Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1905-06-02
A FORTUNE
HUNTER s 8
ByV. H. FRxEDLANDER

IT 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
Iy. 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.
"I'll 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 a
nicely when he ought to speak. In n
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 to
himself that he was. but he had asked
for little beyond the fortune. That fate
should send il 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,
lin her own right, of an income of some
thing over Glb,000. The knowledge
had reached him through the pages of
magazine he had found at the inn. where
his eye had been caught by very excel
dent likeness of the girl. His conscience
ireproached him--a triie, but he soothed
lit 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. impatently;
Il can't get it, You can sit up; and-and
why don't you tall?"
His eyes smiled 1t was the olive
tbranch 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. yes
it is," she said "You know that I'm
always incest after being nastiest. Oh
its not clever of you" she added. hasti-
ay; nearly eVeryone's made that way"
TITS disgustingly hard to take you
in" he observed.
She looked al him oddly rs it?" she
murmured
Eleanor" he said, its only four
words want to say. Win yov marry
me?"
For a moment there was silence
Then she turned TO him slowly, and her
voice sounded tired and weak. 81
don't-kH9w, she said, hesitatingly.
IT'S SO difficult to-"
He nodded as she paused OF course
she was thinking of her people, of the
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
,hothering me. hardly know how 10
telt you. Tit will seem so silly If
there's nothing in IL But must know
for certain. Has it ever struck ycu that
| am at all like-some one else?a She
looked at'hlm searchingly
so she was trying TO catch him; she
mad suspicion, doubt. Hamberton
was surprised, but he had his features
admirably under control.
Really" lie exhibited just the