Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-29

| Nileu nlm Inc words broke
from the Fortune Hunter in sharp DIS
may.
Mr.. Harding laughed lightly.
Dear me, no, lie died Of heart
failure, SO I hear. The poor fellow
was in very bad state from all ac.
counts. The odd part of II is that
there are no papers Of any sort, or
marking on his clothes"
"A "A wanderer, perhaps, said the
Fortune Hunter grimly, with every
reason for wishing TO hide his identity"
Anne blushed, the tears springing TO
her eyes, and the Fortune Hunter
realized how painful bis words must
have been to her. His cydNbot her u
remorseful apology, and she Smiled.
Mr.. Harding seemed not to have
noticed he hurriedly finished his coffee a
and rose. 2
You'll excuse me if I run away. -
he said. See you at lunch: and. by
the way, Anne. IL Foster calls this
morning tell him ] want to see him,
will you!'
Anne looked quickly at the Fortune
Hunter. Yes, / II tell him." she said.
Later. when they were alone, she
slipped a hand through his arm. "Gcof-
frey Foster won't come here any more
now he knows you are home" she said.
The Fortune Hunter glanced down
at her.
"Geoffrey Foster" he echoed vaguely.
His thoughts bad been far enough away,
and it was only when he saw the color
rise in her cheeks and the hurt express
sion OF her eyes that he FASTENED to
add II should hope he WON'T"
But for the moment he had quite for
gotten that Foster was the name mem
toned by the landlord at the inn as
the man who had wished to marry
Anne.
Its impossible to go on" he told
himself angrily. Sooner or later I
shall give the game away. and it's not
worth the risk. Why the devil cant
! clear out now, before I get deeper into
the mire?"
But when Tommy proposed calling
the gardener in to lend hand in moving
the boxes upstairs the Fortune Hunter
agreed readily and himself unstrapped
the knotted cords that bound them.
(Which box is the bear skin in 2"
Tommy asked, and the Fortune Hunter
trowned and rumpled bis hair in per-
plexity.
Dashed if ] know" be said. He
had not the least intention of opening
the boxes. and would not have done so
II he could, but for the moment it had
seemed easier to yield than to argue
with this boys eagerucss
And now where are the keys"
| Tommy urged.
The Fortune Hunter plunged a hand
into his pocket; he tried every pocket In
his coat. II must have lost them" he
said. The excuse was more than well
come. though to satisfy Tommy he took
off his coat and turned every pocket in
side out.
, said.
"You probably dropped them yester-
day when you went into the river"
Anne said. Don't look so tragic,
Tommy, dear; we can soo~ get some
more that will fit"
But the boys face had fallen again
into its fretful, peevish lines.
Something always happens to spoil
my fun he complained. "Are you
sure they're not downstairs IN your
roomI'
Quite sure"
Tommy grunted something inaudible
and slipped away. and the Fortune
Hunter looked at Anne.
And now what do we do" be asked
trying to speak naturally. He had a
painful feeling that no matter who else
he was successful In deceiving, before
long Anne would find him out.
Lets go out" she said. 'I want
to tall to you and there are lots and
lots OF things l want you to tell me. >"
Then went down together into the
garden.
Not here-Im M going to take you
over to the island" she told him.
She looked at him shyly. "You know
the island where I often used to write
my letters TO you. Somehow I never
thought | should ever show it to you,
John, though you were so sure"
They united the punt from the moor
ing at the bottom of the garden and
pushed out into the stream.
''Do you know" the girl said sud-
denly. I've never seen Tommy so
friendly with any one as he has been
with yout'
The Fortune Hunter made a little
grimacC.
"Realy. J should not have thought
that he has shown me any great mark
of favor.
"Oh, but he has," she urged. las
rule, he won't speak TO any one. lie
used to hate all my--any men who
came here"
"Your would be lovers, you mean,"
Sbo Iconed over and laid bor bo,d -,
l.; one ieuneu over ana ia'd ner mana on
..xo,, ,,ooI rot ho ;o,,o,, .
lou neeu noL DC jealous; tnere
was never any one-tnere never mas
peHI-eAccpI pee, you:
re re causLa her myers ana ne,u th9m.
',onnt r.L uaE Inin So9 u reaiIe aiI tnan l III
not worth loving he sag steadily.
Sne Iangneu. endll J. maven
reallzed u during tne last ten years,
anyway.