grip on the epine of the cobra himself. : ft The trick waa simple. Tbe countess' hnd news; trust ber for tbat. She exhibited a cablegram, dated at Gibraltar, in which tbe British authorltiea stated definitely that tin inch a person aa William Orta, aviator, bad ' arrived at Gibraltar. And then, as be row, ab rot also and gently precipitated herself ' Into hla arms, just at the moment Florence appeared in the doorway. $- Very simple, Indeed. When a woman fulls toward a man there Is nothing for bim to do but extend his arms to prevent her from fall ing. Outwardly, however, to the eye which saw only the picture snd comprehended not the cause, It had all th hallmarks of so affectionate embrace. t Florence stood perfectly still for a moment, ' then turned away. i M I beg your pardon !" said ths countee, "but a sudden fainting spell seised me. My I heart la a bit weak." A " Don't mention It," replied th gallant Nor- ( ton. H waa aa Innocent as a babe as to what bad really taken place. J Florence .went back home. She wrote a brief note to Norton and inclosed the ring which she had arcretly worn attached to a little chain around her neck. When Norton came tbe next day she refused to see him. It Waa all over. She never wished' to see him again. " He says there has been tome cruel in in take," said Jones. " I saw him with the countess in his i,nn I do not see any cru-1 mistake in that. I saw him. Tell him so. And add thst T ncier wish to see bim again." Then she ran tift!y tn her room. lr .be hrolie down and cried biitrrly a .id aovWI not be comforted by Soai.ii. " In heaven't titme," tleinu.,Ju n t. ; i-o lover, "what has bapp xedV'' The comedy of the whole ..r v.j . h fact tliat neither uf the two ..-,. ttC ile countesa, who consoled ,liem h.. n Ito Uf COMIM'Mi. I