Omaha daily bee., 1921-12-20
BY RUBY AYRES.
tContinurd Prom saturday, }

/ Continued From saturday.
The Fortune Hunter had made a
swift, movement, TO stop Anne's iri-
pulsive action. but he was too late;
the little ring went zigzagging down
into the clear, still water, and disap-
peared into the dark rushes in the
bed OF the river.
Anne looked up into his white
face and laughed, though there were
tears in her eyes.
II never believed ! could do A
thing ike thatl' she said "But now
I'm glad its gone! I'm glad it's
goncl"
"And some day. the Fortune
Hunter said grimly, Some day you
will throw me out OF your life in
the same way
Her face famed into passion.
"And il ! do" she cried, Whose
fault will it be? Why, yours, yours
only"
perhaps yours little as WE'LL"
he answered her. you've judged
me unheard."
She. turned round, looking up at
him directly as he stood behind her,
the water dripping from the punt
pole, which he had taken up again.
"Unheard! she echoed bitterly.
when have begged you, and beg
ged you, TO tell me the truth! What
ever it isl However, bad il is! Even
il it's that--,hat you find you don't
care any more-now you've come
home"
He gave little stihed cry OF pro-
test, but she went on ruthlessly:
"I'll tell you something now -
something that | meant to keep TO
myself, because | hoped--I was fool
ish enough to hope that you would
tell me about it yourself il I waited!
But now know you never will, and
so--it's just this--that day you went
to London-1 know why you went. |
know whom you met, and so-that's
why | threw your ring away"
The Fortune Hunter cried out
hercely:
Foster told you! The sneaking
hound. He came back here and
told you
She closed her eyes for a second
as if in actual physical pain. at was
the truth, then! You did-go to
meet--a woman!"
Il did! I'm not denying it, bu,
it was for very different reason
to the one you are thinking, Anne
/ swear to you-"
you swore to me once before
that her photograph was not yours"
she said family. THAT you did no,
even know her"
1T was the truth! If I could only
explain everything" She gave
cold little laugh.
1T would make no difference.
shall never believe anything you tell
me--nowr
The sunshine had clouded over.
and few drops OF rain began to
splash heavily down. The punt had
drifted out into midstream again,
and there was no shelter at hand.
The Fortune Hunter picked up his
coat and put it around Anne's shoul-
ders. You'll get wet-oh, my Goa,
won't hurt you'll" he broke out IRON
ically, as she protested.
She submitted then and held it
closely around her shoulders. A
cool breeze had come up with the
rain clouds, and the face of the riv.
er was ruffled.
1T looks like lasting" the For
tune Hunter said glancing up at
the sky. "Shall make for home?
Il don't think it will be much
If you get under the bank the trees
will shelter us"
She did not want to go back to
the house; there was kind of fore
boding to her heart that this was
to be one of the few hours when she
would have this man to herself. Al
though she guessed nothing of the
real tragedy between them, instinc!
told her that the end of yet another
dream was near, and, woman-like,
she clung to it tenaciously.
There was faint scent of tobac-
co smoke clinging to the coat he
had put around her shoulders, and
the touch of its rough surface
against her throat reminded her of
that night in the garden after the
Fortune Hunter came home, when
he had taken her in his arms for
the first time. She thought of her
own words to him: "Now l am quite,