The MiSisii Dollar Mystery
By HAROLD MAC CRATH
Illustrated from Semes in the Photo Drama of the
Same Name tor the Thanhouser Film Company
(Cop/right, 1111, by B*rold MMOmlk)
CHAPTER III.
i *
The Safe In the Lonely Warehouse.
The princess did not remain long
after the departure of the (<olice .with
thf bogus detectives. It bad been a
v cry difficult conker to wriggle out of,
ail because Bralno had added to his
plans after ahe'had left the apart
ment. But for the advent of the med
dling reporter tbo coup would have
'succeeded, heisnlf apparently perfect
ly Innocent of complicity. That must
be the keynote of all her plans: to ap
pear quite Innocent and leave no trail
be-'ilnd her. She had gained the con
fidence of Florence and her compan
ion. And she waa rather certain that
sbe had Impressed this laiy-eyed re
porter and the atolld butler. She had
told nothing but the truth regarding
her relationship. They would find that
out She waa Katrina Pushkin's cousin,
ljut blood with her counted as naught.
She had room In her heart but for two
thlnga. Hralpe and money to spend on
her caprices. v
/ 1 How long has your highness known
Mr. Bralnc?" esked the reporter Idly,
u he smoothed away all signs of his
rocent conflict'.
"O, the better part of a year. Mr.
Hargreave did not reoognUe me the
other night That waa quite excus
able, for when he last saw me 1 waa
cpt mors than twelve. My child." she
naid to Floreneo. "build ho hopes re
garding your mother. She Is doubt
less dead. Upon ecme trivial -matter
I do not know what it was? she was
confined to the fortress. ; That was
seventeen years ago. When you enter
the fortress at St. Petersburg, you
cease to be."
"That Is true enough."
'1 did not rcca'J myself to your fa
. ,ther. I did not care at that moqieut
to shock him with the remembrance of
the past Is not Mr. Bralno a re
markable men?" All this In ber charm
ing broken E^glisn.
"He Is, Indeed." affirmed Norton.
??He's a cupcrb linguist, knows every
body and lies traveled everywhere.
No matter what subject y'bu bring up
he seems well Informed."
."Come often," urged Florence.
"1 shall, my child. And any time
you need me, coll for me. After *"? '
cm nerrly your aunt. You will "find
Ufa In the city fcr different from that
Trhlch you have bocn accustomed to."
Bhe limped down to ber limousine.
IQ tripping up Norton he bad stepped
upon her foot heavily.
"She Is loroly!" crisd Florence.
"Well, I must be 03 my way. also,"
raid Norton. "I am a worldly-wise
cue, Mies Florcnco. So la Jones here.
Never go any place without letting
him kaow; not oven to the corner
drug store. I, cm going to find your
lather. Some one tvas rcscued. I'm
going to And out whether It was the
aviator or; Mr. Ilararoave."
- Jonoa drew In a deep breath and his
e^cs clcccd fcr a mon.^nt. At the
d^or he s polio to the reporter.
"What do yoa think of that worn
a?r
*TI believe that (be told the truth.
She Is charming."
"She la. But for all her charm and
truth I cannSt help distrusting ber. I
have an Idea. I ehall call up your of
OM at tbo end of each day. If a day
cdmes without a call, you will know
that aomethlng Is wrong."
"A rerr good Idea." Norton shook
hands with everyone and departed.
"What a brave, pleasant young
man!" murmured Susan.
"I like him. too; ant) I'd like him
fat a friend," said the guileless girl.
"It 1a very good to have a friend
like Mr. Norton," added Jones; and
passed out Into the kitchen. Ail the
help had been discharged and upon
his shoulders lay tb* burdon of the
cooking till such tltaa when he could
reinstate the cook.
There waa a stormy scene between
Rfalne and the princess that sight.
"Are you In your dotage T" she asked
vehemently.
"There, there; bring your voice
"down a^lt Where's the girl?"
"In her home. Where did yon snp
pose she would be, after that botch
work of letting me go to do one thing
while you had la mind another? And
*1? ordinary pair of cutthroats, at
thjur ? . ?
The thought came to jse after yoa
left. 1 knew you'd ileooghlse the men
?ad understand. I see mo reason why
It didn't work."
It wouM have been all light if *W
tod oonsifUdd a clairvoyant."
"What the dene* do yoa asenn Mr
thatr Bratne derpaad^i rcugbly.
mean that then yoa would have
" your friend the reporter waa
"pen tho scene at Its .most
tnt ? ^ _:v ..
" Norton T" - ?
f*~la. The trouble ia wj<k>oc. yoa
been so suosoacfal all these years
#0 a bare iTSWn overconfident. I
yoa that there is a dfofrramr
-rd man sootowbere back of all
rs*tord^J: 'lA lT in><h?dh*gM*H
he near by. Ha ns t hata
the balhx
rntm JHH K to?
they picked up way
tne aeronaut. Tlvo ilve T.iousanu toii'A
have been hla fee tor reletting Har
greave. Here Is tho greatest thing
we've ever been up against; and you
start In with every day method*!"
"Little woman, don't let your tongue
run away with you too far."
"I'm not the least bit afraid of fou,
Ljo. You need me. and It has never
beon more, apparent than at this mo
ment."
"All right. I fell by the wayside
this trip. Truthfully, I realized It Ore
minutes after the men were gone. The
only clever thing ! did was to keep
tho rfaSk 011 my face. They can't
come back at me. Rut the thing looked
so easy; and It would liavo worked
but for Norton's nppearar.oe."
"You all but compromised me. That
butler worries mo a little." Her op
pression lost Its anger and grew
thoughtful. "He's always about, some
where. Do you think Hargreave took
him Into his confidence f"
"Can't tel|. ' He's been watched
straight for 40 hmirs. He hasn't
mailed a. letter or telephoned to any
place but the grocery. There have
been no telegrams. Some one In that
house knows where the money 1*. and
It'c ten to one that It will be the girl."
"She lookes enough like Katrlna to
be her ghost."
limine went over to the window
and stared up fit the stars.
"You haye made a good Impression
on the girl?" with 'hi* back still to
ward her.
"1 had her In my arms."
"01ga,4my hat Is off to you/' turn
ing. now that his face was again In
repose. "Your very frankness regard
ing your rtitttlonnhlp will pull the
wool over their eye*. Of course
they'll make inquiries and, they'll And
out that you haven't, lied. It's perfect.
Net even thnt'newspaper weasel will
see anything wrong. Toward you
they will eventually- ease up and yon
can act without their even dreaming
your part In the buslnes*. Wo must
nqt be seen In public any more. Tbla
butler may know where I stand even
though he cannot prove !t Now. I'm
going to tell you something. Perhaps
you've long alnce guessed It. Katrlna.
was mine till llafgreave ? never mind
what his nume was then ? till Har
greave came Into tho fold. 80 sure
of her was 1 that I used her a* a lure
to bring him to us; She fell In love
with him, btit too late to vara him. I
bad the satisfaction of aoelng him cut
her celde, curse her, and leave her. In
ono thing she fooled us all. 1 never
knew of the child tlll-you told me."
Ho paused to light a cigarette.
"Hargrcafo was madly la lore with
her. He cursed her. but he cama back
to the *ous'.' to forgive her, to find
that aho bad been seised by tbo socrot
police and entombed In the fortress^ I
had my revenge. It was I who sent in
the Information, practically bogus. Dut
In Rusrla tboy never question; they
set and forget. Bo he had a daugh
ter!"
Ho began pacing the floor, his hands
behind bis luck; and the woman
watched him, oscillating between love
and fear. He came to a halt abruptly
and looked down at her.
"Don't worry. You bare no rival.
Ill leave the daugbto" to your tender
merclcs."
"Tbe butler," she said, "has full pow
ers. of attorney to act for Hargroave
while absent, up to tbe day the glr!
becomes of legal age."
"I'll keep an eye oa onr friend Jones.
From now on, day and night, there will
be a cat at the knothole, and 'ware
moose 1 Coufd you make up anything
like this girl?" suddenly, ? V ;
"A (air likeness."
"Do It. Oo to the skip which plckrfd
up tbe man at sea and quit the cap
tain. Either tbe aviator or Hargreave
la alive, it li Important to learn which
at onee. Be very careful; play the
game only as you know how to play it.
And If Hargrcavo la altv4, we win. To
morrow morning, early. Tears of ans
gulsb. and all that. Bailors are oajpjis
when a woman wee pa^AM*, color, t??
member; jost tbe" ind the;
aallent features. N
"Aren't you going to tigs me, Leof
He caught bar. hnudo. . "There Is a
species of Delilah about yo1 a. OUa. A
klaa tonight from your llpa would snip
my locks; and I need a clear head.
Whether we tall rr win. whet thU
i?ne la played you a hall be my wl'a.''
Ha Wisxl the hand* and strode out
Into Ota hall. T 1
The woman gated down at her kmell
white baMta and smiled tenderly. (Tbe
tlgraaa baa her tender momenta!) Me
meart It! ? ** >?, ' *
She went Into bar dmatog room and
for an hour or njore worked over her
fa<M and hair, MM ?>e was certain that
If the captdn of tha ahlp described her
to anyone else h? could not fall to gfcre
a f?lr description of Florence Har
Brtl Nortrn reached the oap
Other I
lh?Vs?t kfa* of l.??HHH
i pan; or me r.ruicfces oiga Perigorr. it
COM him a pcckctftl of money, but the
cud jisUfled the mean*. The princess
bad r.o past worth' mentioning. By
tjle^ln* llil? ."f?d that t<Mse'.h?r he be
cann :i-i?; t4 t) c.1 she had told, the
simplo tru.te regarding the relationship
to ploroice's 'mother. A cablegram
had given him all vlio facta In her hlf
tory; there were vc> gap* or discrep
ancies. Tt read. clear tnd frank. Tmil
u Kurjjun accrct agent to know what
he win talking about. j
.80 Norton'fi n\ispicions ? aud he hud'
entertained aonie-~were completely
lulled to sjeep. And J?e wouldn't have
doubted her ut all except for the fact
that Brainy had bceh with* her when
he had Introduced liargreave. Har
grcavt hud fearcd?nrajae; that 'mach
?tho reporter had elicited from the but
ler. But there wasn't the ^lightest
evidence. Ursine had been tn New
York for nearly six years. Tho princess
had arrived In the city but a year gone.
And Cralne wae a member of several
fash lona bio clubs, never touched cards,
and seldom drank. He was an expert
ohcts player and a wonderful amateur
bllllardfct. Perhaps Jones, the taciturn
and Inscrutable, had not told him all
he knew regarding his master's past.
Wei!, well; ho had In his time un
tangled worse ertarlfl. The office had
turned hint loose, a free lance, to
handle tho case a* he saw fit, to turn
In the fetor? when it was complete.
But what a story it w>g &olng to be
when ho cleared It up! The more no
tifying It was', tho greater the zest and
sport for him. Norton 'was like a
r
"I Am Not Afraid of Veil, Leo." ,
gambler wlio plcycd (or big slakes,
and only big ?label stirred bl? crav
ings.
Tho captain of the -tramp cteamer
Orient told him the earne tale he. had
told the other reporter*; bo had plelcsd
up a man at ?ta. The man li >d been
brought aboard totally exhausted.
"Wat there another body any
wheror
"No."
'"What became of him?"
"1 tent a wlrolen and that cecmcd
to bother him. It locked >0 that he did
not want anybody to learn that he had
boen rescuod. The moment the boat
touchcd tlto pier ho toit hlmaelf In the
crowd. Fifty reporter* came aboard,
but he r,a* gone. Acd 1 coul l but tell
them jnat what I'm tollinfe you."
"He had noney."
."About a*o thousand.", .t- '
"Pl?a*o dttorlbe him."
The captain did so. It waa the aame
description he had given to all the re
porter!. Norton looked over tho rail
at the trig warehouse.
"Via it an ordinary balloon?"
"Thtro.yotfvo got me. My Marconi
man ay* tho .balloon part was like
any other balloon; but the passenger
ear was a new business to blm. It -J
could bsdrlven ajalnst the' wind."
"Drivrtl against the wind. Did you
toll thla to the other chaps f'
"Dont think I did. Just remem
bered it. Probably some n?w Inven
tlon; and now it'* at the bottom of the
Via. Two met. as I understand It.
Went off tn this contraption. One 1*
gOUg/Or good."
"Kor good," echoed tlis reporter'
gravely: Gone for good, indeed, poor
devil 1 -.'Norton took out a roll of bills.
"There'* two hundred In this roll."
"Welir* oald the captain, vastly as
.uiuii'N"' ^
"If* your* if you will do me a
small favor."
"If It doesn't get me mixed up .with
the poUca^ I'm only captain of
tiWtgf; and gome of the harbor polltfit
have taken a dl*ll|re to me. What do 1
you w*nt me to do*f* ? . /.^i
"Tho police w*n not bother
maybe both. Uia.pco.U.r
He |
?to1
I the truth. I ,
V
tbe man went tenon TrttS'u packet ^ Un
der JiU arrt."
"Tie * knot In that. '
"Say tint the mua was gray haired,
clean shnren, etralTbt, with a r-zr
high up 011 his forohrid, generally cov
ered up by hi#, twlr."
"That's battened tfcv.ii, m? lad. Oo
OB."
"Say that you saw him enter yonder
warehcixc, and later depart without
hla packet."
"Easy as dropping my mudbook."
"Thut's all." NorK.i gave tbe cap
tain the money. "(Jood by and mauy
tbauhs."
"Dcu'l men Hon It."
Norton tctt the slip and procoedod to
the ufllco of the warehouse. He a|>
proacbed Iho manancr.'a desk.
"Hello, Grannls, old top!"
. The man looked up trorn hi? work
surlily. Tlim blj face brightened.'
"NOrtouJ What's brought you here?
0, yes; that balloon business. Sit
down." '
"What kind of a man la tbe captain
ot that .old hooker in tbe allpT"
"Sbif'ty io gun running, bat other
wise as equere aa a dlo. Looks funny
to ace an old tub like that fixed cp
tylth wireless; but that baa saved lita
ncck n dozen timer when ho waa run
ning it Into a iocie; Not going to In
terview me. are you?"
"No. I'm going to ask you to do me
a little favur."
"They alwayasay that. But apin
her out. If It doean't cost ma my Job,
It'a youra."
"Well, there will be a person mak
ing Inquiries about tbe myatertoua
aeronaut. Ail I want you to aay Is,
that he left a packet with you, that
you've put it in that aafe till he catla
to claim It."
Orannla nibbled the end of bis pen.
"Suppose some tone, should come and
demand, that 1 open the safe p.nfl de
liver?"
"All you've got to doJa-to-teU-thcin
to ahow thn receipt signed by you." <
Tbe warehouse manager laughed.
"Got a iot of sense In that Ivory dome
of yours. All right, ^ut If anything
happens you've got to come around
and back tr.o up. What's it about!"
"That I dare not tell you. This
much, I'm laying a trap and I want
some one 1 don't know to fall Into It."
"On your way, Jamea. Hut If. you
dont send me some prlie fight tickets
next week for this, I'll never do you
(anntber favor."
In reply Norton took from his pocket
two bits of paateboard aud laid them
on tbe desk. "I knew you'd be want
1ut something ]|k? this."
"Hingslde!" cried Orannla. "You re
portera an lucky devtla!"
"I'd go myself if there was any
earthly chance of a real scrap. You
make nw laugh, <1 ran. You're alwayk
going, alwaya hoping tbe next one will
be a real one. nut It'a all bonk. The
pugs are the biggest takers on top the
acd. They've got ua newspaper men
done to a frazzle." V
"I guess you're right Well count
on mo regarding that mysterious
bundle In the aafe." ,
"At three o'clock thia afternoon 1
want you to call me up. If uo ono has
caMcd. why the game la up^ -Jlut If
some one does como around and mako
Inquiries, don't fall to let me know "
"I'll bs here till five.
you up then."
Then Norton returned home and
Idled about till afternoon. He went
over to Hlverdole. Firs times be
walked up and down the tront of tbe
Hdrgreavo place, flntlly plucked >'P
hit courage and walked to tbo door.
Aftnr all, he waa'a lucky mortal. He
' Jd a ftocd oxcubo to visit this house
every day In the week. And there vat
something tantalising In tbo risk be
took, noeldes, bo wanted to ptove to
himself whether it \ra? a passing fancy
or something deeper. That1* the way
with humana: wo never ace ? sign
"Frosh Paint" that wa don't have to
provo It. *
He chatted with Florence for a
while and found that, for all aha mil ht
be guileless to -the world, she was a
good linguist, ? J oa musician, aud
talked with remarkable keenness
about book* aid arts. Rut unlasa he
routed her, the oadneaa of htr position
alwaya lay wiittM la her face. It Ha
noi difficult for him to conjure up her
dreams In coming to tbe city and the
blow which. Ilk* a bolt of lightning
litrom a clear *ky, bad shattered them
.nithleealy.-' . ;
"You asusl come every, drty and toll
me how you have prorreasod," she
????. . ?
?in obey that order glrdly. when
ever I can possibly do it. My vMta
will always be abort" ,
"That la not netoeMwSft A . '.'A. ,
"No," uld Norton to hla heart, "but
It la Wise." t ?>
*? Always he found Jones "waiting fot
fclm at tbe door, always ln tbe shadow.'
"Wttir tho baf.er wbittttred.
"I "have laid a neat trap. Whether
Vila balloon waa tbo one tbat left tbe
top of tbla hovro I don't know. But If
fliere fete two men In It. one of them
Has at tho tjottom of the ***." \
"And the man found f? .T)ie butlar'a
voloe waa tenao, .' >V V? t K-S i.i
"It was not Harercave. I met O.V.
b?t once, and aa be wore * beard ihoo.
trapT*
tnem. tic v.as no; aware oT <ue ract
that the average reporter carrtc* more
aecrets In his bead than a bripia min
ister. It was, than, up to hiB to set
about to al'ar tb?* ?nd #*
the man'a com pie t? confluence.
? Maaowhlle that urn* morning a
pretty roung woman boarded the
Orient and naked to he led to the cap
tain. Hut eyea vara red; aha had
?rldentlr been weeping. When the
captain, auaoepttble i!ke all aallora,
aaw her hla proinlipa to Norton took
wtw-; , ? .'v^jfc
Thla la Captain HaganT" (he aaked,
balling the handkorchief aha held In
bar band. ,
"Yek. miss. What can I do for jrout"
He put ills hand* cmbarftssedly Into
hla pockata ? and felt the crlap bllla.
But tor that magic touch ba would
have forgotten his iines. He squared
hla ahouldara. r
"I htvo every assurance that the
mad yon picked up at aea'ia my father.
1 am Florence Hargreave. Tell me
everything." , ?
The captaln'a very blundering de
ceived her. "And then he bustled
down the gang-plank and beaded for
that warehouse. He had a - package
which, ha was aa tender of as I.* It
had been dynamite*."
"Thjtnk you!" ImpuUlvely.
"A man has to do hla duty. mlaa. A
aallor'a always glad to rescue a man
at aoa," awkwardly.
When aha finally wot down tba
gangplank the sigh the captain heaved,
waa almost aa loud m the e^hatift'
from the donkey engines which ware
working out th?! crates of lemons from
the hold.
"Maybe she la hla daughter; bat
two Tiundred la two hundred, and I'm
a poor sailor mar."
Thru . Qrannis came lri for hla
troubles. What uas a chap to do
when a pretty' girl appealed to htm?
"I art sorry, miss, but I ean't give
you that packngc. I gave t be man a
receipt and till It Is prcaented to ma
the Package must romala In yonder
aafe. You understand enough about
the business to rcnilt4 that. I dl4
not solicit the Job ' It waa thrust Upon
me. I'd give a hundred dollars It th?
biamo thing waa out of my snfe. You
say It la your fortsno. That baanl
been proved. It may bo gunpowder,
dynamite. I'm sorry, bnt you will
have to find your father and bring the
receipt." '
The young woman left the ware
house, dabbing her eyes with the
sodden handkerchief. ' ,
"I wonder," mused Orannla, as be
watchcd her from the window, "t won
der' what tho deuce that chap Nor
ton fa up to. The jglrl night hare
been the man'* daughter. ' , Good
Lord, what an aas I am! Thoro
wasn't any man!" And so ho reached
over for the telephone.
Immediately upon receipt of the
message thq reporter set bit machin
ery In motion. Some tine before
dawn be woui.i know who the 'arch
consplrnfor was. II.) questioned Oran
nla thoroughly. and Orannla' doscrlp
Uon tallied amazingly with that of
Florence flnrf reaye. nut a calf oyer
tho w Ire Mated to him eoncluslTely
that Klofence had not been cut of
tho hoaso that morning.
On the tr. or row the newspapors had
seare-hcads about an attempt to rob
the Puffy warehouse. I< appeared
that 1. 10 police had heel* tipped be
forehand and were on tho grounds In
time t? : gather In sev$n?T notorious,
gunmen. jrho. nnder pressure of the
third degree, vowed that they had
baen "hired and pnld by a man In a
mask' and. had' not tho slightest Idea
whnt ho wanted them to raid. Noth
ing further could be gotten cut of
the gunmen. Yhat they were lylag
the police had no donl>t, Vut tl-.ey
were; up against a stout wall and all
?- , , ?. ;
ii"'1
QUICK ACTION WANTED,
When one is coughing and
spl:tln?? v.ith tickling throat,
tightness ju chest, soreness in
throat nod lungs? when head is
aching and. the whole body
racked with a cough that won't
permit sleep? he wants irame
diate relief. Thousands say
Foley's Money and Tar Com
pound is the surest and quickest
acting medicine for coughs,
colds, croup and la grippe.M3.
E. Moore, successor to S. M Pol
nJ-u-i i >X
J. Loyd Horton
Attorney-At-Law
Room* 3? -3a. Horton BulMlng
Pracllccj wbcrtver ur*
vlcv* arc dctlrcd. ? , ,
FarmviUe, N. C?N,U??.
FARMVILLE LODGE
I. 0. 0. F. No. 373;
Meets every Monday night in
K. of P. hall in tfce Horton Build
ing. All visiting Brothers wel
come.
FARMVILL^, LODGE, No. 218
K^f P.
Meets Every Ttaeadty Night in
fcieir Hal) in Horton Bldg.
Visiting ^rothers Welcome
DR. PAUL E. JONES
DENTIST
Office in Ltusg Building
FARMVILLE N.C. ?
..... i ? -
W. C. DRESBACH
Civil Engineer & Surveyor
Greenville. N. C.
COUNTY SUKVf YOK FOR PITT.
E. M. COX
Attorney-at-Law
FARMVILLE. - N. CAROLINA
Otflca over Citbaai Bank
fl_ h .1 1 ! j. * ? \\Tl. _ _ ? - - - _ _ jk T\ I...I
- rracucw it D?rcrer dcttkcs ire ucurea.
Spctial \tttmi\mm Piid to ftiirflioM nid ' ?
Writiog of Deed*. Mortgaftt, Etc.