The Washington herald., 1921-10-09
co..s~usd from Yesterday.

New the truth had been told ID
him he had already begun to w,n-
der why he had not before seen the
likeness between the Fortune HLh-
ter and the woman whom he hai
married. There were the same
blue eyes, the same little scorniul
smile. Old Fernie eoughed, and,
leaning forward, knocked out the
ashes Of his pipe.
All the following morning he
kept away from the village. AFRAID
of meeting the Fortune Hunter, and
he cursed his luck roundly when
late in the afternoon, obliged to go
to the postoffice. he came faGe -
face with him and Anne Hardin%.
He had not dared to look at them
until they had gone, past him som
way alongy the road, but then he
stopped and stared after them with
scowling brows.
DR.. Gregory, passing, had
noticed the old mans interest and
laughed. f"Hullo, Fernie! Looking
after romance, chi? he asked. He
stopped for a moment beside him.
Good looking young fellow, thlt"
he said. his eyes on the Fortune
Hunters tall figure.
Fernie grunted. Handsome Is
as handsome does" he answered in
. surly tone, though he felt vasu"-
ly pleased. After all. IL he had got
to have a son he might al well
have him tall and well set up. ana.
At any rate. he thought about the
Fortune Hunter for q long time
that night as he sat by his kitchen
hre, with only the voice he
river outside to break the silence.
UnwillingIy he had to admit to
himself that there bad been some-
thing about the young mass con-
duct the night he came to the cot
tage that had called for adnnIn-
tion, in spite of everything.
He'll die game, anyway" old
Fernie thought with thrill OF
most unusual pride; then ne
caught himself in with a jerk and
svore at what he chose to call his
weakness, as he replenished the hre
and tried to settle down to his
usual evening smoke.
But his pipe would not draw and
thought would not be banished. and
at last he rose reluctantly and took
down the photograph of his wife
from the mantel-shelf.
He wondered for the first time
now why ne had kept it-why he
had let il stand on his shelf Tor SO
many years; but his hard eyes SOFT
ened in spite of himself as he
looked at the pictured face. Life
might have been very different u
she had stayed with him.
For the first time he wondered
how she had spent the rema.ninS
years of ber life. They could not
have heen easy, he knew, for he
mad heard years afterward that tie
brother to whom she was supposed
to have gone in Australia had died
before she reached him and that
she had to work to support hers''f
and the child.
Not much Of an upbringing for
q Iadi Fernie coughed again IA
comfortably. Small wonder, as the
Fortune Hunter had said, that nc
had grown up vagabond! Ills
sonl
outside in the night the voice cf
the river muFmured ceaselessIy as
il slided by, but it was the voice
of conscience to which old Ferhle
listened when presently ne rose
and putting the photograph osc'i
on the shelf. took his hat and went
into the darkness,
though ii had long grown cold and
he had not reilled it, and his
thoughts were far away as he
walked through the quiet little VII
laRe toward Cherry Lodge.
He knew that the Fortune Hunt
.y had almost reached the end OF
the rope they had given him with
which to hang himself, and MS
heart was humping uncomfortably
as he rang the door bell and waited:
when the maid came TO answer II
Tommy appeared behind her in the
hall, peering forward curlously to
see who the visitor might be
"Hullo, Mr.. Fernie," he said eager :
Iy when he saw the old man. old
Fernie looked at him and past hln'
.Is Mr.. Smith in he asked un-
eompromisingiy.
bs.n listening at the drawing room
Soor. and had heard a good deal oil
well. he is" he said at last
but"
.T'u see him, then" Fernie brok
In abruptly, "and your uncle 100 II
he's at home"
s"oh, well: I'll tell him." Tommy
answered vaguely.
Fernie stepped into the hall, ant
tn, maid shut the door. Il suppose
Mr. Smith IL at homer" Fernie askel
her bluntIy, as Tommy disappeared
The girl flushed a little I thint
40. sir, but I'm afraid-dinner
been ready half an hour. and
she broke on, evidently not likint
70 say any more, and at that mo-
ment Tommy returned.
"You're to go in" he said. HI
sman eyes searched Fernies fac'
cunningly. "Uncle's there, and-Mr
smith" He grinned. Il say. there
no end Of a row on" he whispered
excitedly.
Fernie stared him up and dowr
for a moment. There's no need TO
you TO look so pleased. anyway
Young man" he said grimly. as h
stalked past the boy and into th'
drawing-room.
Anne was lying in the big chair
her head resting against Mr. Hard
ins's shoulder she had just strug
sled back to consciousness.
Foster was lowering in the back
ground; Ne looked white and nerv
Gus, but he kept his distance from
Anne
Fsrnie looked at them each II
turn and then at the Fortune Hunt
er. and his hard face seemed 1
tighten in a curious way as he me