Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-06-29
A FORTUNE HUNTER 4 4
 RyV. H. rRIEDLANDER

TT HE grassy slope halfway down the
 cliff inclined at exactly the right angle. They leaned comfortably back and watched the sea.
 q 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.
 |, "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 l idleness or of unwilling labor. He was anxious to know, but he realized to a nicety when he ought to speak. In a 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 it through a young, pretty and titled girl, and should, withal, add i 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 915,OOO. The knowledge | had reached him through the pages of a { magazine he had found at the inn, where i his eye had been caught by very excel 1 lent likeness of the girl. His conscience reproached him-a trfe, 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; { 'I can't get it. You can sit up; and-and why don't you talk?' | His eyes smiled. It was the olive branch for which he had been waiting.
 q want to talk he said. But I'm not sure whether it is the right time" l She looked at him effectively. Yes, it is. she said. You know that Tim always incest after being nastiest. Oh. ! it's not clever of you" she added, hasti- ly; nearly everyones made that way" Its disgustingly hard to take you in," he observed.
 { She looked at him oddly. "Is it?" she murmured.
 "Eleanor," he said, fits only four words I want to say Will you marry mel"
 mn ct Then she turned to him slowly, and her voice sounded tired and weak. IT. don't-know. she said. hesitating1y. Its 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. q can wait, of course"
 But she seemed not to hear him. "There's thing she said. that's bothering me. I hardly know how to tell you. lit will seem so silly if there's nothing in it. But must know for certain. Has 1t ever struck you that am at all like-some one else?" She looked at him searchingly.
 So she was trying to catch him: she had a suspicion. doubt. Hamberton was surprised. but he had his features admirably under control
 "Really?" He exhibited just the right shade of amused surprise. 'Is tte
 likeness very stfikipg?"
 She put out her hand for an iilus- trated weekly paper that lay on the grass beside her. hut her eyes never left his face.
 You can judge for yourself. she said. slowly. There's portrait of her in this weeks Whirligig." | He took it from her without undue sagerness.
 l An he said and looked ID to com< pare the likenens with her face. "It's marvellous. But for the name below could have sworn il was you. "Ycs. it's rather odd. suppose" she agreed. iudifferently. <, Thank you for telling me" he said gTavely. but. you see. I never did sec Lady Hermione Forbes in town" There was the barest suggestion Of s | pause before the last two words-as ! salve 10 his conscience An. she said in a coIorless sort oi . .-osrr assh,- I roodrss h.-o sro..t.fod f,