THE SALEM CAPITAL JOURNAL, SALEM, OREGON, BATORDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1914.
H BDMP
TEDYHaroldfcGith
MYS
$10,000 FOR ONE HUNDRED WORDS.
The Million Dollar Mystery" ttory
Kill run for twnty-luo consecutive wecki
in thi$ paper. By an arrangement with
the Thanhovser Film company it hat been
made poiMle not only to read the ttory
in thit paper but alia to ee it each week
in tht varioul moving pioture theater!.
For the eolation of thie mystery ttory
$ 10,000 will he given by tht Thanhouter
Film corporation.
conditions aovETimua TUB
CONTEST.
The prize of 1 10,000 will be won by the
man, woman, or child who writet the mott
acceptable tolution nt the mystery, from
which the latt two reelt of motion pioture
drama will be made and the latt two
lhaptere of the ttory written by Harold
MaotJrath.
Solutioni may be tent to the Than
houter Film corporation at 5 Houth War
iash avenue, Vnkago, III., or Thanhouter
Film corporation. 11 West Twenty-third
t'.reet, New York City N. Y., any time up
to midnight, Jan. Hi, 19IS. Thit allowl
tuveral weekt after the latt chapter hat
been published.
A board of three judges will determine
which of the many solutions received it the
mott tnocntab'.t. Tho indues are to bo
Untold MavUmth, Lloyd l.onergan, and
Mitt Hue Tiuee. The judgment of thil
board wiH be abtoluie and final. Nothing
of a literary nature will be considered in
the decision, nor (riven any preference in
the telection of the winner of the i 10,000
prize. The latt two reel, which will give
the mott acceptable tolution to the myt
tery, will be presented in the theaters
having thil feature at toon at it it pos
sible ta produce the tame. The ttory eorre
eponding to thete motion pictures will ap
pear in the newspapers coincidentally, or
tu toon after the appearance of the pic
tures at practicable. With the last two
teelt will be thown the pictures of the win
ner, hit or her home, and other interetting
feature!, It it understood that tht news
papers, to far at practicable, in printing
the latt two chapteri of the ttory by liar
old ilacOrath, will alio show a picture of
the tuccettful eontettont.
Solutioni to the nyttery must not ha
more than 100 wordt long. Here are some
questions to be kepi in mind in connection
with the mystery at an aid to a tolution.
No. 1What become! of the millionaire'
No. 2 What becomet of the $l,00l),000t
No. 3 Whom does Florence marry t
No.i What becomet of the Russian
eountesst
Nobody eonnected either directly or in
iirectly with "The Million Dollar Mys
tery" will be considered at a contestant.
SYNOPSIS OF PIIICVIOIS CIIAPTGOS,
Stanley Harsrenve, millionaire, after
a) miraculous escape from (lie den of
tho bad of brlllluut thieves knowa aa
Ike lllack Hundred, Uvea the life of a
recluse for eighteen yearn. Ilnrgreavo
accidentally meet Itrnlue, lender of tlio
lllrtck lluudrrd. Knowing llralke will
try to get him, he escapes from hla own
home by a balloon. Urfore eacuplug h
wrltrM n letter to the glrla' aehool
where eighteen yeurn before be uiya
tcrloiialy left on the doorstep hla baby
dnouhter, rliirenee Gray. That dny
ilurgrruve also ilrnwa ai.ooo.oou from
the hank, lint It la reported that tbla
dropped Into the am when the balloon
III' eaenped lu una punctured.
Florence arrlvra from the Klrla1
school. I'ounteaa OIi;b, llralnr'a com
pa 'Ion, visit bee auil elnlina her aa
r Inlive. I'he lllnck Hundred then aee
m meiina of ninlilug Florence a target
for tlirlr attaeka. They are aflcr the
1,000,1100. anil llrnlue. their leader, aria
trnpa for Florence, The Black llua
dred, after a number of attempt, fall,
due to the wladom of Jours, the liar
ffrrave butler, and Norton, a newspaper
man.
Coneealed at the rendeavoua of tho
Black Hundred, a man learna of the re
covery of the hox from tha aea by a
allor and of Ita subeequent return to
the bottom of tho aea, and he quickly
communlcatea the fact to Jonea, A du
plicate box la planted and later aecured
by tho band, but before Ita contenta are
examined tho box myaterloualy dlanp
peara. Finding hlmaelf checkmated at every
turn, llrnlno endeavora to enmeah tho
llnrgrenvo houaehold la the law la
order to sola free acceaa to the houae.
Tho timely dlacovery of the plot by
Norton aria the police at the heela of
the pack and reaulla In a raid on tho
guug'a rendeavoua, which, however,
proven to bo barren of reaulta.
The lllack Hundred begin to feor Nor
B ton and plan to dlapoae of him. Again
tho unnoticed butler ahowa hla hand by
reaculng Norton nud defeating- llralne.
limine and Countess Oluu plan dur
Ins; attempt to capture Florence nnd
Norton at a maMkcd boll given by Prln
ceaa I'arlova. 1'hey defeut their owa
plaa by overanxlrty.
Ily chance Florence dlacovera a cava
tiaed by the Black lluntlred. Being lur.
prlaed by onembera of the band, ahe eon
oeala heraelf and then learna of a toiye
terloua paper which la of vital lloper
taneo to her fathrr'a aafety, and nt great
rlak to heraelf aeeurea tho paper.
iOipyrlthll 1911: By Harold MacQrith.
CHAPTER XX.
BRAINS TMIta ANOTIIHIl WEAPON!.
HAT I wmit now," itnlil limine.
as he paced the living room of
the iipnrtmcut of the countess,
"la revenge. I va been check
mated enougti, Olga; they're playing with
"W
" Tlmt Is nothing new," ahe replied, shrug
ging. " At tlio beginning I warned you. I
never liked afTiilr nftnr the lint two or
lliree failures. But you would have your
way. You wiintod revenge ut ' tint early
dale; but I cannot sen lliut you've gone for
ward. Has It cvor occurred to you that tha
lugaiilr.iitloii may be getting tired, too? Toey
il 'penil solely n p ti you- Invention, mid each
lime your luvenllou ha resulted lu touching
nothing bill miro."
"Thanks!"
" 0, I'm nut chiding you. I've, fulled, tiio."
"Arc you turning against lite?" ho de
manded bitterly.
"Do my actions point that way?" aha
I'liuniervd. " No, llnl the more I view whut
Iium io xhciI the mora ilislicurlcucd I grow,
It Inn been a Morion of blind alloys, uud u II
we lilt va succeeded In doing la knocking our
Inuds. I ciin nee now that all our fniltmn
tie dun to one uilslnke."
"And whut the duvll 1.1 tlmt Tf " he llske.l,
Irrlliilily,
" We were lu too luucn of n hurry nt (ho
lieliinltig. Iliii-i:reiiv ireinred hiumelf for
(I 1 1 It iiitlou i. u your inl."
" And If 1 had ii 't u 'led ('iirkly ho would
loive uliirli'd Miieeenfully n:l one of hit world
Urn iikiilu, ii lid Unit would bine boon the
id .t of liliu, uud no HllOllid ll.'MT Iiiivh
ti ii'in'd of Hie glrl'a exlHtence. So toere'
your iii'isunienl."
" I'imIiiiioi you are rUlit lint for nil tlmt
we huve not ployed tho khuio with nuy de
!tee of linew."
"Itnli!" llrnlue lit a rlguretle mid
uoolied nerroinly. " I eiin't even net rid
uf Hint nieddlhiK rejiorler, Ho Iiiih heeu u
1 1 1 n ' 1 1 lo lihiino for our fuilureii at either
,l"iieH or 1 1 ii r K relive, I ndmit lout lit hU enne
I J 1 1 . 1 1-. 1 1 IniHtily. I believed him to be Jmt
mi t t ) 1 1 in ry neniiii'er mull, uud he m
I I 'ver eliouxh lo lull my ailieloui. Hut
I'm goinu to get bim, Olun, even if I Imvo lo
li'init lo orillnury gunuum tililiH. If there's
nny llinil reek unliig, by Hie Lord II .i n y. e
hloiu't get II climiro III I lie wIIiiphh Hlillltl,"
" And I begin to think tlmt tint lit Ho chit
nf A girl Iiiih keen hoodwinking Inn nil ill mil,
Ily the wn.v, did you llnd out v. lint tlmt hit
ler mild?' alio inked after a imiue.
" Letter? What letter?"
Slit" Kiniug fniui her rhslr. " Po you
menu to miy Hint tiley have not (old yoll
iiliout tlmt?" Olga liecaiiio grenlly etclled.
" F.kil:iln," he an id.
" Why, I wua nt the garden dny before
yenlerdny, and tuna aiii'onclied nnd Hiked
V 1 nti Mint llnrgreava. Heciiulng at oinn
nuplt-'u'ia (hut aouielliliig very buiorlitut
nt about lo hniien, I Klgiiilied tlmt t u
Mlaa Hnrgreave. The mm alliiel pnper
Into my 'nmid ami hurrieil off. I I "ok
iiilrk gUoee nt it and ilumfomi led to
llnd it U'tcrlj blank of writing. At llrat t
thought 9OUI0 joke had been played on me,
then I chanced to remember the Invisible Ink
letters you ulwiiyn wrote inc. Understanding
that you were to visit tlio cave in the morn
ing, I had one man ut the garden take toe
note. And you never got It!"
" Homo one hIiiiII pay for this carelessness.
I'll cull up Vruou and JuckNou ut once. Walt
Just a moment."
He went to the telephone. A low mutter
ing conversation took place. Oliu coul I hear
little or noun of It. When limine put the
receiver back on the hook uls face was not
(ileasuut lo see.
"That girl!"
"What now?"
"It seems she had been nut horseback
rlillug that morning. She hud seen one of tho
boys cross tho Held and suddenly dbuippcur;
and ulie wns curious to leuru whut hail be
come of him. With her usual luck she tum
bled on to tne method of opening the door
of tho cave and went lu. She must have been
nosing about. She didn't have much time,
thoinih, ns lli boys came up to await me.
Kvideutly sho crawled luto that old cnest and
In some Inexplicable manner purloined the
letter from Jackson's pocket. They left to
reconnolter; nud It wua then that Jackson
discovered Ills loss. When Florence heard
them returning ahe Jumped luto die well.
And lived through lint tunnel! The devil
h lu It!"
" Or out of It, since wa consider him our
friend."
"And I hud her In I i 'Uia.ls. note and
nil!" f
"Hut with nil tnat water there will not
be any riling left on the loiter."
"Invisible Ink Is ueocnlly Indelible nnd
Impervious lo the action uf water; at least
tho kind I mo I i. I'd give u 111 iH;ind for a
Kliiht of that letter."
"And It illicit ho worth a mllllou," Olgil
silk' ,'e ilod
" Not tjie least doubt uf It lu my mind,
(llita, old girl, It doei look as If my star was
nrewliiii dim. We'll never get our hands
on tout mill on. I feel It III my bones, So
let's selllo down 1 1 ii cniiipulin uf revenge,
without any fui-lielows. I want to twist
IlaiX'ienve'a lieil'l L'foro the game wlmU
lip."
"Yon wish really to Injure Iter?'
" 1 do not wMi to Injure her. Kar from
It," he replied, smiling evilly.
" You mint her , . , dead?" wolf
pered Oku, paling.
" Kxuclly. I want her dead, And ho If
nil my efforts here coiue lo nolh!ug, an shall
Hnrgreiive't. Ills millions will become waste
paper to him. That's revenge, The Ter
shin pencil method."
" I'olsoii? You nlinll not! You ahull not
kill her! " vehemently.
" Tender hearted? "
"No, If I must In the end gn to prison,
o bo It; but I ri-fusn to die lu the chair."
"Very well, then, W shan't kill her,
but we'll make her wish she was don I, 1
vM only trying to see how far you would
go. Tiio basket of peaches is lu the h.JI
way, Ktery peach Is poisoned. No mail Id
(he country knows more about audita poisons
than I do, Have I not written books oa
the subject? " Iruiilciill
" And they will trace It back ta you la
straight line," the warned. " I will not
haveltl"
" I can go elsewhere," he replied coldly.
"You would leave mi-'t"
"The moment yon cross my will," em
phatically. It became her turn to pace. Torn Be
tween her lore of the man and the danger
which stured her in the face, ahe was for
the time being distracted. All the time ha
watched her with malevolent curiosity,
knowing that in foe end she would concur
with his evil plans.
"Very well," she enld Anally. "Bnt lis-
t'ae way up to her room.
The maid passed on Into the library.
"What's this?" Inquired Florence, as tht
maid held out the basket. She selected a
peach and was about to set her white teeth
Into it when Jim Interposed.
, " Walt a moment, dear." Florence low
ered tlie peach. Jim turned to the maid.
"Who sent It?"
" I don't know, sir. A messenger brought
It, saying It was for Miss Hargreave."
" Let me see If there Is a card." But Jim
searched In vain for the card of the donor.
At once all hie suspicions arose. " Don't
touch them. Botter let the maid throw them
'Y ? !
v ' : i
V. , 1 : ' "-x
vf ; - - if, 4 r
j 'fj - ' .nil
r ' ' ' ' , St...' V?
la- cr
JONES AiMP HENRI SEBVAN, BUbSI AN MINISTER OF POtVC6,CON3PltaiNO
TO TKAP &BAINE AND Hl ACOOMPVICE8. o
out. Fruit from uultnown persons might not
bo tne healthiest thing in the world."
"What do you think?"
"That in nil probability it Is poisoned.
But there's no need trying to prove my
theory right or wrong. Ask Jones. He'll
tell you to throw thein away,"
"Horrible!" Florence shuddered. "But
they do not want to poison me. I'm too val'
liable. They want me allvo."
"Who con say?" returned Jim gloomily.
"They may nave learned that they cannot
beat us, no matter what card they turn up.
I piay he wrong, but tuke my advice nnd
throw them nwny, . , . Good Lord,
wlint's that? ' startled.
" Some one cried!"
" O, Hiss Florence!" exelnlmcd the maid,
ten; wo shall be found out. Never doubt
that. Your revenge will cost us both our
lives. I feel It."
" Bah! Tho law will hare no hand In my
end. I always carry a pcTlet; and that
ring of yours would suRlce a. regiment. She
wilt not die. Sua will merely become a kind
of paralytic; the kind that can niovo a lit
tle hut not enough; always wheeled about
In a chair. I'll bring in the peaches; rosy
nnd downy, One bite, after a given time,
will do the trick. If they suspect and throw
them out we hare lost nothing but tlio
peaches, A trusted messenger will carry
them to the Hnrgrenve house. And then
we'll sit down and wait."
Meantime, In the library of the Flargrearj
house, Florence and Jim were puzzling over
l$J:t,:- t v.. ,, v .: &wA
,.; ..f i ;, ..'' ,:' y "' ':' ''' ''''." j
&- : r'fy- '.; ; ': " .' .':"v' ' ' ' . j
A'';r;:...vVV' .. ,; ;'- ',?, ';3
,."'' ;.'.V'.f .f v.v;: ., ' " .;';:.'
Vayay- lllmii.i, mnm i..niil.m.ips( lf
tji-' JONE3 WtAOS THU ULANK, SrHtfcT OF r'VPtM.
JONE3 WtAOS THU ULANK, SWtfcr OF r'APtM.
tho blank sheet of pnpur.
"I'll wngor," said Jim, "the niiler
wnsnrd all the writing nwny. The lira docs
not seem t do nny good. We'll turn It
over to Jones, Joucs'll llnd a way lo solve
It. Trust lilm.'l
"What are you two chattering about?"
naked Hunn, who won nrrnmiliig some (low
era on the table.
, "Secret," said Jim, smiling.
"Humph!"
Susan puttered about for n few minutes
longer, then crsst to (he reception room,
Intending to go upstulrs. At Hint moment
the maid was admitting a messenger with
a basket of fruit.
"For Miss Hargi-etve," sail he. lie gavo
the basket ( l,ie maid, tombed bis tap
awkvnrdly, and swung on his heel, cloihu
the dor behind lilm. He was In a hurry
to deliver another n"ssage.
"O, what lovely friilll" erle l Sosnn, pans.
Int. " I'm going to si ml one," the laughed.
Bit selected a peach and began eating It o
terror stricken ns sho rocnllcd Susan's act,
"Miss Siisuii look a peach from the bas
ket nnd was eating it on tho way to her
room!"
"(loud ncavcns!" itnsied Jim. "t wns
right. The fruit wits poisoned,"
I I in hnd head enough to send for n special
ist lie knew, The spe.'hillst mrlvcd about
twenty minutes nflcr Susan's llrst cry, To
his keen ere It looked I ke a tertalu poison
which li.id for Its b:i-ls the venom of the
cobra.
" Will sue live?"
" 0, yes, Hut she'll I e n wreck for some
mouths, Send her to the hospital where I
can rlll her frequently. And Ml take Hint
peneh along for nnnlysls. No pillco nfTalr?"
" No. We daro not call Ihcni lu," said
Jim.
"That's your nf.ilr. I'll send down (he
ambulance. Keep her iulet. 8 noil have a
species of paralysis; nt that'll work off
under tha treatment. A strange business."
" So It s," agreed Jim crlmly.
Florence knelt beside her friend's bed and
cried softly.
"You called me just in time. An hour
later, nothing would hare saved her. She
would hare been paralyzed for life."
Jim accompanied the doctor to the door
and went in search of Jones. Ha found toe
taciturn butler eying the fruit basket, his
face gray and drawn, though his eyes biased
with fury.
" Poison! "
" A pretty bad poison, too," said Jim. " We
can't do anything. We've Just got to sit
still. But In the end we'll get them. That
she devil . . . ."
" No, my friend; that ne devil. The woman
Is mad over him and would commit any
crime at his bidding. But this Is his work.
We want him. He wasn't without courage
to send this fruit, knowing that I would
Instautly suspect the sender. Yet, I have
no definite proof. I could not hold him In
court In law. He will hare bought the
fruit piece by piece, thesbasket In a basket
shop. He will have injected the poison
himself when alone. Poor Susan! That
messenger was without doubt some one over
whom 'ne holds the threat of the death chair.
That's the way he works."
Jim tramped the room while Jones car
tied the fruit to the kitchen. The butler
returned after a while.
" What about that blank B'neet of pnper? "
" It has to be dipped into a solution; after
that you can read It by heating. I have
already dipped It Into the solution. The
moment the heat leaves the sheet the writ
ing disappears again. The ink Is waterproof.
I'll show you."
Jones got a candle from the mantle, Ut It,
and held the sheet of paper very close to
the flame. Gradually, almost Imperceptibly,
letters began to form on the blank sheet. At
length the message was complete.
." Dear Hargreave Tho (lussian minister
of police is at the Blank hotel under too
name of Henri Servnn. Ho is investigating
the work of the Black Hundred in this coun
try nnd can free you from their veugeanco
If you supply the evidence needed."
" Now, what evidence can he want? "
nuked Jim.
" Such ns will prove Brains an unde
sirable citizen."
" And 'then."
" Quietly pnek him off to Rusala, where
'ne is badly wanted."
"Who sent this message?"
" One of our mysterious friends. W
have a fow, as you already know. But I'll
go and mnke this man Scrvan a visit. I
have seen tho real minister, and if this man
is the enmb one, something of Importance
may turn up. I shall want you somewhere
about. Here, I'll let you have this letter.
Remember, 'neat brings It out and cold air
makes It vnulsh. Now I'll go up for a mo
ment to see how that poor girl is getting
along, We arc lucky; there's no gainsaying
Hint."
"You're a clever man, Jones," snld Jim.
Jones turned upon hint, his fnce grave.
The two men looked steadily into each
other's eyes. Jones was. first to turn aside
his glance, as ho had something to conceal
nud Jim had nothing.
When the ambulnnco took the tortured
Sunn it nwny, Jones addressed Florence
gravely.
"I nil going out nnd so Is Mr. Norton.
Ho not lenve the house; not oven If you have
a telephone call from nie or Norton. Bot'n
of us will return; so don't let anything bother
or confuse you."
" I promise," said Florence, struggllug
with a soh.
Jones went downstairs again, paused by
a window as If cogitating, nnd suddenly
threw It up and looked abroad. A rustle
n niong the lilacs caused n iniiie to flit across
Ids face. So they hnd sent some one lo
lenrn the effect of the poison? Or to fol
low lilm should no lenvo the house? He
retired to the kitchen and gnve some cipliclt
orders to the chef, orders which did not In
any wny refer to cooking. Then Jones nnd
Hie reporter left tho house, each quite nware
that they were being followed. Near the
tllank hotel they separated In order (o con
fuse the stalker. He might dodder nud fol
low the wrong man. Hut It wns evident
lliut this tlnio he hnd been directed to fol
low Jones; for he entered tho hotel a niln
uln lifter Jones,
Mcnntlma a second spy, whom Jones nail
not seen, had observed the transfer of tho
invisible writing nud hnd Immedlntely In
formed llralne, who was not far nwny, That
his poisoned fruit had stricken down an out
sider troubled lilm none nt nil, But Hint
mysterious nicssngo ho meant to hnve; It
in I p ii t be a life nud denth affair, It might
be n clew lo the treasure, or the where
abouts of Ilargrenvo.
Thus, while only one man followed Jones,
acvernl kept a fnr eye on Jim,
Jones scribbled his nnme on a blank card
and had It tnl.cn to the Itukslnu'a mom.
The pnie eyed tlmt card curiously. It wns
different from anything he had ever seen
before. Ill one comer were written tares
oi four words which resembled a cross be
tween Hebrew and Greek.
"Humph!" muttered the boy, " Whadda
y' know about that? Chicken scratches; but
1 guess tlte bell rings Itonsinn. On your
way, Hnrteiise," ho cried lo the hall inuld,
who wanted a look nt tne card. When tho
boy returned to Jones, he suld; " Up t' tit'
room, sir. He'll see ynh!" The boy kept
the silver salver extended expectantly, but
Jones went past without apparently noticing
the hint,
Tti Russian was standing by a window
when Jones knocked and was bidden to ntt
"You are not Hnrgrenve."
"Neither are you the Russian miniatet
of police," urbanely.
"Wuo are you?"
" I am nargreare's confldential man, sir.'1
The two men eyed each other cautiously
"You apeak Russian?"
" No. I am able to scribble a few words!
that Is all."
The Russian lit a cigarette and smoked
leisurely. Ho was In no hurry.
" No, I am not the minister; but I am
his accredited agent. I am empowered to
bring back to Russia a man who is known
here by the name of Bralne, another by fa
name of Vroon, and a woman who calls
herself a countess and unfortunately Is one.
All I desire is some damaging proof gains!
them that they are outlaws in this country.
The rest will be simple."
"They bare all faree taken out narurau
izatlon papers."
The Russian waved his hand airily. " Ones'
they are in Russia those documents will
never come to light. This man Braine, It
has been learned, has long been in the pay
of Prussia, and 'nas given Hie general staff
of that country many plans of our frontier
fortifications. I do not know what any ona
of the three looks like. That Is why I sought
Hnrgrenve."
" I will gladly point them out to you," said
Jones, rubbing his hands together, a sign
that 'ne was greatly pleased.
"Thnt will be very good of you, I'm
sure," in a rumbling but perfectly legible
English.
" And suddenly they all three will di
appear?"
"Suddenly; and you may believe me Hint
from that time on they'll be heard of never
more."
."All this sounds extremely agreeable ta
me. Mr, Hnrgrenve will be happy to heat
that his long enforced hiding will soon coma
to an end."
"All you have to do, sir, Is to point them
out to me."
" It may take a week or ten days."
"My government has waited for ten years
to gather in this delectable trio. A month,
If you like."
"The sooner the better. I shall call this
evening after dinner. We shall begin witb
Mr. Bralno; and generally w'nere ha Is is
the woman, i roon will be the most dilfl
cult." "After dinner, then, since you know soma
of his haunts, There is a reward,"
Jones laughed Bhortly. Keep it yourself,
sir. Mr, Hargreave would willingly double
whatever this reward is to eliminate these
despicable creatures from his affairs."
" Tannks."
Whilo tills conversation wns taking plnco
Norton idled about; and feeling the cravings
for a clgnrette, prepnred to Toll one, only
to find thnt he hadn't the "innkings." So
fate urged him (o step Into the nearest to
bacconist's. Ho asked for his fnvorite brand
and passed over the silver.
Brnlne nnd his companions saw Norton
enter fao shop. It agreed with their plans
perfectly. The tobacconist happened to bo
affiliated with the order. So they Mirried
luto the shop. Jim instantly realized that
he wns In a trap,
"How enn I get out of here?" he w'als
pered to tho tobacconist.
The latter smiled. "I have to obey these
gentlemen. I don't know what they want
you for; hut If I made a mora to help you
I ehsuld flniT my own throat cut without
saving yours."
"Tne devlll"
Jim made a dnBU for the rear door, to
find It locked, Even ns he fumbled with
the key, Brnlno nnd his companions flung
themselves upon tho reporter nnd overpow
ered ttlin.
"Ah, my friend Brnlne!" he snld.
"My friend Norton!" Jeered the victor.
"And want do you wnnt; some penclies?"
" A paper, my friend, a little sheet of
Taper with Invisible writing on It. We prom
ise to give you something In exchange for It."
'"What?" naked Jim with as much non
clinlnuce ns he could assume.
"Life."
" Search." said Jim. " Yon won't object to
my smoking?" Ho begnn to roll a cigaretto
while they passed over 'aim. He struck a
mntch; tho pleasant nrumn of tobacco flouted
about his head,
"Ho's got It on him somewhere. 1 saw
hi in tnko It, He's got his nerve with him."
Tno cigarette glowed, Jim smoked hur
riedly. Through every pocket they went. Ttia
contents of hla wallet Iny scattered nt hla
feet; his wnlch dangled from the chuln. Tha
clgnrette grew shorter and snorter. Sud
denly one of the men stretched out, a hand
and whisked the cigarette from Jim's lip.
Ho threw it to tho floor nnd stumped out tha
coal.
"1 thouirht so!" he exclaimed, holding out
the scrap of burnt paper towards Brain.
The words "Pear Hnrgrenve" wtra all
thnt remained of Hi message. With n snarl
of rage Binliie whipped out his revolver.
" 1 will give you one minute to tell ma
whnt thnt paper contained."
"And nfter that minute in up?"
" A bullet In your stomach."
Quick as a flash Jims hnud st out,
caught the loosely held revolver, gar It a
wrench, snd brought It down savagely upon
Brnlne's bend. Then h reverse,! It anil
backed toward the front entrance.
" Au revolr, till ws meet again, geutlk
men!"
Ito n ooitntttncD.)