The Washington herald., 1921-09-07
THE
FORTUNE
HUNTER
ANeu, Gripping
Romance Serial
puRIIRY AYRES.
BY RUBY AYRES
Cosntinnsd Prom Ysstsrday.)

ate Looay.
.-Oh, indeed" The Fortune Hun
ter took on his hat and wiped his
rot face. TITS warm this morning.
re said vaguely.
'It.H be warmer in town." old
Fernfe said bluntly, and then, after
4 moment. he added: Are you COM
ng back to Somerton. Mr.. SMITH"
The Fortune Hohter turned round
slowly. the hot Blood rushing pain
,ully to his face: there had been an
Inmistaf<able meaning in the slow
y-spoken question. and he broke
out savagely;-"what the devil do
you mean?'
ingly.
only what said? Are you COM
ng back to Somerton? No harm In
l question like that. surely"
1T would be better for you II you
earned to mind your own business.
the Fortune Hunter answered
sharply.
He was angry with himself for his
loss OF temper. but he fully realized
now that his feeling that this man
vas his enemy was real, and not
ma agined. Fernie hated him; but
Why he could not guess.
Not that Il troubled him actively:
there were too many other shadows
across his life already to make this
one poignant. He turned his back
On the old man and paced up ana
iown the platform. his thoughts rae
lng ahead to the moment when he
would be in London and face to
face with Irene Claver.
What a position! What an impos-
sible situation! Surely II had never
been equaIIed off the stage. He
laughed with bitter mirth, then
5obered again in anguish as he
thought of Anne.
He chafed against the delay OF
the train; his bad luck was trip
ping him up again: supposing he
-eached the hotel and found that
irene Claver had gone! A thou
sand and one possibilities crowded
before him: supposing she kept her
word and went to Somerton? Sup
posing she met Anne?
The sweat broke out on his face
at the mere thought; he turned and
packed back past old Fernie, who
stood watching him with a grim
smile.
The train was signalled now. and
the Fortune Hunter gave a sharp
sigh Of relief. He had turned to
scan the line when someone touched
his arm, and. swinging sharply
round. he found Fernie beside him
again.
We'll, what Is it," he asked curt
~; his nerves were at swapping
point; he felt unstrung and on edge.
Fernie answered quietly enough.
He. at least. was not perturbed-
The train will wait here four min
utes. Mr.. Smith, so there's no such
hurry. and I should like a word
with you"
'Ewell?'
You told me just now to mind
NY own business" the old man said.
IN the same curiously even way.
You don't like me. Mr.. Smith. and
hats a pity. because I might have
been a good friend to you-if you'd
chosen-and I'd chosen"
The Fortune Hunter shook the
hand from his arm.
Il don't want your friendship" he
said roughly. And If you're telling
me I've made an enemy of you. we'll
be hanged to you, that's all I've
Old Fernie's eyes met his un-
flinchingly.
That's all you've got to say. is
It." he said "well-then this is
what I've got to say to you. Mr..
smith. or whatever your name is
hat since you came to Somerton
I've wondered many times where I'd
seen you before. and now I know.
Il was in the woods the afternoon
we found that man dead in the
5-aken."
A Savoy Lunch.
The Fortune Hunter turned round
slowly. and looked down into
Eernie's face; then he laughed. a
4efiant ironical laugh, as he shook
the elder mans hand from his arm.
wrenehed open a carriage door and
boarded the train.
But his brows were frowning and
his eyes disturbed as he sat down
IN a corner seat and tossed his hat
on 20 the rack; for the first time
he felt that he could understand
Anne's instructive dislike of Fernie.
For the first time he felt that he
had had a glimpse of the mans
mean. vindictive nature.
So Fernie had seen him In the
wood that day. 1t was a complica-
lion. certainly. but the Fortune
Hunter was not a man easily fright
cued by personal danger. and the
fact that the enemy had at last de-
cIared himself only added to his
determination to fight till the end.
Afer all. how much had Fernie
seen? How much had there been
to see? Nothing surely that would
carry much weight with II.
The Fortune Hunter dismissed the
subject from his mind. and began to
think Of the meeting which lay be-
fore him.
What type Of woman would she
prove TO be. this woman who had
followed John Smith half across the
worid7 The Fortune Hunter thought
Of dozen plans with which he
would greet her. but he had for
gotten them all when the train
steamed into the London terminus.
and he mingled with the crowd
along the platform
There was a curious sense OF
nervousness at his heart; he knew
that probably the next hour or two
would decide his fate once and for
all, and Il was with some vague de-
sire TO put off the evil moment for
s long as possible that he walked
the distance to the Savoy Hotel at
which the meeting was to take
place.
What sort of woman would she
prove to be: and had she really
seemed to be the most important
factor In the case. for II she really
cared the Fortune Hunter was