Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-02

|
Hunter made another attempt to fint
Tom. let me 90 and look for him
Where Is he likely to be2'
Anne shook her head. VI don't know
He wanders of by himself for hour,
at time. LeLve him nlons, john
abe smiled, suddenly. "If you want ID
be particularly nice to him when b,
comes in hunt up the bearskin." :"
The Fortune Hunter flushed and
frowned but he answered quietly
enough: VERY well. II he really wants
it,"
They wandered out into the garden
together again, and sat down on the
narrow steps that led down to the river.
IT'S very dull here In Somerton, /"
Anne said suddenly. II wonder how
soon YOU will be tired Of It, John?'
when you are tired Of me, per-
haps."
She leaned her cheek against his
shoulder. ''You know you are quite
safe In making that remark" she an
swered. "
There was little silence when the
Fortune Hunter broke. what do
people do here aR day? People who live
here. ! mean" he asked.
| II don't know: I look after the house
for. uncle and go about with Tommy,
and sometimes we play tennis, and
sometimes we 60 to dinner at the FoS.
ters or other people"
Yes. but I mean ordinary people
n man like Fernie, for instance"
"Oh-Fernie :" She gave n little
shiver of distaste. 81 don't know what
he does. He's kind of mystery alto
gether. Some people say he is very rich.
and that his little house Is regular
treasure island other people say tina. /.
lie has only just enough to live on
The Fortune Hunter picked UP n
smooth little stone and threw il idly
into the. river. where does he live?"
he asked.
Anne pointed down the river.
There's little cottage on the bank
about half mile along. It's n tumble.
down place, but rather picturesque.
Fernie won't do anything to 1t. Of
course; they call 1t Long End Cot
tage:"
"And he lives there alonc?'
She looked away from him across the
river.
It's his own fault" she said in
rather a hard voice. "He had wife,
but she ran away from him. I don't
know, but they say he was nwfully
cruel to her. At any rate she ran away
oh, years ago and took their child
with her..
well, you can hardly blame her
when you look at the old man," the
Fortune Hunter admitted whimsically.
He rose to his feet.
Shall we go for q walk" 1t was
getting dusk rs they walked through
the village and past the wood where
John Smith had been found. Anne
stopped at its entrance with little
shiver.
II used to love the woods she
said, "but now don't believe I shall
ever want to go there again
The Fortune Hunter made no reply
he was wondering what she would have
felt had he told her that it was he who
had found the dead man lying there
under the bracken and who that dead
man was.
lie glanced down at the pretty face
beside him-grave now and little sRd
and throb Of jealousy touched his
heart. Was 1t he for whom she cared
Or the dead man? He put an arm
around her and drew her to him with
a fierce little movement.
rs it me you love-" he asked, "or
the man you thought I was-all those
years ago?'
She looked up, flushing sensitively ;
then her eyes fell. 81 think it's you, -
she said at last. because since YOU We
been here somehow ] seem to have for
gotten all that happened-all those
years ago"
II wish you could forget utterly"
he said then he let her go, and his face
was moody as they walked on.
lie tried In vain to shake of his
melancholy, but It clung like mantle /;
he was bitterly angry with himself H.
fIpt L., ,Ial, l.. 4
the boy. and had not wished to hurt
him., apart from the tactlessness of such
a thing.
Does Tommy often stay away like
thisT' he asked abruptly. and Anne
admitted that he had done SO before
II wish he would come home. though" +"
she added uneasily; II duresay he's
down at Long End Cottage with Fernie.
lie has n wonderful collection of curios
here, you know, and Tommy loves
them
"HIe doesn't share your dislike of
Fcrnie. them the Fortune Hunter
said dryly. Anne shook her head. "No,
they are quite triends.'
They went back through the garden
and into the drawing room. Anne
walked over to the piano and sat down,
idly turning over the pages of song
that stood on the rack.
The Fortune Iiunter stood at the
open window, smoking, and watching
her across the room.
"A penny for your thoughts" he
said suddenly. As she did not answer
he moved across and took the song
from her hands, reading the words on
the open page aloud:
when you're jog, jog, joggin' along
the white road
With your luck all upside down,
Well. you don't much care If you re
on the right road
When you're bound for nowhere
town.
I'm just as happy in the byways, my
Wherever / may be
For there's no friend waiting along
the highways
For vagabond like me ="
lie laughed shrugged his shoulders,
and laid the music down again on the
piano. ut might have been written
about me- he said unthinkingly, and
went back to the window and stood
looking into the garden with moody
eyes.
What was he doing here when the
road was his place-the road where,
in spite of many hardships, he had
known much simple happiness during
his wanderings?
What arc you thinking about,
JOhn?' Anne asked She was watching
him across the room with troubled
eyes. He turned abruptly. not daring
to trust himself to look at her. II was
thinking that ] must get Tommy's
bearskin," he said.
He went upstairs to the attic, where
mn oh ..!.I-.