davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1914-11-05
CHAPTER v.
The Problem Of the Sealed Box.

The Problem Of the Sealed Box.
"Gone!"
Jones kept saying to himself that he
must strive to be calm, to think. think
Despite all his warnings, the warnings
of Norton, she had tricked them and
run away. 1t was maddening. He
wanted to- rave, tear his hair. break
things. He tramped the hall 1t would
be wasting time to send for the police.
They would only putter about fruit.
lessIy. The Black Hundred knew how
to arrange these abductions.
How had they succeeded in doing it?
No one had entered the house that day
without his being present. There had
been no telephone call he had net
heard the gist of. nor any letters he
had not first glanced over. How had
they done 1t? Suddenly into his mind
flashed the remembrance of the candle.
light under Florence's door the night.
before In dozen bounds he was in
her room. searching drawers, paper
boxes. baskets. He found nothing. He
returned in despair to Susan, who.
during al this turmoil, had sat az IL
frozen in her chair.
Speak" he cried. For Gods sake.
say something. think something! Those
devils are likely to torture her, hurt
her!" He leaned against the wall, his
head on his arm.
When he turned again he was calm.
He walked with bent head toward the
door. opened it and stood upon the
threshold for space. Across the
street shadow stirred. but Jones did
not see 1t. His gaze was attracted by
something which shone dimly white on
the walk Just beyond the steps. He
ran to 1t. A crumpled letter, unad.
dressed. He carried 1t back to the
house. smoothed. it out and read its
contents. Florence in her haste had
dropped the letter.
He clutched ut his hat, put Il ON and
ran to Susan.
~Here!" he cried. holding out an an.
tomato. IF anyone comes In that you
don't know. shoot! Don't ask ques-
ti6us, shootl"
Tn stT6ld!s ~ besathsd VIA dif,
ssaiois ~ relspt ~ ~. a u
The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1914-11-05
TheMi|ionDo||ar Mystery
By HAROLD MAG GRATH
Illustrated from Scenes in the Photo Drama of fhe
Same Name BY the Thonhouser Film Company
Copyright, 1914, by Harold MacGrath)
Bv HAROLD MAG GRATH

" Harold MacGrath)
really does not know where the none!
is Hargreave will tell US. Great head
little woman, great head. She doe!
not know her fathers handwriting 2
"She has never seen a scrap of It
All that Miss Farlow ever received
was money. The original note left OF
the doorstep with Florence has beer
lost Trust me to make all these in
quiries."
Tomorrow night, then, immedi
ately after dinner, taxicab will
await her just around the corner
Grange is the best man I can think
of. He's an artist when it comes tc
playing the Oldham parts"
mot too old, remember. Har
greave isn't over forty-five."
Another good point. I'm going to
stretch out here on the divan and
snooze for while. Had devil of a
time last night"
when shall wake you?"
"At six. Well have an early dinner
sent in. l want to keep out of every.
body's way By-by!"
In less than three minutes he was
sound asleep. The woman gazed down
at him in wonder and envy If only
she could drop to sleep like that. Very
softly she pressed her lips to his hair.
At eleven o'clock the following
night the hall light In the Hargreave
house was turned off and the whole
interior became dark. A shadow
crept through the lilac bushes with.
out any more sound that a cat would
have made. Florence's window was
open, as the arch-conspirator had ex-
pected it would be. With small
string and stone as a sling ire sent
the letter whirling skillfully through
the air. 1t sailed into the girls room.
The man below heard no sound of the
stone hitting anything and concluded
that it had struck the bed,
He waited patiently. Presently a
wavering light could be distinguished
over the sill of the window The girl
was awake and had lit the candle.
This knowledge was sufficient for his
need. The tragic letter would do the
rest, that is, if the girl came from
the same pattern as her father and
mother-strong willed and adventu.
rous.
He tiptoed back to the lilacs, when
a noise sent him close to the ground.
HALF a dozen feet away he saw
shadow creeping along toward the
front door, Presently the shadow
stood up as if listening. He stopped
again and ran lightly to the steps, up
these to the door, which he Rugged.
Who was this? wondered Braine.
Patiently he waited, arranging his pos
ture so that he could keep a lookout
at the door. BY and by the door
opened cautiously. A man holding
/ candle appeared. Braine vaguely
recognized Olga's description of the
outler. The man on the veranda sud-
lenly blew out the light,
Braine could hear the low murmur-
If voices, but nothing more. The con.
'ersation lasted scarcely a minute
The door closed and the man ran
The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1914-11-05

Locked.
use denying 1t; the world had sud.
denly turned at a new angle, present.
ing new face, roseate vision. It
rather subdued his easy banter.
What news?" she asked.
None" rather despondingly. "fm
sorry. had hoped by this time to
get somewhere. But 1t happens that
l can't get any further than this
house."
She did not ask him what he meant
by that.
shall play something for your"
she said.
Please"
He drew q chair beside the piano
and watched her fingers, white - the
ivory keys. futter up and down the
board. She played Chopin for him,
Mendelssohn. Grieg and Chaminade;
and she played them in . surprisingly
scholarly fashion. He had expected
the usua! schoolgirl choice and execu-
ton; "Titania," the MOONLIGHT 60.
natA" (which not half = dozen great
pianists have ever played correctly.
Monastery Bells and the like. He
bad prepared 70 make . martyr At
The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1914-11-05

gone.
In the house Susan was answering
the telephone. talking incoherently.
who is it," Jones whispered. his
lips white and dry.
THE princess. :" began Susan.
He took the receiver from her
roughly.
Hello, who is it,"
This is Olga Perigoff. ls-Fiorence
there"
NO, madam. She has just stepped
out for, a moment. Shall tell her
to call you when she returns?"
Yes, please. l want her and Su-
san and Mr. Norton to come to tea
tomorrow. Good-by."
Jones hung up the receiver, sank
into chair near by and buried his
face in his hands.
What is it," cried Susan, terrified
by the haggardness Of his face.
She's gone! My God, those
wretches have got her! They've got
her!"
Florence was whirled away at top
speed. Her father! She was actually
on the way to her father, whom she
had always loved in dreams, yet never
seen.
Number Is Grove street was not an
attractive place, but when she ar
rived she was too highly keyed to
take note of it's sordidness. She was
rather out of breath when she reached
the door of the. third fiat She knocked
timidly. The door was instantly
opened by man who wore a black |
mask. She would have turned then
and there and flown but for the swift |
picture she had of well-dressed man
at table. He lay with his head upon
his arms
Father" she whispered.
The man raised his careworn face.
so very well done that only the closest
scrutiny would have betrayed the
paste of the theater He arose and
staggered toward her with out
stretched arms. But the moment they
closed about her Florence experienced
| peculiar SILVER.
my child" murmured the broken
nan. "They caught me when / was
bout to come to you. l have given
Up the fight" A sob choked him.
What was it? wondered the child,
Ter heart burning with the misery of
he thought that she was sad instead
# glad. Over his shoulder she sent
glance about the room. There was
sofa, table, some chairs and an
normous clock, the face of which was
ented and the hands hopelessly tan
led. Why, at such a moment, she
hould note such details disturbed
er. Then she CHANGED to look into
he cracked mirror. In It she saw
everal faces. all masked. These men
'ere peering at her through the half.
losed door behind her. |
You must return home and bring
le the money" went on the wretch
no dared to perpetrate such a mock.
~. 1T 10 all that stands between
le and DEATH"
Then she knew! The insistent daily
arnings came home to her. She un.
erstood now. She had deliberately
alked into the spiders net. But in
.ead Of terror an extraordinary calm
IL upon her.
Very well, father. l will 70 and
ct It." Gently she released herself
om those horrible arms.
WAIT my child, till I see II they
Ill let you 60. They may wish to
Did you - hostage" I.
When he was gone she tried the
,ors. They were locked. Then she
'ossed over to the window and looked
It. A leap from there would KIN her.
he turned her gaze toward the lamp,
&.
~.
M q | ssia- thy ississ upca
The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1914-11-05

down the steps. across the lawn. Will
Braine close at his heels.
Just a r,oment, Mr.. Hargreave.
he called ironically; Just moment!
The man he addressed as Hargreav,
turned with lightning rapidity an.
struck. The blow caught Brain,
above the ear, knocking him. fiat
When he regained his feet the rumbl.
of a motor told him the rest Of thu
story.
BY the dim light of her bedroom
candle Florence read the note which
had found entrance SO strangely and
mysteriously into her room. Her IA
Their! He lived, he.needed her! Alive
but in dread peril, and only she could
save him! She longed to fly to him
at once, then and there. How could
she wait till tomorrow night at eight ?
Immediately she began to plan how to
circumvent the watchful Jones and
the careful Susan. Her father! She
slept no more that night.
my Darling Daughter: must see
you. Come at eight o'clock tomorrow
night to Is Grove street. third floor.
Confide in no one, or you seal my
death warrant. o.
Your unhappy FATHER"
What child would refuse to obey a
summons like this?
A light tap on the door started her.
is anything the matter?' asked
the mild voice of Jones. =.
mo. I got up to get drink Of
water"
She heard his footsteps die away
down the corridor She thrust the
letter into the pocket of her dress.
which lay neatly folded on the chair
at the foot of the bed then climbed
back into the bed itself. She must
not tell even Mr.. Norton.
Was the child spinning a romance
over the first young man she had ever
met? In her heart of hearts the girl
did not know.
Her father!
1t was all SO terribly and tragically
simple, to match a woman's mind
against that of child Both Norton
and the sober Jones had explicitly
warned her never to go anywhere,
receive telephone calls or letters, with
out first consulting one or the other
of them And NOW she had Manned
to deceive them, with ali the cunning
Of her sex.
The next morning at breakfast there
was nothing unusual either in her ap-
pearance or manners. Under the
shrewd scrutiny of Jones she was Just
her everyday self fine bit of acting
for one who had yet to see the stage.
But it is born in woman to act, as
t is born in man to fight, and Flor
once was no exception to the rule.
She was going to save her father.
She read with Susan, played the |
piano, sewed little. laughed, hummed |
md did thousand and one things |
'oung girls do when they have the
deception of their elders in view.
All day long Jones went about like |
IN old hound with his nose to the |
Wind. There was something in the
lir, but he could not tell what 1t was.
somehow or other, no matter which
DOM Florence went into, there was
ones within earshot. And she dared
ot show the least impatience or res.
iveness. 1t was large order for so
Dung girl, but she filled it.
She rather expected that the re-
orter would appear some time during
he afternoon; and sure enough he
i'd. He could no more resist the de.
ire to see and talk to her than he
ould resist breathing There was no
The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1914-11-05

himself: instead. he was distinctly
and delightfully."- entertained.
you DON'T" he said whimsically
when she finally stopped, ''you don't
by any chance, know The Maiden's
Prayer'?"
She laughed. This piece was 9
standing joke at school.
Il have never played 1t. - 1t may
however. be in the music cabinet
Would you like to hear it," mis-
chievously. w..
Heaven forfend!" he murmured.
raising his hands.
All the while the letter burned
against her heart, and the smile on
her face and the gayety on her tongue
were forced. "Confide in no one" she
repeated mentally, cor you seal my
death warrant"
"Why do you shake your head like
that" he asked.
did I shake my head?" Her heart
fluttered wildly Il was not conscious
of it,"
Are you going to keep your prom
ise?"
What promise?"
Never to leave this house without
Jones or myself being with you"
Il couldn't II l wanted to. I'll wa
ger Jones is out there in the hall
this minute. l know; 1t is all for
my sake. But it bothers me-"
Jones was indeed In the hall, and
when he sensed the petulance in her
voice his shoulders sank despondently
and he sighed deeply if silently.
At a quarter to eight Florence, being
alone for minute, set fire to veil
and stuffed 1t down the register. .
Jones'" she called excitedly. II
smell something burning!"
Jones dashed into the room, shifted,
and dashed out again, heading for the
cellar door. His first thought was
naturally that the devils incarnate had
set fire to the house. When he re-
turned. having, of course, discovered
no fire, he found Florence gone. He
rushed into the hall. Her hat was
He made for the hall door
with speed which seemed incredible
to the bewildered Susan's eyes. Out
into the street, up and down which
he looked. Far away he discovered a
dwindling taxicab. The child was
The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1914-11-05

. win out for us. Some one to pose as
her father; message handed to her
in secret; dire misfortune If she whis-
pers word to anyone; that her ia
theirs life hangs upon the secrecy;
she must confde in no one. least Of
all Jones, the butler. 1t all depends
upon how the letter gets to her. Bred
in the country, she probably sleeps
with her window open. A pebble at
tached to note, tossed into the win.
dow. I'll trust this to no one; I'll
do 1t myself. With the girl in our
control the rest will be easy. If she
The Winslow mail., 1914-04-18

perfectly honest when I said that
am in as much trouble as you are"
She was still incredulous, but he
was SO earnest in his insistence that
she reluctantly came back and allowed
him to seat her upon the bench beside
him. He explained to her in careful
detail precisely what had happened to
him, and his unshaven face and soiled
collar were sufficient confederation.
She laughed at his somberness when
he had finished.
Lovely" she exclaimed with spar
king eyes. For minute 1 was afraid
exchange had given me the wrong
number, but l couldn't figure out how
you'd joined the T. Wad family so
quick. But now watch the blue trail
of our gasoline. Come with your
Aunt Bessie!"
She sprang to her feet and he arose
uncertainty.
Where are you going?" he asked.
ITO beat it before the banks close"
she exultantly replied. Before three
o'clock We'll be looking over an as
The Winslow mail., 1914-04-18
Back toBr0adway.
By George Randolph Chester
6copyright by tine mcclure Newgpaper synalcate.1

Mr.. Cash smiled grimly and rubbed
his unshaven chin
Lost en- route he replied.
Very unfortunate" commented the
clerk with rather a cold expression
his eyes resting casually upon the un-
rules of the house, of course, require
payment in advance
The prospective guest frowned a
bit haughtily.
Cash is my name" he observed
"E, H. Cash-of New York"
Quite so,' agreed the clerk, still
more coldly. Some relation of the
famous railroad operator, no doubt.
Il am that Cash." announced the
other with trace of anger, resenting
the implied sneer.
Wake up!" admonished the clerk,
throwing off all his suavity. you are
asleep under the deck-awning of your
yacht, the Petrol, Mr. Cash. You just
steamed away from Quebec yesterday
morning, bound for the Labrador
coast, and are only dreaming that you
are here" And before Mr.. Cash's eyes
he thrust a folded newspaper that had
been lying at his elbow, pointing stern
ly to a paragraph.
eyes, that was to have been true,
said Cash, recognizing the reasonable
ness of the clerks stand in the mat
ter. "The yacht left there for short
cruise yesterday morning, with my
friends aboard, but took run down
here. I can tell you every man that
was on the Petrol. There's Billy Ed
wards"
Il know" the clerk interrupted him.
Here's the entire list of guests,
which anybody could read. Now, drop
it. In the first place, Cash has a mus
tache."
"The papers and their cartoonists
are using the old photographs they
always do!" snapped Cash. 81 have
been without mustache for over a
year."
"Step out of the way!' snarled the
clerk, pounding savagely upon a bell.
You're lucky I don't have you ar
rested"
Cash turned. The two or three
men who had now come up behind
him to register glared back at him in
icy contempt, noting the unshaven
face, the soiled collar and shirt front.
For moment he lost his poise and
wild idea came to him of attempting
to explain to these men. Even as the
thought came, however, he realized
the futility of it and walked out of
the place, followed, too closely for
comfort, by broad shouldered porter.
BY the time he had gained the street
he was fuming, but a blue-and-white
The Winslow mail., 1914-04-18

Eyes, size SO; and I shall want q
brunette travelling gown and hat to
match. Send over at least half a doz-
en- for selection.
Get whole outfit" he interjected
as she repeated her address and hung
up the receiver Get all the dresses
you want We take the same train
out of here at seven o'clock this even
ing, and you shall have all afternoon
to shop. Do you care to have lunch
downstairs, or up here, until you get
better gowned?"
Right here and right now," she re-
Piled. You'd better have it sent up
a little at a time, for fear I choke
at f1rst-but keep it coming for at
least two hours. haven't had enough
to eat since 1 crossed to New Jersey"
"I'll see that you don't starve," he
laughed. y owe you meals for long
time, and a lot besides. I'm going to
set you up in business, for one thing.
Just pick out what you think you
want and I'll see that you get it,"
Il don't want thing" she said fer
vently, but just little old Broadway"
The Winslow mail., 1914-04-18

to live the rest of my life with the t.
trains rafting over my head; and
when l die, if they'll just bury me any
place on the Great White Way, I'll lie
happy and still in my grave forever
Now you're done" A sour-visaged
old lady had come to the door and
glared at them, then walked away. Il
don't owe her a cent, and she don't
bite" observed the girl; 80 just you
sit here and look sassy till l get back ,"
She dried her manicure set and
packed it in its roll of chamois and
flannel and fine leather, put on her
hat, and left him alone. In ten min
utes she had returned, bearing a
heavy package and jingling some coins
in her hand
Il got two dollars, one for the tools
and one for my good looks" she joy
ously announced, which is bright and
cheerful when you remember that the
tools only cost me 20 and the hand
some face was a present. l gave a
polite colored gentleman ten cents
for these bricks, right out of his hod,
The Winslow mail., 1914-04-18
She Went Right on Talking Into the Transmitter.

sorted collection of timetables, and
l won't owe you a cent for my fare
to New York and a new outfit from
plume to patent feathers. Now, don't
ask me how I'm going to do it, or I'll
giggle myself to death over how easy
it is"
'If blind can lead blind I am very
willing to be led he laughingly OBJ
served as he caught step with her.
But you have not told me about your
own troubles"
Mel" she said with infinite disdain.
Il fell victim to my own fatal beauty
and it gave me the brain storm all
right. l dreamed 1 had voice and
figure, and that if l just let the pub
lie know about them I'd have Patti
forgotten and Melba retired on a pen
sion. So / tried it, and The Belle of
Broadway Company Number Forty
Two quit here. That's all. There's
only seven people in this town with
pink nails and there's AZ girls to look
after them. If I'd send to mother for
cent she'd have to borrow a jimmy
and a dark lantern to get it; if I'd
send to the boss barber at the Bel
weigh I'd get money so quick the edges
would be scorched off when it got
here, but I'd have to marry Jimmy
when / got back, and while starving
would be quicker it wouldn't be so
painful. And that starvation turns
no musical comedy, either I've got
dinky little two-by-two room paid
for until tomorrow night, and then it
would have been little me to some
bodys kitchen with half-Nelson on
a gas range. And l can't boil eggs"
They had crossed the little park by
this time, and had stopped in front of
one of those dingy-looking houses that
have the perpetual smell of mildew
in the front hall. She ushered him
into dim parlor embellished with six
pieces of ragged plush furniture and a
collection of atrocious wax flowers
on the mantel under a glass globe,
and then she tripped upstairs to the
third floor. In a moment she hurried
back with her suit case and bowl of
water. She threw up blind and
placed the bowl on a little table be-
side the window.
First OF all, you've got to look the
part, so dip in your hand" she di-
rected him as she opened the suit
case and produced her manicure set.
She was silent only until she sat
down when I get back to little old
Broadway tomorrow night, she ratified
on as she deftly and vigorously mani
cured him, "I'll promise never to get
farther than four blocks away from
the subway, again as long as l live.
used to kick because I'd get called up
to a room, as sure as death that the
job would take an hour and a half,
and that there'd be no tip, to manicure
some waspy woman with her hair
on the table and her complexion on
the dresser, and her figure hanging
up in a closet, and the rest of her
beauty scattered on four chairs and
the bed but even that would be Joy
to me now. I've seen all of the coun-
try l want, and it's Bessie-sit-by-the-
fire for me from this on! I'm willing