The Butler Weekly Times Newspaper, November 26, 1914, Page 6

—— [ThedidionDollar Mystery ' By HAROLD MAC GRATH Ilustrated from Scenes in the Photo Drama of the Same Name by the Thanhouser Film Company (Copyright, 1914, by Harold MacGrath) | twisted the ring on her finger. | “Tell me!” cried Florence. “Pshaw! You have a bag full of “You tricks. You can easily manage to put are engaged?” him into an equivocal position out of | “Mercy, no!” which he cannot possibly squirm so “Is he rich?” “No. Money should not matter when your heart is involved.” far as the girl is concerned. A little , melodrama, arranged for the benefit | of Florence. Fall into Norton’s arms As this thought was in accord with at the right moment, or something | her own, Florence nodded her head like that.” ' sagely. “I suppose I could. But if I failed “It is nothing serious. Just a fancy. saci I shall never marry again. Men are “You're too damnably clever to fail | in your own particular work. Some thing has got to be done to keep those | two apart. I've often thought of raid- ing the house boldly and carrying oft the whole family, Susan and all. But, a wholesale affair like that would be too notsy. Think it over, Olga; we, have gone too far to back down now. | There's always Russia; and while I'm the boss over here they never cease | to watch me. They'll make me an- swer for a failure like this.” | gay deceivers; they always have been She eyed him speculatively. “You have money.” “O, the money doesn’t matter. It's | the game.’ It’s the game of playing | fast and loose with society. of pilfer- | | ing with it with one hand and making | it kow-tow with the other. It's the! What was your) sport of the thing. thought?” “We could go away together, ‘to South America.” “And tire of each other Within a ~ month,” he retorted shrewdly. “No; we are in the same boat. We could not live but for this never ending ex- cltement. And, more than that, we never could get far enough away from | ! the lot arm of the First Ten. We'll have to stick it out bere. Can't you see?” “Yes, I can see.” But in her heart she knew that she A Little Melodrama Arranged for the Benefit of Florence. * and always Will be. Perhaps I'm a bit wicked; but I rather like to prove my teft_ me {f you are tn direct commu- nication with my father?” “Yes, Miss Florence,” he answered Promptly. “But do not breathe this to a single soul, neither Susan nor Norton.” “I promise that. But, ah! hasten the day when he can come. to me .without fear.” “That is'my wish also.” “You need not call me miss. should you?” “It might not be wise to have any one hear me call you thus familiarly,” he objected gravely. “Please yourself about that. must telephone Jim.” “Jim?” the butler murmured. He caught the word which was not intended for his ears. But. for once Jones had been startled out of. him- self. “Is it wrong for me to call Mr. Nor- ton Jim?” she asked with a bit of banter. c “It 1s not considered quite the prop- er thing, Miss Florence, to call a young man by his first name unless you are engaged to marry him, or grew up with him from childhood.” “Well, supposing I were engaged to him?” haughtily. “That would be a very grave affair. What have you to prove that he may not wish to marry you for your money?” 4 “Why, Jones,, you know that I haven't a penny in the world I cay call my own! There is nothing to Prove, except your word, that I am Stanley Hargreave’s daughter.” “No, there is nothing to prove that you are his daughter. But hasn’t it ever occurred to you that there might be a purpose back of this? Might it not be of inestimable value that your father’s enemies should be le in doubt? Might it not be a means of holding them on the leash? There is proof, ample proof, my child; and when the time comes these will be shown you. But meantime put all thought of marrying Mr. Norton out of your mind.” “That I refuse to do.” quietly, “J am at least mistress of my heart; and no one shall dictate to me whom T shall or shall not marry. I love Mr. Why Now I “He says there has been some cruel mistake,” said Jones. “I saw kim with the countess in Hits arms. I do not see any cruel mis- take in that. I saw him. Tell him-so. And add that I never wish to sechim again.” Then she ran swiftly to her room, where she broke down and eried bit- terly.and would not be comferted by Susan. - “In heaven’s name, what has hap- pened?” demanded the frantic lover, “what has happened?” The comedy of the whole affair lay in the fact that neither of the two suspected the countess, who consoled them both, : CHAPTER IX, The Leap in the Dark. .So far as Jones was concerned, he was rather pleased with the turn of affairs. This was no time for love- making; no time for silly, innocuous quarrels and bickerings, in which love must indulge or die. Florence no —“-Never-Saw_That Ring Before.” | ' longer rode horseback, and Norton reiurned to his accustomed haunts, where no one made the slightest at- tempt upon his life. state of mind he would have welcomed Norton and he loves me, knowing that I may not be an heiress after all. An some day T shall marry him.” Jones bowed. This seemed to ap- Pear final to him, and nothing more was to be said! Norton did not return to his rooms till seven. He found the telephone In his present |‘ would have lived in a hut with this man till the end of her days. She abhorred the life, though she never, by the slighest word, let him. become aware of it.- There was always that abiding fear that at the first sign of weakness he would desert her. And she was wise in her deductions. “Braine was loyal to her because she | held his interest. Once that failed, | he would be off and away. The next afternoon the countess, / having matured her plans against the | happiness of the young girl who trusted her, drew up before the Har- greave place and alighted. Her wel- come was the same as ever, and this strengthened her confidence. The countess was always gesticu-| lating. Her hands fluttered to empha- j size her words. And the beautiful diamond solitaire caught the girl's .eye, She seized the hand. Having an affair of her own, it was natural that she should be interested in that of her friend. “I never saw that ring before.” “A gift of yesterday.” The coun- | nite out of her, but she had a beauti- 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’s drudge. I distrust every man I know. I came to ask you and Susan to go to the opera with me tonight. You will come to my apartments first. You will come” “To be sure we will!” : “Simple little fool!” thought the Russiah on the way home. “She shall see.” “I believe the countess is engaged to be married,” said Florence to Jones. “Indeed, miss?” “Yes. I couldn’t get anything defi- ful ring on her finger. She wants Susan and me to go to the opera with her tonight. Will that be all right?” Jones gazed abstractedly at the rug. Whenever a problem bothered him he seemed to find the so'ution in the deli- cate patterns of the Persian rugs. Fi- nally he nodded. “I see no reason why you should not go. Only, watch out.” call and also a note in a handwriting unfamiliar. He tore off the envelope and found the contents to be from the Countess Perigoff. x “Call at eight tonighi,” he read. “I have an important news story for you. Tell no one, as ‘I cannot be involved In the case. Cordially, Olga, Countess Perigoff.” Humph! Norton twiddled the note in his fingers and at length rolled it Into a ball and threw it into the waste basket. He, too, made a mistake; he should have kept that note. He dressed, dined, and hurried off to the apartments of the countess. He arrived ten minutes before Flor- ence and Susan. And Jones did some rapid telephon- ng. “How long; how long!” the butler murmured. How long would this strange combat last? The strain was terrible. He slept but little during the nights, for his ears were always waiting for sounds. He had cast the chest into the sea, and it would take a dozen expert divers to locate it. asked the night city editor, raising his eye shade. reader, dope; bumped into the boss a while ago and never stopped to apologize.” page laughed the copy reader. you and me and the gate post, I don’t believe there ever was a man by the name of Hargreave.” all right. swim 300 miles in rough water, life buoy or no. funeral services, and let it go at that.” fake cable from Gibraltar saying that Orts was alive? I don’t see any sense In that.” think, for my part, that both Orts and Hargreave are dead, and that the man “What's the matter with’ Jim?” pts against his s that all Pate ceased; no safes tive had miraculou thundered down in ‘ont of him, and no autos tried to «.:ve him in two. The only thing tha: kept him active was the daily call of Jones by wire. Miss Florence was well ;that was all Jones was permitted to say. - Restlessly Norton spurned his chair and walked over to the telephone pooth. It was mian‘xht. He might or might not be able to get Jones. But almost instantly a voice said, “What is it?” “Jones?” “Yes. Who is it?” “Norton.” “Why, you called me up not ten minutes ago.” “Not I!” “It was your voice, as plain as day.” “what did I want?” keen all at once. The reply did not come immediately. “You are certain it was not you?” “Wait a moment and I'll call the editor. He will prove to you that I've been here for an hour, and that this ig the first call I’ve made. Some one has been imposing on you. What did they ask you to do?” “You asked me to come down to the office at once, and I requested you to come to the house, and you said you dould not. I declined to stir.” “What did you think?” - “Bxactly what you’re thinking—that they have come to life again.” “Jones, is Miss Florence awake?” “No.” “Do you think there is any hope of having her understand what really happened?” “Tl am here only to guard her. I can- not undertake to read her thoughts.” “You're not quite in favor of a rec- onciliation?” “Oh, yes, if it went no further. Young people are young people the world over.” “What does that mean?” “That they would not create imagi-| tative heartaches if they were not young. Better let things remain ex- actly as they are. When all these troubles are settled finally, the lesser trouble may be talked over sensibly. But this is not the time. There is no news. Good-night.” _Norton returned to his chair, gloom-| | ier than ever. With his feet upon the window sill he stared and stared and dreamed and dreamed till a hand fell upon his shoulder. It belonged to one of the office boys. “Note f'r. you, sir.” Norton read it and tore it into little pieces. Then he rose and distributed the pieces in the several ,yawning “IT don't know,” answered the copy “Goes around as if he'd been eating “Perhaps he’s mapping out the front for. that MHargreave stuff,” “Between “Oh, there was a chap by that name, He’s dead. A man can't They ought to have “But what was the reason for that “The man who pulled it off did. I tess assumed a shy air which would | have deceived St. Anthony. She! ‘The Million Dollar Mystery’ “Jones, there is one thing that will make me brave and happy. Will you picked up by the tramp steamer Orient was riding some other balloon..’ “You're wrong there. The descrip- tion of it proved that it was Orts’ ma- chine. Oh, Jim probably has got a man’s size yarn up his sleeve, but he’s a long time in delivering the goods. He’s beginning to mope a good deal. Woman back of it somewhere. Haven't held down this copy job for twelve years without being able to make some it. And now, atop of all these wor- ries, the child must fall in love.with the first comer! It was heartbreak- ing. Norton, so far as he had learned, was cool and brave, honest and reli- able in a pinch; but as the husband of Stanley Hargreave’s daughter, that was altogether a different matter, And he must devise some means of putting a stop to it, but— But he was saved that trouble. The fifth installment of which appears in The Times this week Will be shown in Motion Pictures at the Star Theater Every Tuesday afternoon and night threat of bodily harm, detectives are seeking men known to them as “Black Hand” leaders, whom they suspect of responsibility for the fire. — H Died In a Panic. 8 DIE IN BLACKHAND FIRE. Demand for $1,000 Was Ignored and Revenge ‘Followed Quickly in New York Tenement House. New_York, Nov. 23—Eight persons are dead, two others were so-~badly burned that they may die and seven more, including two fire captains, were injured as the result of a fire of sus- piclows origin which virtually destroy- ef a tenement house today. ‘@ result of disclosures made to by a tenant who has been : Hand” lettera. for upon whom a de i } i Panic, which seized : the tenants when they were aroused by rescuers, caused the loss of life, the police say, as the building was amply equipped with fire escapes. Seven bodies were found in the hall- way on the top floor near a stairway leading to the roof when the flames had been subdued after an hour's fight by several fire companies and-two fire- boats. Mrs. Annie Cataldo, a tenant who had been rescued, died from heart “Bland tolerable guesses. Jim’s a star man. When he gets started nothing can stop him. He covered the Chinese Boxer rebellion better than any other corre- spondent there. I wonder how old he is?” “O, I should say about thirty-one or two.. Here he comes now. 'Lo, Jim!” “Hello! Where’s Ford? He gave meé a ticket to the theater tonight, and I want to punch his head. What's drama coming to, anyhow? Cigarettes and booze and mismated couples. Can’t_they find good enough things out of doors? Oh, I know. They cater to a lot of fools who believe that what they see is an expression of high life in New York and-London. And it’s rot, plairi rot. It’s merely the scum on the boiling pot. And anj-old house- wife would skim it off and chuck it into the slops. Life? Piffle!” “What's the grouch?” “Looking for the dramatic job?” “No. I’ve just been wondering how far these theatrical managers can go witHout slitting. the golden goose.” Norton sought his desk and began rummaging the drawers. He was not hunting for anything; he was merely passing away the time. By and by, when the pastime no longer served, he pulled his chair over to the window and sat down, staring at stars such as Copernicus never dreamed of. Ships going down to sea, ferries swooping diagonally hither and thither, the clockwork signs; but he took no note of these marvels of light. “Not at home!” he muttered. He had called, written, telephoned. No use. The door remained shut, Jones answered the telephone, and the letters came back. He began to think Mongoose and cobra, that was the game being played; the cunning of the one against the deadly venom of the other. If he forced matters he would only lay himself open to the Strike of the snake. He must have Patience. Gradually they were break- ing the organization, lopping off a branch here and there, but the peace of the future depended upon getting a grip on the spine of the cobra him- self. é The trick was simple. The count- ess had news; trust her for that. She exhibited a cablegram, dated at Gib- raltar, in which the British authori- ties stated definitely that no such a person as William Orts, aviator, had arrived at Gibraltar. And then, as he rose, she rose also and gently precip- itated herself into his‘ arms, just at the moment Florence appeared in the doorway. . Very simple, indeed. When a wom-|- an falls toward a man there is noth- ing for him to do but extend his arms to prevent her from falling. Outward- ly, however, to the eye which saw only the picture and comprehended not the cause, it had all the hallmarks of an affectionate embrace. Florence stood perfectly still for a moment, then turned away. “I beg your pardon,” said the count- ess, “but a sudden fainting spell seize me. My heart is a bit weak.” “Don’t mention it,” replied the gal- lant Norton. He was as innocent as a babe as to what had really taken place. Florence went, back home. She wrote a brief note to Norton and in- closed the ring which she had secret- ly worn attached to a little chain she refused waste baskets which strewed the aisle leading to the city desk. “I’m not wanted for anything?” he asked, “No, Clear out!” laughed the night city editor. “The sight of you is put- ting everybody in the gloom ward.” Norton went down to the street. At the left of the entrance he was quietly joined by a man whose arm was Car- ried in a sling. He motioned Norton to get into the taxicab, They were dropped in a-deserted spot in River- dale. On foot they went forward to their destination, which proved to be the deserted hangar of*the aviator, William Orts. “I want you to tell Jones that a tug and several divers are at work on the spot where he threw the chest. That’s all. Now, doctor, rewind this arm of mine.” The amateur surgeon made a very good job of it; not for nothing had he followed fighting armies to the front. “Did they find anything?” “Not up to date. But we might if we cared to. They have left a buoy over the spot they’re exploring, But just now it floats a quarter of a mile to the east of the spot.” “Who were the men in the motor boat that chased Jones.” “Only Jones can tell you. Queer old codger, eh?” “A bit stubborn. He wants to handle it without police assistance.” “And he’s right. We are not aiming to arrest anyone,” sinisterly. ‘There can’t be any draw to this game. Here no smoking. Too much gas afloat.” Norton put tlie cigarettes back into his pocket. “What's the real news?” he demanded. “You ‘would not bring me out here just to rebandage that arm. It really did not need it. Come, out with it.” z “You're sharp.” “I’m paid to be sharp.” “I've found where the Black Hun- dred holds its sessions.” “By George, that’s news!” “The room above is vacant. A little hole in the ceiling, and who -knovws what might happen?” “What do you want me to do?” “Tell Jones. When the next meet- stumbled upon a dissatisfied member. So, buck up, as they say. We've got two ends of the net down, a little care we'll have them all. let me have a hundred.” Norton drew out a packet of bills and counted off five twenties. = “Why don’t you draw the cash your- self?” ss “It happens to be in your name, son.” “I forgot,” said Norton. “But what a chance for me! Nearly five thou- sand, all mine for a ticket-to Algiers!” A grunt was the only reply. “I want you to tell me about the Perigoff woman.” 3 “I know only one thing—that Braine is there every night.” “No!” “The orders are for you to the game just as you are playing fae Boas we strike, it must be the last blow. All this hide-and-seek ' business may to you. It’s like that Jap- anese game called ‘jo.’ It looks ple, but chess is a tyro'’s = Now It Had All the Hallmarks of an Affec- ed office of the first he sent his card ing come around I'll advise you. I’ve] in. The doctor replied in person. His face was pale and his hands shook. and with} ing affably. hypnotized. to see me on some particular busi- ness?” is outside. ‘Will you be so good as to accompany me?” hall for his hat and coat. He left the house and got into the car with never | a word of protest. a } See your evil face. What devilment do you require of me this time?” ~ side ft. Can you find your way back all right?” ‘ : “I can.” “Well, you'd better be going. That's all'the light T have, in this torch here, Got.a lot to do tomorrow and need sleep.” Norton stole away with great cau- tion. His first intention was to pro. ceed straight to the city, but de spite his resolution he found himeeljt within a quarter of an hour gazing up at the windows of the Hargreave house. “Not at home!” Quite unconscious of the fact, he was as close to death as any mortal man might care to be. The police. man suddenly looming up under the arc lamp proved to be his savior. e . s * ° s * The lull made Jones doubly alert. He was positive that they were pre- paring to strike again. But from what direction and in what manner? He had not met the gift of clairvoyance, so he had to wait; and waiting is a terrible game when perhaps death is balancing the scales. It is always easier to make an assault than to _await it; and it is a good general who always finds himself prepared. But it made his heart ache to watch the child. She went about cheerfally —when any one was in the room with her. Many a time, however, he kad stolen to the door of her bedroom and heard ‘the heart-rending sobs, a vain attempt being made to stifle them among the pillows. She was only eighteen; it was first love; and first loves are pale, evanescent attach- ments. It hurt now; but she would get over it presently. Youth forgets. Time, like water, smooths away the ragged places. The countess called regularly. She was, of course, dreadfully sorry over what had happened. She had heard something about his character; news- paper men weren't always the best. This one was a mere fortune hunter; a two faced one, at that. She was never more surprised in‘ her life when he threw his arms around her. And so on, and so forth, half lies and kalf truths, till the patient Jones felt tike wringing her neck, From his vantage point the butler smiled-ironieally,-He could read the heart of this Perigoff woman as he could read the page of a book. The effrontery! And all the while he must gravely admit her and pretend when the blood rioted in his veins at the sight of her. But he dared not swerve a single inch from the. plans laid down. It was a cup of bitter gall, and there was no way of avoiding the putting of it to his lips. She ema- nated poison as nightshade emanates it, the upas tree. And he must bow when she entered and bow when she left! Still, she had done him an in- direct favor in breaking up this love business, One afternoon Braine summoned his runabout and called up two physicians. When he was ushered into the degert- tionate Embrace. “Good afternoon,” said Braine, smil: The doctor eyed him like a man “You . you wished “Very particular,” dryly. “My car The doctor slowly went into the '?” said Braine. “I am always thinking whenever I “A mere stroke of the pen.” “Where are we going?” “There's no need of using that kind | talk to me. You bave me in the;