White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1914-11-08
The Million Dollar Mystery
copyright: 1914: By Harold
MaeGrath.)
CHAPTER XIII

The Black Hundred, not as indi-
siduals but as an organization. be-
gan to worry. Powerful often reck-
less and daring because it vas power
ful, 1t began to look about for some
pasic cause for all these failures
against H~argreave's daughter and
~hargreave's ghost. They had tried
to put the inquisitive reporter out of
the way; they had laid every tran
they cuold think of to catch the
mysterious visitor at the Hargreave
home; they had thrown out a hun
dred lures to bring Hargreave out of
his lair. and failed; and they had lost
a dozen valuable men and several
thousand dollars. This must end
somewhere, and quickly.
The one ray of hope for the con-
spirators lay in the fact that Florence
had never seen her father and knew
not in the least what he looked like.
They determined to try again in tnis
J direction.
Give it all up" said the countess
to Braine. Il tell you. whatever is
back of all this is stronger than We
are. He knows the organization. and
for all we know he may be a ghost
i never go back" smiled Braine.
There's something more than the
million. There's the sport of the
thing. We've been bested in a dozen
bouts. and nearly always by a anke
They have the breaks. as they SAP out
at the Polo grounds
But the time and e when
We might be getting results else
where, | tell you, Leo, I'm afraid
It's like always hearing some one be-
hind you and never finding anybody
when YOU turn. have told you my
doubts. | have also asked you to
trap that butler, but you've always
laughed"
You are seeing ghosts. Olga. A
new man from holy Russia" shrug-
Cling. lis coming tonight. Evidently
the head over there thinks our con
tributions of late have not been up
to the mark, and they are going 10
stir us up. | am willing 10 wages my
soul, however. that that box simply
a hoax TO befuddle us. Ether that
or ii holds the key. But the rest o
them insist that the box must be re-
covered. When I leave this room to-
night I am going over ID Riyafdale
and stalk all by myself. I'm going to
get a glimpse of that mysterious
stranger. He carries a scar OF mine
somewhere, for ] hit him that night
The door opened. and the execu-
tive chamber became silent.
Count Paroff." doomed the voice
of yroon. He will present his ere
dentials..
This formality was executed rs
prescribed by the rules and Count
Paroff was given his chair. He s.eke
for a while, rather pompoualy.
THE head organization is not salts
fled with its offspring n this iar-
greave affair" be said in coasiusion.
You are slow"
Then you have come With some
suggestions for the betterment Of our
business asked Braine ironi ally
Sir. this is not the hour for flip
pancy. said the agent coldly.
Braine made a sign with his hand,
a sign not observed by every one.
Instantly Paroff bent lowly. lie
recognized that the speaker was the
actual. not the nominal. head of the
American branch.
what are your suggestions? IN
quired the nominal head from his
chair. anxious &c avoid ! clash he
tween the newcomer and the trueu-
lent master of them all.
Il have been informed that Tar
greave's daughter has never seen her
father. not even a photograph oil
him." said Paroff, more amiably.
I'VE are absolutely certain that
this is the case said the nominal
head. who was known as the presi-
dent. But we tried n play In tnat
direction. and II failed miserably.
Il have the story replied Par
of. 1T was clumsily done. The
ruse was an old one.
Braine was frank enough to admit
the truth of this statement, however
much he disliked the admission, lie
nodded.
II have authority to take a hand IN
This affair. We cannot waste all sum
mer. Those government plans Of the
Notifications of the Panama are
Whiting. There's your millions. But
the fact remains that it is the law OF