Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-30
RMS nEGrNs THE STORY

q ~ ArSs Tu and shc livss at cherry LodGs. J,.hs.
TM dead mas ndre S Jonn 49, s1,tJn' ,'.,,,
ssSdssseywc; ..seyc. "a a bov wSo has fallen from q
~ ssot yo,usd bv MS sister. she tnststs
~ ny eo,n'ng giioses H. W ,y "' Nsr uncle ~ Se" ard
ssksd rs name. Pc tmpuiMs,ve,,y ~ Y. gtUss hts ths
go ,oDs Gsss 'T tioi 70 tss m' ko%,e sSr,"fs Is
cr,Vb sns,s Vber the painfh sioht Of iho dead
sscr .oho Is b.'Io oorne pas, rs n1rSfi ,eSi
Xxx. smith. Fror, her oroth,r no dis.
so,,eys thot Anno and the dsdd man ore
eaes.S eaeaoSfa, ,bS, .1 Xrms Nd accepts him ~ thdt
,saS' AZ an ian be hedrs d yeomdn.
g',,'Os O,s,Ss,a e. .dsTty Tnss Sfs Mr fiSf: ssr:
sinsii sI,,;i,S SaSi w,s Nm. what ie sous eIa,t.
tns t,nsssis ,Sitsrys ys,fsS.S iS,nsOna'a n Her roHss
nuv insnoesncs all the time he had been IN
,.sS,s" srIsos and that chs toos heir.es 70 a
sr,ot Fortune. n ths gdrde" 'a'er Anne
a6irr,s her faith IN htn.
AND HERE 1T CONTINUES
ouE nodded. "Yes---it used to turn
mo cold with fear. Supposing I never
~, Won aaoin. used to get mp and
Iii ',,, about the room for hours, afraid
s",n J" 30 10 sleep because IL 1 did always
S.osr. about you, and YOU always
,"ok.d-oh, don't know She bio
her fnca. ,,,
Tho Fortune Hunter sat very still,
lie elbows On his knees, and his chin
,ss,,nr on his clepchcd hands.
IIe had no right to listen, he knew.
nAnd then" she went on presently,
!, a muifled voice, "when.-when IL was
over and you went away--nbroad--
RIritbout coming 10 see me. l Thought
nyhot would have killed me. II II hadn't
,eon for Uncle Glenn I believe ] should
have died, He was so good. lie made
mo mo Gee that you had done the only hon.
crable thing by going away like that.
and giving me chance to change my
mind
She laughed hrokenly. II didn't
change. you see. dear.
inc Fortune Hunter stared straight
shead Of him down the river, which lay
,porkling in the morning sunlight.
nAnd IL I had comc-straight back"
he askcd uncertainty. She shook her
lead
II don't know She drew long
sigh.
at seems such ngcs and ages ago
now"
'"Ten years is long time.
"Ycs."
They were both silent for lttlc,
and then she said: "John. there Is
something 7 want to ask you--somr-
} thing I never have asked you--l never
even mentioned in my letter, bri I al-
ways mcant--if you ever came back
that would ask YOU. Not because |
don't trust you, not because l eyer
thought--thougnt what other people
said was true, but just-just because !
must hear you say it yourself"
"Well. what is it," The Fortune
Hunters voice was 4 little hard and
defiant. and she lnid hand quickly on
his arm. lie smiled ruefully, avoiding
her pleading eyes.
II know what you want to ask---w.as
Twas guilty." he said gently.
She nodded, her face quivering.
The Fortune Hunter laid hand on
ether Of her shoulders, looking steadily
into her eyes.
"I swear by-by my love for you
that was not guilty" he said.
"We'll never speak Of it again" she
s0id proudly. II knew all the time
In my heart--I knew"
She laughed and stood up. "Nov
I'm going back to my own seat" she
snid, "and We'll so over to the island
Oh, lock: There's uncle waving to us
from the bank"
She waved back. ~ suppose We had
better see what he wants"
They turned the punt landward. IL
didn't mean you to come back" Mr.
Harding said, as the Fortune Hunter
sprang onto the bank. ~ don't want
you, my denr. I was Just on my way
home. Sorry to have spoilt your little
tete-a- -tete."
Anne laughed. "Wel, what hap
pened?' she asked, "about the poor
man in the woods. I mean. Did you
hnd out who he is2"
Mr.. Harding took of his hat and
wiped his hot forehead.
" NO; there are no papers--nothing
70 Identify him at all, unless what that
nl!ow fernic saws is true, and, some
row, | have my doubts. Fernic was
always liar. I detest the man."
"fen!s" said the Fortune Hunter,
uncertainty.
:, Yes; a little rat Of a fellow who
liVes In the village. Does nothing for
: living, and pokes his nose into most
.nlnss that don't concern him. He
sarned up at the inquiry this morning
ma swore that he was coming through
,ns woods last night and saw a man
.caYe the very spot where they after
ward found the body. You know il was
fernie who found it?"
,.s nate Fernie!" Anne said.
90 do my dear" her uncle an.
swered, mildly. ''But his story vii
have to be Investigated, and there NAV
tr 70 some truth In it. You see. hi.
theory Is that the other man robbed IN,
uead man OF his papers, money nnf
"nat not, and left him"
=, ne doesn't suggest by any chance
mat the other man murdered him.
dryly. ~ 'iu''er aSAeu
Mr; Harding laughed.
pear me, no! The doctors hay,
proved It was heart failure. righ
esopgh. but Fernie sticks to his stor,
a ~ cnis o other man. and swears, too, tha,
ae can identify him" '
The Fortune Hunter STONED md tie,
sse rope Of the punt TO a dead willow
stump In the bank. '"
Friend Fernie sounds as IL bc MICH
pe rather an Interesting sort of oantle,
nan nan, he said coolly. ''What is no
'ne e,ual local detective or somebody ?i
s.,s mes a horrid little man." Ann,
baTr bE 'eaemently. Hes just a busy
sUG Udy' Hes got n small private incom,
snans au moons round the village talkin,
Sanaal svanl and listening to 1t and mindin,
"ee.ry ones business except his own,
expect he knows all about yor
Hnssdy, she added, her color rising
by PROBABLY oD knows what train you cam
boo,ah shd now much you gave for you
turma noth men laughed, and Mr.. Hardin,
Well, well, we shall sec Fsrn,a,