The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-09-10
THE
FORTUNE
HUNTER
ANew, Gripping
Romance Serial
BY RUBY AYRES
(continued from Yesterday
She shrugged her shoulders.


She shrugged her shoulders.
"oh. all right, I'll say no more.
but it's rather splitting straws, isn't
it. to lib at the last hurdle?" She
took another cigarette and carefully
lit It. watching him all the time.
You'll have to have money, you
know" she added carelessly.
You mean that you will" he
answered shortly.
''Yes-if you like to put it that
way. Comet Don't be foolish. l
rather like you, Mr.. Fortune Hunter,
or whatever your name Is. I'm not
at all sure that I don't believe in
YOU. too. and deep down in what
left Of my heart / think I'm a little
sorry for YOU as well. I know what
1t IL to love someone so well
that nothing else matters"
Her words had taken on a tragic
note, and she laughed to cover II.
However, that's a long time ago. anu
no II wasn't John Smith! He
was too, selfish for a selfish woman
like me to care for. but was down
on my luck when l first met him,
flock together, don't they? I'd
roughed il with him for months be-
fore his luck turned. and so 1 didn't
see why / shouldn't have my share
Of II. That's why i followed him
to London-to help him spend his
money not because / cared hang
about him. Are you shocked?" she
asked cynically.
Not in the least"
You've no need to be- He was
4 rotter. II ever there was one, and
I should have been sorry for that
girl. Anne Harding. II he'd ever
married her. read some of her
letterS-he used to show them to me
and of all the innocent. trusting
The Fortune Hunter raised his hand
Please beg of you"
"Oh, all right. I'm only trying to
show you that you've really done her
good turn by taking his place. He
never cared for her. and il there'd
been any other way out he'd never
have come home" She laughed
reminiscently. Good lord the times
I've helped him to write his love let
ters to her; not half so bad they
weren't either"
The Fortune Hunter cienched his
hands beneath the table; this was
-Orse than anything. to hear Anne
spoke of with such contemptuous
lily.
where did he get his money
s-om?" he asked with an effort
1T was a stroke of luck. nothing
-rore." she told him. Some old
lines he'd been interested in. be-
-ieve. They'd failed for want Of
rapItal or proper working. or some
hing. Anyhow. one day a company
rsuted a bit Of the land to run
abroad through or something. and
when they started boring. or what
yer they do. they struck a streak
z gold. and-ny lords fortune was
nader
7 see"
1t was more than he ever de-
-erved." she went on calmly. He'd |
lever done anyone q good turn in
lis Iife-not even me-and at first /
Re used TO swear / was the only |
woman he'd ever cared a hang 1
bout met him in San Fran
cisco. you know" She laughed |
!eminiscently. He was going the .
pace there-he'd got gambling
house- She broke on But
you're not interested"
The Fortune Hunters face was
crIm. Please go on. I am enor-
mously interested. was hoping
you'd be able to tell me
something about myself"
She was silent for a moment,
then she said abruptly:
You give me $4,000 ana I'll tell
you all about John Saith I'll tell
you enough to pI event you from
ever being trfpped up about him.
Tou give me $4,000, say. in a weeks
time. and another $4,000 the day
lou marry Anne Harding"
The Fortune Hunter turned very
r-hite-- He had come to London
with the belief that he would do
nything in the world demanded Of
him. II only he could keep Anne'sI
love and belief. and already at the
first suggestion he felt himself
shrinking from II in horror.
TO Be Continued Tomorrov.)