The Washington herald., 1921-08-24
THE
FORTUNE
HUNTER
ANew, Gripping
Romance Serial
BY RUBY AYRES


am quite capable of doing Il for
myself" Then he broke on, catch
ing his breath hard. Y beg your
pardon" he stammered: he looked
at Anne. Il lost my temper; what
did 1 say7 Tommy. IL all right
I.--.
Tommy had turned abruptly and
was limping away up the garden:
nobody had ever spoken TO him 30
angrily before; he had always been
Spoilt and pampered and led to be-
Iieve that everything he did was
right and justinable. He was furi-
Gus at the Fortune Hunters out
burst.
Anne had flushed in distress.
Tommy didn't mean any harm.
she said quickly. Il know he ought
not, to have touched anything Of
yours, but I am sure he only did 1t
10 please you; he thought you
wanted the boxes opened. Mr.. Fer
ME has dozens of keys Of all sorts
its a queer hobby of his to col
Iect keys-and I am sure Tommy
only did il to please you. John"
Il know" The Fortune Hunter
looked wretched and ashamed After
a seconds hesitation he broke into
a run, overlook the boys hating
figure, and laid hand on his arm
I'm sorry, old chap; I'm bear;
IL was awfully decent of you to
bother about me; thanks ever 50
much" Tommy shook his hand on.
Pm sorry / touched your beastly
boxes" he said fiercely. They're
no interest to me. II you've got
anything to hide, you might have
said so, and then we should have
known where we WERE"
His face was. hard and peaked
in its anger; he turned abruptly
away without another word.
If you've got anything to hide!
The words hit the Fortune Hunter
hard; how he loathed the whole
beastly business. and his own weak
ness which would not allow him to
break free from the letters he hau
forged.
Anne Joined him and they walked
back to the house together. She
was rather pale, and she kept her
eyes ayerted.
you're angry with me-" the For |
were in the hall You're quite
right to be angry with me. 1 be-
haved like q cad" She turned
eagerly.
You didn't How can you say
such thing? You were quite right
to be angry. Tommy ought not to |
have opened your things, but he
didn't mean any harm"
Il know, I'm sorry"
He felt absurdIy sore over the
whole incident. He had had no in
tention of ever opening those
locked boxes in the empty room up
stairs, there was q strange sort Of
superstition in HIS heart about them
but now his hand had been forced
and he knew that. sooner or later. |
the thing would have to, be done. |
s. Tommy sat through luncheon silent |
and frowning. and all attempts to
roiHSe him failed Afterwards Mr.. |
Harding followed the Fortune |
Hunter from the room and touched |
his arm.
I'm sorry Tommy annoyed you.
John; it was thoughtless of him. |
He had no right to touch your
boxes. I'm afraid II was the bear
skin that made him SO eager"
1T didn't matter in the least"
was the abrupt reply. II lost my |
temper like a fooli I'm sorry. /
Tommy shall have his bear skin"
bring himself to go UP to the room |
where John Smiths luggage stood. |
and the afternoon passed slowly |
away. The beautiful morning had |
turned to grey, showery weather, |
and the river looked sullen and
deserted
Anne came downstairs after tea !
in macintosh and small wooden |
nat. Tn going into the village. |
VIII you come. joint" she asked.
He agreed readily; the house !
stihed him; already he was begin |
ming to feel that he must be out of
doors more. He was SO USED ~
freedom that there was something
prison-like in having to conform to
the Harding's mode Of living.
They walked together down the
village street. 1t was raining faster
now. Hadn't you better go back
for a coat?' Anne asked You'll
get wet through"
Il haven't got. The Fortune
Hunter checked the words in time.
I'm used to all weathers," he said.
Il never take cold"
There was hardly anybody about
A horse with a sack over its back
stood riderless at the door of the
inn where the Fortune Hunter had
heard himself discussed last night;
some ducks waddIed about in the
puddIes and chuckled contentedly.
That's Mr.. Esrnie's horse" Anne
said, more for something to say
than because the matter was OF any
interest. She felt that the little
outburst between John and Tommy
had made an estrangement between
haFSalf and the man she lnvAd
She could not understand why he
had been so angry; he might have
seen that Tommy had only been
anxious to please.
Fernie seems to be an important
man in the village" the Fortune
Hunter said rather YEARLY. He
glanced apprehensively>at the closed
inn door as he spoke.
He was not in the least afraid OF
Fernie, though he fully realized
that the man might be an unpleas-
ant factor with which to reckon; he
had never been afraid Of anyone.
Il was his proud boast that he was
master OF his own fate.
They walked on through the VII
lage and across the bridge that
SPAWNED the river. The same little
steam launch that had passed the
island only that morning came
again chugging its way up the
river.
Your fIiend Foster" the For
tune Hunter said dryly.
He leaned his elbows on the stone