THE SALEM OAK TAL JOURNAL, 8ALEM. OREGON, SATURDAY, NOVEMBES 21, . 19tt.
MYSTMIk-oldlacGHtD
$ 1 0. 000 FOR Oft E h
" The Million Dollar U tut try" itory
Kill run for tun'ty-two comtoutive weekt
in Ms paper. By an arrangement with
tha Thonhoutf FUm company it hat been
made possible not only to read the ttory
in tkit paper but olio to tee it each Keek
in tie variant moving picture theater!.
For the tolution of thii myttery ttory
$10,000 will be given by the Thanhovter
Film corporation.
coyDinofia ooverninq tub
CONTEXT.
Tie prise of 1 10,000 Kill be won by the
man, too nan, or child who wri(ei the most
acceptable tolution t the myttery, from
which the last t'co reelt of motion picture
drama will be made anil the last two
thnpteri of the ttory written by Harold
UacOrath.
Solutiont may be tent to the Than
hiuser Film corporation at B Horth Wa
hash avenue, Cnicago, III., or Thanhouttr
Film corporation, 11 Went Twenty-third
ttreel, Sew York City H. Y, any time up
tu midnight, Jan. V, 1915. Thlt allom
tmeral week! after the latt chapter hat
been published.
A board of three fudge! will determine
which of the many solution received it the
most acceptable. 'The fudyee are to bo
Harold Mandrath, f.loyd Lonergan, and
Uisi Mae Tince. The judgment of this
SVMOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTIC11S.
Stanley Hnrgreave, millionaire, after a
miraculous em-ape from the den of tho
Bring of brilliant thieves known an the
illni-k Hundred, live tho life ul a re
cluee for eighteen yenro. Hurgrenve ec
eldeutally meets limine, lender of the
Illack Hundred. Knowing; limine will
try to get htm, ho escapes from his own
home by n balloon. Ilefore escaping ho
writes letter to the glrla' school
where eighteen years before he mys
teriously left un the doorstep his baby
dougnter, Florence tiroy. Thnfday Hnr
greave alno draws SI, 000, 000 from tho
bank, but It Is reported thnt this dropped
Into the oea when the balloon he eacnped
In was punctured.
Florence arrives from the girls schuol.
Countess Oljia, limlue'n compnulon, visits
her and rlnlina her us a relative. Tho
Illack Hundred then see a menus nt making-
Florence a target for their attacks.
They are arter tho 11,0MMXX, and limine,
tbelr leader, nets tmiMl for Florence.
The Uloi-k Hundred, after a number of
, attempts, fall, duo to the ivladom of
. Jones, the llargrcavo butler, nnd Norton,
. a u-nsiinper tnnn.
f i.ni'f nln! nt tho rrndesvou of the
Illn.k Hundred, a mun learns of the re
lOopyfKht! I1H: tlynnMWMafJrutli.lt
CUAPTEIl XXII.
A KMIIT Of AliVRNVUItgH. '
T11IC federal goveriuncut ttijreed to S'ty
untiling, to put no obstacles In tlit
way of the Itusslun anent, provldej
he cimhl abduct his trio withiut se
riously i-bshlng wKli the Neiv York twlluti
nnthorliiei. It wus a rccnunlsml fact tliat
the local polles force wiinled tho newspa
per jhiry which would attond tha crusliiug
of the llliick Uundred. It would be an ex
ploit. But their glory was nil; nor did 9.tr
run take his trio back with him to Russia
Midv strauge things happened that nlglit,
(he nlgl t of the dual advonturs.
rlorenre sat In her room reudlng. Thn
hook was "Oliver Twist," not the pleasant
out tort or book to read tindar tha existing
circumstances. Several times aha had
reached the jlaca where B'agln overheard
Nancy's coufcssloa-shs fancied she heard
doors dosing softly, but credited It tu her
Imuiitnallon. Pnor Nancy, who wanted to be
tood but did not 8ud tluio to bs I Florence
IM.SHCiwed s habit familiar to most o( us;
lbs nusd of apples or candy whon we aro
resd.ng. So she rang the boll for her maid,
Intendlug to auk her to bring up some ap
ples. Shs turned to her reading, presently
to bre.ik off snd strike the bell again. Wbare
ivss tint maid? Slis walled perhaps Ave
mlr.'iios, tben laid dowa lbs book and be
tun to Invastigats.
'Pure was not a servant to bs found In
jh eu:li h"'!isl What lu tha world could
lliat iiieaa? Vi'sed a's she was to heartrend
ing s'lapsmsM, she was none the leal ttrrl
del. Sotaethlug bad taken the servants
!iom tit huuao. From whence was tlis
langar tfl coma this tlina, Whera was
lonesl Why did ha out return as bs had
rt'otnlsedT It was lung pnat tlia hour whta
ha in 'J lie would be back.
Mb went Into the library sail picked up
lie telephone. She was told tint Mr. Nor
ton was out on an assignment, but that
lo would be notilled the niotueut he re
ntrtisd hit opened a drawer In tha dealt.
Mia touched lha automatic but did not taka
H up. She left the drawer open, hoivevar.
I'urll.'r, at the newspaper otHc that night,
I Itu went Into the managing editor's olDca
jii.l laid a bulky manuscript on that gsn
tlcman's ileiik,
" 1 tills It?"
" It Is," an Id 1 1 in.
" You hsvs captured them?"
" No, but there la a net about them from
which not cue shall esciipo. There's lha
hi hi t of my idventiires, of the adventures
of Miss Ilargreav and the butler, Junes.
You'll llud It sieltlug rnitillug. You might
lost s i well send II up to the composing
room. At uildulght I'll telephone the luli'ii.
ilmlloii It's a scoop. Jou't worry about
lUat."
The editor rllfleil tint pages.
" A huudrrd and twelve pages, iiiKI words
to Hi- 1'iiU", uiilii. It's a uocell"
" It'll ri'ml like one-,"
"iiit down for a iuuumiiI and let ms skim
Ibinuiih ttie Unit story." ' "
At Hie eud of leu tuluule tha editor laid
JNDRED WORDS.
board wiU be absolute and final. Nothing
0 a literary nature will be considered M
tha decition, nor given any preference in
the teleation of the winner of the 1 10,000
prist. The latt two teelt, which will five
the malt acceptable tolution to the myt
tery, will is presented1 in the theater!
having thit feature at toon at it it pos
sible to produce the tome. The ttory corn
eponding to thete motion picture! will ap
pear in the ntwspapert coincidentally, or
at toon af'er the appearance of the pic
ture! at practicable. With the latt two
teelt will be ihown the picture! of the win
ner, hit or her home, and other interesting
feature!. It it understood that the newt
papen, to far at practicable, in printing
the latt two chapter! of the liory by Uar
eld Macdrath, will ado ihow a picture of
the lucceisful contestant.
Solution! to the mystery must not be
more than 100 words long. Here are tome
question! to be kept in mind in connection
with the mystery at an aid to a tolution:
No. f What become! of the milUonairet
No. H What become! of thi U,000,000t
" No. It Whom doei Florence marry t
No. 4 What become! of the Russian
countetsf
Nobody connected either directly or in
iirectly with " The Million Dollar Myt
tery " will be considered at a contestant.
covery of tho bos from the aea by a
sailor and of Ita subsequent return to
the 'bottom of the aea, and ho quickly .
coinmunlcutea the fuut to Jones. A du
plicate bos la planted and later secured
by the hand, but before Ita contents are
examined the bos mysteriously dtsnp
peara. Finding; himself checkmated at every
turn, Brnlno endeavors to enmesh tho
Hargreava household In tho law In order
to gain free accent to the house. Tho
timely dlacovery of the plot by Norton
sets the police at tho heels of the pack
and results In a raid on the gang's ren
desvoue, which, however, proves to be
barren of results.
Tho Ulnl-k Hundred brain to fear Nor.
ton nnd plna to dispose of hlin. Agnln
the unuotloed butler shows his hand by .
resoulng Norton and defeating Bralne.
Florencn aocurea a mysterious paper
which la of vital Importance to her
fathera aafety. Bralne loses hope of
securing tho $1,000,000 and turns to re
venge. Henri Servan In given documentary
ovldenco agnlnst the Black Hundred.
They try to get It from him by a clever
ruse, but again Jone bents them to It
down the copy. He opeued a drawer an
took out two envelopes. The blue one I..
tore up and dropiied Into tha vvu.ite basket.
Norton uuderHtood and smilel. They had.
meant to discharge him If he fell down. Tha
ulher envelope was a fut one.
"Open It," said thn editor, smiling a lit
lis himself.
This envelope contained a check for
(2,5110, two round trip tirst chins tickets n
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Mverpooi, togothor with Innumerable con
tinental tickets such is are Issued to tour
- lata.
"Why two?" asked Jim Inuocaiitly.
" r'grgct It, my buy, forget It. You ought
to know that lu this utiles wa don't employ
blind men. Tin whole slat Is on, There
you are, a fut check aud three montln' va
cation (Jo and got married; and If you
return before the three mouths ire up I'll
lire you myself on general principles."
Jim laughed happily and the two men
shook li.iu.la. Theu Jim went forth to com
plete the big assignment Five lulnutes
Inter Florence called hlin up to Isaru that
ha hud gone.
Wlint should she do? Jones had told her
to slay III the house and not to leave It
- Hut where was he? Why did ha not come?
Whut was the meaning of this deaertlun by
the servants? She wandered about aim-
legal j, looking out of windows, Imagining -forma
la the shadows. Her Imagination had
not deceived her; alia bad heard doors closs
softly.
" Susan, Susan! " she murmured; bat
Susan was in the hospital,
Oliver Twist! What had possessed her
to start reading that old tale agulo? She
should hare read something of a light and
Joyous character. After half an hour's
wandering about the lonely house she re
turn cil to the library, feeling that she would
be mi fer where both telephone and revolver
were.
And while she sat waiting for she knew
not what, her swiftly beating heart send
ing the blood Into her tlirout so that It al
most suffocated her, a man turned Into the
street and wnlked resolutely toward the Hur
grrnve place. He passed a man leaning
against a tamp post, but lie never turned to
look at him.
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TMt.lLrJCAFE. Of COUNTreJ-vT OLQA
Thlt nniu, however, threw away his cIkiit
snd hot looted It to tha ueurest puy station,
lie knew In his soul that he hud J nut seen
the man for whom they had heen hunting
sll theso weary but strenuous weeks Slan
ley Hargrcavs In the llcahl Half an hour
after bis tercphons mexsage the chief of
the Itluck Hundred and many lesser lights
were on their way to the house of mystery.
Had they but kunwnl
Now, the man who hsd created this tre
mendous agitation went serenely on. He
proceeded directly and fearlessly to the flout
door, produced a littch key nnd entered. He
passed through the hull and reception room
to thi llbrury and paused un the threshohl
dramatically, r'lorcnc stepped back will)
t sharp cry of alarm. She had beard the
hall door open and close and bad taken 'I
' fur granted that Jones hud returned. , ,
There was a tableau of short. duration. .
"Don't job know me?" asked the
stranger in a singularly plsasant voice. -
Florence had been Imposed upon too many
times. She shook her bead defiantly, though .
her knees shook so that shs was certain
that the least touch would send her over,
"I am your father, chlldl"
Florence slipped unsteadily behind the
desk and seized the revolver which lay In
the drawer. The man by the curtains
smiled sadly. It was a smile that caused
Florence to waver a bit. Still, she extended
her arm.
" You do not believe me?" sold the man,
advancing slowly.
" No. I hove been deceived too many
times, sir. Stuy where you are. You will
wait here till my butler returns. 0, if I
were only sure!" she burst out suddenly
and passionately. " What proof have you
that you ore what you say?"
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JIM MANAGEiD TO FLOOL
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Ho iitiuu toward her, holding out his
hands. "This, tha tjou can nut shoot me.
Ah, the damimlile wretches! Whut have
they dune to you, my child, to nuke you
suspicious- of every ime? How I lines
watched overoyou lu secret! I will tell you
what ouly Jones and the reporter know,
that tin aviator died, th.it I ttlnuc was res
cued, thai I gave Norton the live thousand,
that I watched the windows of the Itus
slun woman, nnd overheard uenrly every
plot Hint was hutched lu the conned cham
ber of. the Illitck ll iildicd; that I was shut
In the arm whlln criienhig the lawn mis
n Is lit An J now we h.ive the icinin Ir-'lt
Jnat where e want Iheui. They will he lit
this lnne for me within hnlf'aii hour, itul
not one of them will leave It In frilotn
I am your father, I'loreu.-e; I am the lonely
father who has spent Ike h'st years of Ills
Ufa away (rom you In order to secure your
i j my
I " . 1 11
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safety. - Can't you feel tie truth of all
thlsr
" Mo, not Please do not approach any
nearer; stay where you are! "
At that moment the telephone rang.' With
the revolver still leveled she picked up the
receiver.
"Hello, hello! Who Is H? . . . O,
Jim, Jim, come at once! I am holdlog at
bay a man who soys he Is my father. Hold '
hlin where he Is, yon say? All right, I
will. Come quick!"
".Tim!" murmured the man, still advan
cing. He must have that revolver. The
poor child might spoil the whole affair. "So
what Jones tells uie Is true: that you are
going to marry this reporter chap?"
She did not answer.
"With or without my consent?"
If only he would drop that fearless smile!
she thought. " With or without anybody's
consent," she said.
yew iMWir.viii'as' rasa,
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"Whut In the world can I any to you to
convince you?" ha cried. "The trup is set;
hut If Brains and his men' coma and flni .
in like Mils, good heaven, child, we are both
lost! Come, come!"
" Stay where you are! "
At that moment she heard a sound at the
door, Iter gar.e roved; and It was enough,
for the m4i. . He renchea out und caught
her arm. She tried to tear herself loose.
" My child, lu find's name, listen trv ren-
on! Tliey arc entering the hall nnd they ,
will have us both." I 1
Hinlilcnly Florence knew. Slut could not
imvo lohl you why; but then' was un:ap-,
ileal In the man's voice that went lo her
heart. ' . .
" You are my father! "
. " Yes, yes! But you've found It out Just
i trills too late, my dear. Quick; thit lid
.' the desk I" ' " . '
Brains nnd his. men dashed Into ths
Jbrary. . Olgu entered leisurely.
"Both of them!',' : yelli-l Bralne exult
niitly. " Both of thorn together; what luck I"
Thero was a sharp, Oerco struggle; and
when It cams to sn end nargrtavo, was
'rusned to s chilr.
"Ah, so we meet ngnlnr lUrjreBve!" said
- I'lnlin;.
Ilirgreavs shrugged. What he wauted
w.i iin.0.
" A luillion! We havo you, Where Is It,
r I'll twist your heart before, your eyes.''
" 1'alher, forgive rue! "
" I understand, my child."
"Where Is It? " Brnlno tared rioreneu
he the wrist and swung her toward him, .
" Don't tell him, father j don't mind me,"
an i il the girl bravely,
limine, smiling his old evil smile, drew
the girl close. It was the Inst time he
ever touched lier.
" Look! " screamed Olga.
. Kvery one turned, to see Jones' face peer
ing between the curtains, fliers was an
Ironic smile on the butler's' .lips. The fars
viininhed.
"After him!' cried BMl.ne, . releasing
I'lorence.
"After Mint" mimicked a voles from tha
hall. . . ..
. The curtains were thrown Inu-k ntddetily.
. Jones apKo.ii'ed nnd dim mil the Itusslun,
agent a id. a dor.en polli-emen. Tahlean!
limine was the only mun who kept tils
head. He Hom-ed Sort ni, smushr l a win
dow, aud li-iiped, out. ; The blow dnnod No'
ton, but lie wits on Ills feel alinul iusisntl)
ud followed nrulue through the window.
Across the tjtl the two spoil, with su ei
rim Hire of shots which emptied both sulo-
matlct but did no damage. Brain haadel
for his auto. H jumped In, only to bs
hauled out again by the furious reporter. 4
hand to hand fight followed; and ths cleat
life of ths reporter told.
"There, my angelic friend, I believe thai
ths game Is up. There Is one shot left ll
this automatic. If you make any attempt
to escape, I'll let you bare It; not to kil
but to disable. You and your preclout .
countess will sail tomorrow morning for thi
Baltic, and from there you will go to the lend
mines." He dragged his prisoner toward
the bouse.
" Your troubles are over, my child," said
Hargreare, as ho pressed Florence to hit
heart.
"And mine have begun," murmured ths
countess. " But I hftve still one shot."
The police stood encircling her. Calmle
she opened her handling and took out her
handkerchief. It was a thick and heavy
silk one. Swiftly she unscrewed the top of
her wnlklng stick (it will be seen now that
the carrying of it was not nn affectation!),
extracted a vial and t1 violently tn
the floor. An overpowering sweit odor filled
the room. Jones, knowing how deeply
vcr.ieil Ilrulno was In oriental poisons oul
narcotics, made a desperate but futile effort
to tear down a curtain to throw over tin
liiiild; but even In the effort he felt hit
senses going. The last he was conscious of
was n mocking laugh.
But the eutruuee of Jim, dragzlng Brains
after III in, shocked nil tho banter out of ths
countess. She - turned and rushed madly
for the stairs, without having the least Idea
how she was to manage an escape from ths
upper stories. She had thought Brains free.
As she flew up the steps all the past re
turned, all tier warnings to that stubborn
man. This was the end ... Bunjiaf
Tho horrors of tho cold and tho deadly
damps of the mines , . . forever!
.Tim. still holding the battered conspira
tor, watched her flight in smar.ement He
could not understand till he pushed Brain
Into the library aud the vanishing odor as
sailed his nostrils. What these fumes were
lie was never lo know, but they proved to
be transitory. Five minutes sufficed to bring '
nil liuck to their senses.' For the while they
forgot Olga.
' "This man Is mine," said Servan, nodding
Inward Brnlne.
"He's yours, without charge," said Jim.
" I am an American cltlxeu," said Bralne,
who, renlltlng what ths future held, readily
preferred a long prison term in Amerira to
the horrors of Russian exile.
. "Your certlficato has been destroyed," sulJ -Servan,
"nnd ths state department consul,
era your papers void becauss you obtained
them under false oaths. You are an undo
slrnblo citizen; aud lbs republic Is happy t
learn thnt you will be taken off Its hands."
" And because," added. Norton, " you havt
laid too many mines lu the blackmailing1
business, and ths government does not pro!
pose to have thorn made known to the. pub
lic through a long snd useless trial. It was
a long run, old top; but right is right And
by tho way, I want you to meet Mr. Jcit
son, formerly of Scotland Yard.'
He indicated Jones, who started.
" Yes," went on tlx reporter, " I nicog
nized li i in long ago."
" ll Is true," said Hiirgicivo, taking Jones'
hnn.l In his own. " Fifteen years ago I cm
ployed him to Watch my uiT.-iIrs, und very
well has he done so. And ti you, yon
wretch," tinning upon the bngguril Bmiiin,
"listen: there Is a million, nnd you h.va
been within; a font of It a dojeu times. It
bus been under your very nose. ' I hi you
ti member I'oe's 'Purloined Letter'? H.i!
Tudor your very nose, within touch of your
lisud! Now, tako him away, Mr. Scrvmt.
The police will ho sntlshcd with tho pris
oner they luive.'' ' j
So, present!,-, Hitigreitve, Jones, Florenctj
nnd Jim were alone. Thnt smile which hut
rcveulcl to Florence her fiithir's Iduititj
stolo-ovcr his face ngiilu, He put his h.inc
on Jim's shoulder and beckoned to Flor
ence. "An you really ntniuus to marry Ihli
. ynitiig niau? "
Florence nodded,
"Well, then, do so. And go to Huron
, with him on Jour , lioneyinoou; . nud as 1
wedding present to' you both, for every
dolltir that ho has I will 'u,, hiuidrr-rti
nnd when you eo.t tired of travel you will
both come back here to live. The B!ac
Hiindied hns censed to eUt." -
"An I now,"sald Jones, slinking his sluml
dent. -
" Well?" snld Hiirgrcnve.
"My business Is done. Still Jouet
panned.
"Go nn," said Hnrgreave soberly.
" Well, Hie tnith Is, sir, Pre grown used
In you. And If you'll let me piny Ilia bullet
till ths end I shall be most happy."
" I wns going to suggcot It." !
Norton Inuk I'lorence hy tin hanj aud
ilr"w her ansy.
"Where nre you leklug me?" she ssked.
"I'm going to take this pretty hand ol
yours nnd put It flat upon ll.OiiO.nofl. . And
If ru don't believe It, follow me." '.
. Shs followed.' '
TAis It the last chapter ol "The Million
Dollar Aotters'" (,( wilt annrsr mtit aftrn
the tlO.Oim v,H..f k Qrrn awonfrs, when iht
ronripdte, chapter,, written hy Mr. Mactlratk
from te best talulio offcrnd; will ba puh
fUnrd. . .. ,
4