The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1905-06-09
FORTUNE
HUNTER q q
ByV. H. TRIEDLANDE

r HE grassy slope halfway down the
cliff inclined at exactly the right
angle. They leaned comfortably back
and watched the sea.
Il think" said the girl, softly, its
perfectly wonderful
The sea-" he inquired.
She half turned her head toward him
and smiled.
'Me?" he hazarded, hopefully.
Perfectly wonderful" she explained,
that no one else has chosen to come and
sit here this morning"
He pulled his hat further over his
eyes.
Don't move" she commanded, quick
ly. I'm going to draw YOU"
He sat up suddenly and pushed back
his hat. His face was dull red.
oh" she murmured, regretfully.
looking out to sea, how tactless of you:
You'll never recover that position"
He opened his lips for sharp retort;
then thought better of it.
IN try" he said, shortly, and lay
back again, pulling his hat over his
eyes,
For ten minutes the sound of pencil
and india rubber alone disturbed the
silence. Hamberton had much to think
Of The next half hour was to decide
whether his life was to be one of easy
idleness or of unwilling labor. He was
anxious to know, but he realized to 4
nicely when he ought to speak. In q
little while she would begin to be sorry
that she had hurt him, that would be
the moment.
His lips curved in a smile as he
thought over the position. A fortune
hunter he without shame, admitted 10
himself that he was, but he had asked
for little beyond the fortune. That tate
should send it through young, pretty
and titled girl, and should, withal, add
a spice of the unusual to flavor the
whole, was, he acknowledged, generous.
For the girl who had spent month in
the same village with him-she at the
house of her old nurse, he at the inn
calling herself Eleanor March, was, as
he had happened to know, none other
than Lady Hermione Forbes, pOssessor,
in her own right, of an income OF some
thing over &15,000. The knowledge
had reached him through the pages of a
magazine he had found at the inn, where
his eye had been caught by very excel
lent likeness of the girl. His conscience
reproached him-a triae. but he soothed
it. He genuinely liked her; he would be
very good to her.
The sound of tearing paper broke in
on him.
Its no good" she said, impatiently;
Il can't get it. You can sit up; and-and
why don't you talk?"
His eyes smiled. 1t was the olive
branch for which he had been waiting
Il want to TALK he said. But I'm
not sure whether it is the right time"
She looked at him refiectively. Eyes,
it u.s." she said. you know that I'm
always incest after being nastiest. Oh,
it's not clever of you," she added, hasti-
ly; nearly eyeryone's made that way"
Its disgustingly hard to take you
in," he observed.
She looked at him oddly. lis it," she
murmured.
Eleanor" he said, cts only four
words I want to say. Will you marry
me?"
For a Moment there was silence.
Then she tuned to him slowly, and her
voice sounded tired and weak. e.
don't-know." she said, hesitatingly.
Its 80 difficult to-"
He nodded as she paused. OF course
she was thinking of her people, of tho
difficulties that would be raised. Don't
answer now," he said. II can wait, of
course"
But she seemed not to hear him.
"There's a thing" she said, that's
bothering me. hardly know how to
tell you. lit will seem so silly il
there's nothing in it. But must know
for certain. Has it ever struck you that
I am at all like--some one else?" She
looked at him searchingly.
+. So she was trying to catch him; she
had a suspicion, doubt. Hambertou
was surprised, but heshad his features
admirably under control.
"Really1" He exhibited just the
Ssss # ~.