The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-08-19
THE
FORTUNE
HUNTER
ANew, Gripping
Romance Serial
By RUBY AYRES



coming presently" He laughed
rather nervously. i've got to face
the music with your uncle tonight,
you know, and 1 want to make up
my mind what to say to him She
caught isShand-
Nothing Uncle Glenn says will
make any difference to me-"
She laughed happily, and ran
away from him up the sloping lawn.
The Fortune Hunter watched till
he saw her disappear into his house.
then he left the garden and walked
out along the road.
His face was hot. and the memory
Of her kisses burnt his lips. He felt
as n a lifetime had passed since
the moment when he sat on the side
Of his bed and made UP his mind
TO escape from the house.
He no longer wanted to go: he
wanted to stay more fiercely than he
had ever wanted anything in his
life.
And now il was not for the sake
Of yet another adventure to add to
his long list. not for the hope OF
any material gain to himself. but
because of a girl whose arms had
elung round his neck. and whose
voice had whispered. Il love you
e.. / love you
The darkness seemed to have
Geepened very rapidly. the Fortune
Hunter thought. as he strolled slow
" along up the road towards mass
Of tvinkling lights which indicated
the village.
The little village seemed very
ouiet. and the thick river mist hung
over everything like a grey veil. 1t
wras rather chilly. too. now the sun
had gone in. and the Fortune
Hunter shivered a little as more
from force Of habit than anything
he turned his steps towards a light
that shone invitingly behind a red
blind Of the village.
He pushed open the door and
entered. called for a glass Of beer
and found a seat on a long bench
in an unobserved corner.
It was only when he had picked
up an evening paper lying at his
elbow and was beginning to feel
quite comfortable that he realized
the mistake he had made in enter
ing the place
No doubt the Cherry Lodge people
and their interests were well known
to the landlord here and the few
lOungers who talked together at
center table. The Fortune Hunter
glanced apprehensively round him,
but everyone seemed bent on their
own concerns, and not a glance was
turned his way.
He finished his drink hurriedly.
and had risen to leave the place
when his attention was caught by
the mention of a name that had in
the past few hours grown to mean
a great deal in his life.
so Miss Anne's got her young
man back, after all?"
The Fortune Hunter looked up
sharply. his face flushing: but he
sat down quietly near to the
held II 50 as to screen him while
ne listened further.
1t was quite possible that he
might pick up some useful Informal
tisn here, he thought, even while
he was half ashamed of the hope.
The landlord. who leaned over the
bar, was the man who had made
the remark. and it seemed to be
addressed to the company in gen.
eral. though one of them-a sharp
faced, rather rat-eyed man in cordu-
roy breechCs and a coat with frayed
sleeyes-was the one who answered.:
UNI So they say, But I've
heard them sort of reports many
times, and it's never come true"
IT'S true this time, though" the
landlord insisted quietly, refilling a
glass that had been handed up to
him. 1T seems that he was on his
way TO the house and that il was
he who pulled Mr.. Tom out Of the
water.
The sharp-faced man sneered.
That's two events for Somerton
in one day" he said. What with
the dead man in the wood; and Mr..
Smith turning up, after all, we're
getting along"
whats the story of this Mr..
Smith, someone else asked inter-
estedIy.
Tho landlord leaned his arms on
the counter again and prepared to
tell what he knew.
Nobody rightly knows the facts"
he said. but it all happened ten
years ago. when Miss Anne was
quite a schoolgirl / remember her
well-it was before she come to live
slong of Mr.. Harding, though she
often spent her holidays here from
school.
Lots of stories got round: how
that she'd run away from school
and got married. but that she'd
been brought back home Some peo-
pie said the man was already mar
ried: others that il was only her
money he was after, and that Mr..
Harding. who was their guardian.
so to speak. had had the marriage
squashed, IL you know what 1 mean.
Some people said that the man
was dead, others that he'd done
something disgraceful and had TO
clear out OF the country, bur nobody
seemed to know the rights Of the
story. except that Miss Anne
wouldn't look at any of the gentle
men round here. and she might have
RAD Mr.. Foster, up at the Towers,
Tor the asking, II she'd had a mind.
And now. after nine or ten years.
II must be. / hear that he's walked
back as cool as you please. this Mr.
smith. and they're going to be mar
red He TOOK a pull at the glass
OF ale beside him and wiped his
mouth with the back of his hand.
Good luck to 'em, anyway, 1 sayr"
he said heartily.
The sharp-faced man sneared.
Good luck to 'em! THEY'LL nesd
all that and then some more" he
said hastily. And I'm surprised n,
Mr.. Harding allowing any marriar e
at all with such q scallywar as this
Mr.. Smith" He drew the corners
OF his mouth down in an ugly leer.
Mr. Smith d1a n.r,n,