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