The Washington herald., 1921-09-05
THE
FORTUNE
HUNTER
AANeu,G Gripping
Romance Serial
BY RUBY AYRES
Ccsatiausd From Ysstsrd.y.)

tno mouse, ana, as ne turned hur-
riedly to retracs his steps he saw
Anne coming down the pathway be-
hind him.
She carried . big bunch Of flowers
and was stopping from time to
time to add to II from the beds on
either side OF the pathway.
The Fortune Hunter walked up to
her; he knew quite we'll that she
had seen him already, and his voice
was jerky and nervous as he spoke.
It's q lovely morning, Anne"
It was a futile thing to say, he
knew, when 30 much tragedy lay
between them, and yet for the life
Of him he could ind no other words.
She looked up; her eyes were
heavy and shadowed. as IL she had
been crying. and her lips trembled
as she answered him.
Yes; you were up early. 1 saw
you coming in from the village
while I was dressing.
"I could not sleep"
A little bitter smile curved her
lips. They say a guilty con-
science keeps people awake sne
said, lightly.
The Fortune Hunter laughed
harshly. so Fernie has already
informed ME this morning. She
looked up. startled.
"Oh, has he been here!
No, met him down the road"
She drew a quick little breath OF
relief. II hate that man. she said,
vehemently. "I j. She broke
of; she was afraid to tell the For
tune Hunter that lately in her mind
her dislike of Fernie had been
strangely mixed up with him. 1t
was an inexplicable thing, but the
dread was conviction in her heart.
The gong rang for a second time
and Anne turned
That means that Uncle il wait
ing. and he hates to be kept wait
ing"
They walked to tn. house to-
gether. AS they neared II the For
tune Hunter said in desperation:
Anne-ars you going to forgive
msc
She looked up. her eyes misty
with tears. Forgive you?"
"Yes-for-for-for everything. ]
can't 20 on like this; it's-impos-
stble. Anne-you don't love me
If" He broke OF before the re-
proseh in her face.
7 think you mean that you don't
love ne?- she said very quietly,
then she passed him and went into
the house.
She gave him no chance to speak
to her alone again until nearly
lunch time: she made duties for
herself that kept her busy about
the house; he knew that she was
avoiding him, and the knowledge
almost drove him mad.
White and strained
when at last he caught her for a
moment at the foot Of the stairs
he stood below, barring the way
with outstretched arms.
you're avoiding me deliberately.
Anne, are you going to forgive me?
II you only knew-if I could only
.xpIain :" He broke of help
lessly.
Her eyes searched his aEitated
face coldly. Well. you can ex-
plain. / am ready to listen"
The Fortune Hunter passed a
hand across his eyes; he knew that
she was driving him into a corner
from which presently there would
be no possible escape, and yet his
instinct was still to tight her. be-
cause he feared the loss of her love.
He could not face that; it was the
greatest thing life had ever given
to him, and he clung to il desper-
steIy, unable to see in his blindness
that il was his truth she wanted,
that she could forgive everything
else IL only he was honest with
her.
II. stammered out once more:
IF YOU loved me-" she answered,
her eyes on his, you would not lie
to me"
she waited. but he did not speak.
ana with a little scornful smile she
turned away and left him.
A Bolt from the Blue.
Anne kept out Of the fortune
Hunters way all the afternoon: sne
went to her room. pleading neao-
ache.
Fsrnie; the Fortune Hunter had
discoyered that in their way these
two were great friends; they talked
ef curios together, fshed together
and spent a great many hours max
ing little model boats and engines.
- T don't know what Tommy sees
In that man. Anne had complained
many times. He repulses me, but
Tommy seems to like him
The Fortune Hunter thought he
could understand; there was some
thing about Fernie which even he
found attractive, in spite of his
blunt, rude manners and sharp in
quisitiveness.
Cherry Lodge seemed particularly
lonely and deserted. Mr.. Harding
was out and there was hardly a
sound In the house when the For
tune Hunter went into the library
ana sat down to answer 1reneis
letter.
A diligent hunt through John
Smiths papers upstairs had elicited
he fact that her name was Irene
Claver, and that her home for the
past few months, at any rate. had
been in San Francisco. There were
many notes from her amongst the
dad. mans luggage. mostly affec-
tionate, some of them threatening,
one or two rather pathetic.
At any rate there seeed no doubt
that IL had been prearranged
thing that she should follow John
Smith to England, and that by doing
80 she had carried out his wishes
quite much as her own. And this
ssemso % the Fortune Hunter as if
10 was going to be the fence that
would finally throw him. He had
no mouey with which to buy on this
woman. and he doubted that she
would. be bought, even had he been
in q position to do so. The best he
could hope for was to keep her
away from Somerton and gain lit
tie. time for himself.
He had brought some Of John
Smiths papers down to the study
~