Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-26

| lllenL MI, Harding looked at him. no
knowing how to answer. Then he turne
to Anne: "My dear; my poor littl
sirl-" He went TO her and tried t
take her in his arms, but che shiyere,
Don't, please! Oh, unclc--send hir
away; send him away"
Foster had come fur,ber into IN
room now, closing the door behind him
He moved over to where Anne stood
the Fortune Hunter took a savage ste
forward.
"You touch her. and. bv beaven. T.,
kill YOU" be said sayoaeI. "Yop'v
won, and I'm beaten. INF she's no
yorrs vet. and I'm ess Won wnnt mo h
break every bone In your body.--"n
HIS voice had risen 10 n shout. ant
Mr.. Harding caught his arm in a gril
OF steel. N " :" ''
..Eo. hooro,,, ,.,o. H. u,,, ,.a,,,
,ho % ,,.,aio I"'Vm @ saae' uo Son wan
t,oo.o, T"''0 n'u'' " "'"I he GU
''vn.eu' ~, ,u, -,
Inc fortune hunters arm fell to
his side; he turned away, and for some
moments nobody spoke them II was he
VINO again broke the silence In defiant.
Jaunty tones.
"Wc want two moro TO make the
party complete, don't we?" he asked.
you've al been so clever. spying on
me, and putting two and two together
it's hard on the others not to be In nt
the death. On, here comes one Of them -
he added with q reckless laugh, as the
door opened cautiously an inch ut u
time ana Tommy's thin face peercd In.
'He sbrank back when be saw tho
Fortune Hunter, tben onmo On o,ojn
confidently ns his eycs foil unon hi.
uncle and I,eoffrv Foster Ue snokn
neryouyly twisting his hands topetbcr
"It's Mr.. Fernie. uncle. no wants
to speak 10 you.n
The Fortune Hunter flung bock his
head and Laughed.
We've. been waiting for him - hs
said loudly. "Brinp b,ln in. and lots
have thc marty comnIeto bcforc tbe nlny
begins"
"John ~ II WINS Ammo who smoke his
ramc. In n litt,c sobbing wbisner. anil
before any one could roach ber shc
had fallen faintine M Mr.. UorGinq's
feet.
Fernie had lived through some very
uncomfortable hours since the Fortune
Uunter's visit to his cottage.
II no had been questioned he world
have declared unhesitetingly that no did
not be .ieyo in consciencc, and that his
Own-if he had ever pDssrssed one
had long since died.
But ali the same. during the night
that followed and the next day. long.
forgotten memories raised their heads
ana looked Mt him nrovokinylv out n
the past, and he began to remembcl
that he had not always been old an,
suurcd: that be bod once been n vonn mn
man. and that tho foce of the wo,naS
whom he had married and brutal,y neg.
lected had been very fair.
II was no personal hatred toward tb,
Fo, tune Hunter that had made him so
active and eager to hiring about his
downfall. but more the natural work.
ings of q crooked mans nature wbHn
he has no better employmont with which
to occupy his time,
Fernie loved fcrreting into other peo-
PIES business, Uo thought no wsa cx.
ceedingly smart at soIvsng a small local
nysterics % Which u" rosIv S,' 1,,tnrcd s iy%i Norv
little one way or the other, nnd rho
Fortune Hunters utter disregard of him
when he was considered 70 bc rather n
power in the sleepy little riverside town
Ind added n zest To Mis- zenl
And ali the time he bad been hunting
down his own sont He had done his
best 10 bring 70 n shameful cxnoaIre
the man who was his own flesh and
blood.
Rot! I don't believe IL, LIS nII
part of his artfnlness, So Fernie told
himsel. again and again. unayailincly.
"I nm vour son'" rho Tortmro
tragic decloro,ion bod siynn
thn o'd men 'S .roa+ ue sSocI from n% nh;ch stieh
~ nn' ~ vS ain it"n q. o suus sNo'N Ai'"' "n'eh
''' T,rnrIUovon ',o" 90 ''Uo Uoors % ,or .;r,o
- So Ia aI,no:t fnvuot,a,, ,s .h ,hnr a,uv,
his " uT ,Difa a'u uaiISI m, h,s .nI ne "aSn
noa .at.r tha,r oI;iS w,.h ,sr TJ ~
aS t"oH tHe1t Su 49, uSt. AAe