The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1915-03-17
The
Million
Dollar
Mystery
CHAPTER XIII.
An Agent From Russia.


The Black Hundred, not as individu-
ais but as an organization, began to
worry. Powerful and often reckless
and daring because il was powerful,
it began to look about for some basic
cause for all these failures against
Hargreave's daughter and Hargreave's
ghost. They had tried to put the in
quisitive reporter out of the way; they
had laid every trap they could think
of to catch the mysterious visitor at
the Hargreave home; they had thrown
out a hundred lures to bring Har.
greave out of his lair, and failed; and
they had lost dozen valuable men
and several thousand dollars. This
must end somewhere, and quickly.
The one ray of hope for the conspi-
rators 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 this
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 ghost"
81 never go back" smiled Braine.
There's something more than the mil.
lion There's the sport of the thing.
We've been bested in a dozen bouts,
and nearly always by a fiuke. They
have the breaks, as they say out at the
Polo grounds"
But the time and expense when
we might be getting results elsewhere!
tell you, Leo, I'm afraid. It's like
always hearing some one behind you
and never finding anybody when you
turn. l have told you my doubts.
have also asked you to trap that but
Ter. but you've always laughed"
you are seeing ghosts, Olga. A
new man from holy Russia" shrug-
ging, lis coming tonight. Evidently
the head over there thinks our contri-
buttons of late have not been up to
the mark, and they are going to stir
us up. am willing to wager my soul,
however, that that box is simply
hoax to befuddle us. Either that or 1t
holds the key. But the rest of them
insist that the box must be recovered.
When leave this room tonight am
going over to Riverdale and stalk all
by myself I'm going to get glimpse
OF that mysterious stranger He car
ries scar of mine somewhere, for
hit him that night
The door opened and the executive
chamber became silent.
Count Paroff." doomed the voice
OF Vroon. He will present his Gre
dentials."
This formality was executed as pre-
scribed by the rules; and Count Par
on was given his chair He spoke for
q while. rather pompously.
THE head organization is not sat
isfied with its offspring in this Har-
greave affair."" he said in conclusion.
"You are slow"
Then you have come with some
suggestions for the betterment of our
business" asked Braine ironically.
Sir, this is not the hour for flip
pancy," said the agent coldly.
Braine made sign with his hand,
a sign not observed by every one
Instantly Paroff bent lowly. He rec
ognized that the speaker was the ac.
tual, not the nominal, head of the
American branch.
What are your suggestions" in !
CURED the nominal head from his |
chair, anxious to avoid a clash be- |
tween the newcomer and the trucu-
lent master of them all.
II have been informed that Har- |
greave's daughter has never seen her !
father, not even photograph of 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 one play in that |
and it failed miserably"
Il have the story" replied Paroff. |
1T was clumsily done The ruse was
an old one"
bralne was frank enough to admit |
the truth of this statement, however
much he disliked the admission. He
nodded.
II have authority to take hand in |
this affair We cannot waste all sum-
mer. Those government plans of the
of the Panama are wait
ing. There's your millions. But the
Iact remains that it is the law of the
Black Hundred never to step down
Ill absolutely defeated. The hidden
million is but half; we must find and
break this renegade Hargreave"
IF he lives" said Braine.
who can say one way or the
'ther?" brusQuely asked Paroff The
act that all your plans and schemes
ave come to naught should prove to
ou that you are not fighting a ghost.
here Is but one way to bring out the
ruth"
And that IL to make q captive of
il daughter" supplemented Braine.
And we have worked toward that end
We are quite ready to