Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-06

nor moment 1t seemed TO him that
THIS was the end of everything; for q
moment his self possession deserted him.
ana ne could only sit motionless, tho
message railing from bis nerveless hand.
Tommy looked on curiously.
II ssay, what's up2' he asked ot
last. rs IL bad news?''
The Fortune Hunter reused himself
with an effort and rose. mo; at
least I've got to 20 to London do
you know how the trains 90? / want
"a fast one it's urgent" He hardly
knew what he was saying.
He picked up the telegram md won't
quickly back to the house. Tommy
struggling to keep up beside him. talk,
Ing all the time. There's one at 10 I:
1t only stops once at Slough. You can
catch that IL you hurry. say, ia
there any answer for the boy?"
No; tell him, will your must
The Fortune Hunter dashed of TO
his room he felt like n man in n
dream. Twelve o'clock! II was n
quarter to now; IL he ran he couId
Just reach the station In time; in three
minutes he was out Of the house and
running along the road.
He called to Tommy as he crossed
the hall: "I'll be back about G.
sorry to dash of like this; explain when
l come home.'
Home! He had used the word un-
CONSCIOUSLY; how dared he look upon
thn. ,s pace as his home, and yet he knew
He reached the station bres +b,os. NJ
toIr,, n, 70 hnd Fernie, on the platform
ttu'king to the station master. THE
Fortune Hunter would have nassau
then, but Fernie stepped forward ''"
You need not have run so foot NJ
Smith, " he said in his ~ aggroy,t;n. ,ro,, M,
today" ~" minutes late
On; indeed" The Fortune Hunter
LOOK on his hat and wiped his hot face
vaguely. "e S"io
"1tl be warmer In town" old
fernie said bluntly, and then after a
moment he added: "Are YOU coming
PACK to Somerton, Mr.. Smith,"
The Fortune Hunter turned round
slowly, the hot blood rushing painfully
to his face. There had been an nm.
mistakable meaning in the slowly
spoken question. md he broke out saw
agely: What the devil do you mean?"
ternie spread his hands deprccat-
ingly; !!S,,r ,,,. : ..,, '
oack 20 Somerton! No harm in a ques.
ton like that, surely
1T would be better for YOU II you
learned TO mind your own business"
inc fortune Hunter answered sharply.
He was angry with himself for his
loss of temper, but he fully realized
now that his feeling that this man was
lis enemy was real and not imagined.
Fernie hated him, but why he could
not guess.
-, Not that IL. troubled him actively.
There were too many other shadows
across his life already to make this
one poignant. He turned his back on
the old man and paced up and down
the platform. his thoughts racing ahead
t. the moment when he would be in,
London and face to face with Irenie
Claver.
What position. What an impos.
sible situation! Surely it had never
been equaled off the stage. He laugh
ed with bitter mirth, then sobered
again in anguish as he thought of
Anne.
He chafed against the delay of the
train: his bad luck was tripping him
up again. Supposing he reached the
hotcl and found that Irenic Clavcr had
gone. A thousand and one possibilities
crowded before him. Supposing she kept
her word and went TO S0merton? Sup
posing she met Anne?
The sweat broke out on his face at
the mere thought; he turned and packed
back past old Fernic, who stood watch
ing him with O. grim smile.
The train was signalcd now, and the
Fortune Hunter gave Il sharp sigh Of
relief. lie had turned to scan the iinc
when some one touched his arm.
and, swinging sharply round, be found
Fernie beside him again.
'Wcll. what Is it," he asked curtly;
his nerves were at swapping point;
he felt unstrung and on edge.
Fernic answered quietly enough. He,
Mt least, was not pcrturbed. "The
train win wait here four minutes, Mr..
Smith, SO there's no such hurry, and
j should like word with you"
"Well?'
"You told me just now to mind my
own business the old man said. III
the same curiously even way. "You
don't like me. Mr.. Smith. and that's
a pity, because I might have been
good friend to ,you--if you'd chosen
The Fortune Hunter shook the hand
from his arm.
II don't want your friendship" he
said roughly. "And If you're telling
me I've made an enemy Of you, we'll
be hanged to you, that's all I've got
to say
Old Tcrnie's eyes met his unflinch-
inGly.
That's all you've got to say. is IT,"
hc said. "Well-thcn this is what I've
got to say to you. Mr.. Smith, or what
ever your name iS-that since you came
TO SomertOn I've wondered many times
where I'd seen you before. and now ]
know. It was In the woods the after
noon We found that man dead in the
braken.'
The Fortune Hunter turned round
slowly, and looked down into Fcrnle's
crafty face; then he laughed. de.
fiant ironical laugh, rs he shook the
elder mans hand from his arm. |
wrcnchcd open a carriage door and
boarded the train.
But his brows were frowning and his |
eyes disturbed as he sat down in |
corner seat and tossed his hat on to the
rack; for the first time he felt that he |
could understand Anne's instructive |
dislike Of FerniP for the first time h. |
felt that he had had glimpse of the
mans mean, vindictivo nature.
So Fernic had seen him in the wood
that day 1t was a complication, GER
tainly, but the Fortune Hunter WAS
not a, man easily frightened by personal |
danger, and the fact that the enemy had |
at last declared himself only added to
his determination TO fight till the end