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EVliJNlkG PUBLIC OEiEHIEABBtiPHIA; SATTJBDAY, DEQBMBER H9211
-
fffi FORTUNE HUNTER
By RUBY M. AYRES '
(uffter e 'TAe Bacheler Hatband," "The One Unwanted," etc.
Copyright by Wheeler Syndicate, Inc.
XlttS nfiOINfl TIIE STORY
find oert-lOKno m ei
rfaa bedv Mef tnt
0
acre
TAamf.
,.? M fortune Ilunter nmi
"Tjfitr row BirI..ihe expreline
i lef'T '.'"..'. . nhrnat. Jr nnm
'"M. etirt S vtt at Vherrv I,eda.
Mdeadmm't nam. It Jehn Smith.
VWntu. In rtwenf te a cry ter help.
. a lev who hat fallen from a
? hi? coming e iilr manertaf. Jvems
? Aart.7 ft1 '""
AND W511B IT CONTINUES
THEBE was something In her eyes
when she looked nt him. He knit
Mi brown. After all. he had known be
pW women. He dismissed the thought
"it was when he wns trying te wring
out hl own waked garments and pull
,, mte some scmblnnce of shape
Jcaln that he came acrojwthe pocket pecket pocket
Jjek he had taken from the dead man
Far thomement he hed forgotten that
iuosemo discovery, nnd It returned
fiw te hla memory unpleasantly.
(Cherry Ledge, Sonicrten-on-
ahamjst be semcwhere near here, at
. At... mIk! ilnniMainlBii
11 events, perunis " " """
,nld tell him where It was.
He opened the deer and went te the
The house was beautifully furnished,
nd the Fortune Hunter looked nretind
bra with envious pyes; it was many
Benths since he bad been in such sur-
"lie was' standing at the bottom of the
itaircase, uncertain which way te go,
vrhen the girl came from a room en the
"Please ceme in," she said.
There was n hint of nervousness In
her voice, and the Fortune Hunter fol
lowed her with a faintly amused smile
nghe wes'very beautiful, he thought,
and he liked her white frock and shoes
and stockings nnd the pretty waves of
Thcro'wcre wlne nnd blsculta en the
table, and she pressed him te take
1 'V. unpin is out." she said, "or I
Inow 'he would make you welcome. I
cannot thank you enough for what you
have done. If you had net been there
Temmy would have drowned."
"I am gUd I was there then," he
anaiwed smiling. .... A.
There was a moment's silence; the
ilrl was fidgeting nervously with her
handkerchief; then, qulte suddenly, she
rained ber eyes.
"Will you will you tell me your
name?" she asked. .....
Tte Fortune Hunter hesitated. He
ti" answered te se many different
mM iiiirlnir his lifetime few of them
M own then he half shrugged his
aheulders. After all, what did n name
matter?
"fu tinms Ik Jehn Smith." he said
deliberately, with cynical memory of
that moment in the weeds when he had
taken the pockctbeok from a deud
tnfln.
But he was totally unprepared for
the stifled cry which broke from the
girl's Htm, or for the little caper steps
the took toward him, her hands out-
rirpfihl(i.
"I knew 1 knew it was you," she
mIJ with a sobbing lnugh.
The het bleed beat Inte the Fortune
Hunter's face and for n memcut he
Heed helplessly staring at her; then
mechanically he took her hands in his
and held them fnst.
"I knew It was you," she snld again,
with tremulous happiness in her voice.
"And you always said that I would net
recognlze you." She held back from
him at arm's length, scanning his het
face, smiling through her tears.
"Why, jeu haven't altered se very
much!" she declared. "Hew could you
tell me that you have ! Oh, and te
pretend that you didn't knew who I
as. Oh, Jehn! It seems like yes
terday after all, new that you're here
ataln."
She was tee excited te notice his si
lence, and she went en: "Yeu were
ccmlng te us, of course, weren't you?"
The Fortune Hunter hesitated for n
moment, groping for the words that
would leave him free te make his es
cape and yet net hurt her feelings.
I wanted te tee veu nt ence " he
btjan, then stepped nbrupty as a
deep, vigorous veice celled from below,
Interrupting him.
Anne I Anne!" called the man be bo be
lew, who evidently had just entered
the lower hall. The girl whirled around
and ran down the stairs, her face nlleht
with Jey, exclaiming :
"Ub, it's Unde Clement!"
But the Fortune Hunter, following
jtwe slowly, felt no such oxultatlen.
Things wcre beginning te be a bit dif
ficult te manage.
ine fortune Hunter was n Mircwd
fn. During his roving, eventful life
Je was proud te foci that he had sel
wm raade a mistake in hl3 summing
p of a man or woman. But he made
OQO HOW. no Ym ftlwmlr lmntlu wlfli
Clement Harding, nnd believed that he
new exactly the type et man with
whom he had te deal.
An InefFnnHlvn nlrl rmmfw rrAnMnmen
'be took the obvious for granted, and
troubled no further; se the Fortune
Hunter would casually have described
"m. But for ence in his life he wuh
wrong.
The twinkling ryes that peeped out
from the rosy, wrinkled foce were the
3QreTVfIrf niftu I 4lt.t tKit.1,1 .....I 41.
jwrly munncr, nnd simple, almost boy-
a laugh wcre but a disguise provided
7 nature for the wonderful gift of
UuncUve foresight nnd nni!fr.tnnil.
'f.
a ,.0.. yon're the wonderful Jehn
"will," uicm Harding said, ns he
wung the Fortune Hunter's hand.
Well. U'pll ! T nnrnp hnllnvs1 In .-,.-
iS'V",0, Many' the nrgument Anne
M I have hnd ever von. AVliv. nnlv
iwt night wasn't it, iny dear?-I bet
uve pounds nepe of us would ever
you in the flesh; that something
"OUId keen vnn mvnv fpnm a.trn,..
ft the last moment. Ha-Ha! I was
"'eng, and I'll pay my debt gladly."
e steed back, hands thrust into his
Wts and looked the Fortune Hunter
"P and down with kindly, expansive
ii Hty $3ea len,t fit y,,u vcry wcii,
they? We must end for your own
rlgage wllorrver It lu rnnn...l.ll t..1..
Jeurself te my wardrobe. A bit short In
cg, en And n bit tee Lie rnnn.l
waist?" He laughed acain lnfv.
he
t. ""' 4AO iUUK
mrrf' "nd the Fortune Hunter laugh
fliey might be u worse
long
SEl.-i v' MIIKUL UO U
inre.l, btrctehing his
fit,"
haw i ' ",tlSu'B h eng nrms t
.KMJlle,'ieaur(, shortness of the coat
'liu. '. Il waB unfortunate, Temm
-ling Ilt0 the rIver.. j,c br- h '
." out oeldly. "Itut I'm glad
, and able te be of use," h
"I1
Temmy
brought the
rt I wns
he went
m innPA fhn nTMrl rl T,..J
i. .? ,,,"!t. ue well ; we ceulil never
'i. i ",s P'nei e"( Anne?
,.-.' UCCII ir.Vintr tn tlmnlr
iiw
iAil " Wl l,U
'Ynaiely,
V.w ttie
trying te thank Jehn,"
y.
tOllclled h. nhlar n
"You'll de it Utter if I'm
iiiii , ...i.t t. . .
Ik. .1 v . ."" "" 8 lurneu
0e deer, lnnklnv l.,.L, ...i ,.
'ched i A' c .''5 .0BCK w,,en "
t' i .V& t0 ask: An( iur luggage?
Th. -"ten Station, I buPpSse?"
ne tortune Hnnr i,ni,.,...'.iK ...,
II ffin ''imself, the color .leepenH
Vfi'e in his brenced face.
faCt. T milt, nnmn
flAV.'T Im tin1l .. I.....
10U kfA T t " . " " "W nt mew
'd'f. rJeryt.',n waB 80 utrnuge."
iW i.u "'"er et
.;:" tur tun
r'v.. --.w
send for your goods and chattels, be
cause you'll stay with us, of course
eh, Anne?"
He did net wait for n reply; he
merely laughed and went out of the
room.
There wns an awkward silence.
The girl steed by the table, her eyes
downcast, the aunset glow from the
wide-epen window nil about her, her
fingers nervously twisting the loose
sash at her waist.
The Fortune Hunter looked nt her
helplessly; he hnd never felt at such u
less in his life. Twlce he cleared his
threat before, with n despernte effort,
he said rather hearsely:
"We shall have n great deal te say
te one another you nnd I."
"Yes." She looked up swiftly, her
eyes radinut through the tears that
misted them. Then suddenly she took
a little run toward him, laying both
her hands en his aheulders, her pretty
face strained in sudden anxiety.
"Oh, nre you really really glad te
be here with me?"
The Fortune Hunter looked past her
nnd swiftly round the room; glad te be
in such comfort nnd luxury, even if only
for a short while, after the inenthB of
discomfort nnd hardship.
His eyes wandered te the open win
dow; te the sloping garden beyond and
the silvery river, nud he drew a deep
breath.
"Olad! That's n peer word," he
sold fervently.
He looked down at her flushing face,
read the thought in her eyes, and for
n moment he hesitated. Then with n
llttle half-shamed laugh, he bent nnd
klsBcd her lips.
She returned the kiss with soft eager
ness, whispering brokenly as they
drew apart again, "And no man 'has
ever kissed mc since you went away."
The Fortune Hunter flushed bcnrlct;
an intolerable sense of shame seemed te
choke him. He walked away from her
and steed looking out ever the river
with het eyes.
He had dene mnny questionable
things in his life, nnd felt llttle com
punction. Many times in his wander
ings he had walked boldly Inte a res-
tnurant, eaten n hearty meal, und get
out of the place without paying n cut
for It. Mere than once he hnd thrown
the bag containing all his worldly be
longings out of his lodging window,
nnd followed it down a wntcr-pipe into
the street in order te avoid the Impossi
bility of meeting his bill, nnd It had
all seemed merd or less sport.
But this somehow this thing, which
gave promlse te be the greatest adven
ture of all, went sorely against the
groin.
"It will have te end," he told Jilm
self grimly, as he steed and stared at
the river.
He hed taken mnny n kiss in hit) life
and thought nothing of it. but this girl
was different. She loved him, or at
lciibt she loved the man whom she be
lieved him te be.
And n Utile breath of coolness kwept
through the heart of the Fortune Hun
ter as he thought of the man lying dead
in the weeds with the bracken bending
nbove him.
The whole thing wns madncbs. Dis
covery was hound te come.
.Fer nn hour or two perhaps he might
carry the situation with a high hand
long enough te get a geed meal nud
frebh courage with which te face his
wandcringh but there It would have te
end.
He hnd meant no harm : he had been
carried off his feet, nnd the girl herself
was responsible for the mfatekc In the
first place. She ought te have had
mere sense; women were se bcntimcntnl.
Even supposing there wns n faint
resemblance between himself nnd the
dead man! After nil, theirs was nn
ordinary type. Hut he was conbcleus
of keen curiosity te knew what story
lay behind it all nnd from whnt ten
years of exile the dead man had been en
Ills way home.
The girl touched his nrm Sently,
"Jehn, if, it nil this anything llke
you pictured it? I tried te describe it
te you, but It wasn't easy. Is it ut all
like you thought it was?" bhe asked.
The Fortune Hunter pulled hinibelf
together with nn effort.
"It's nil much mere beautiful' hu
snld stumbllngly. "I can't " He
turned und looked down ut her. "Hut
I enn't stay here," he went en with n
sort of rush, "your uncle "
Her eyes opened wide.
"Why uncle will just love te hnvc
veu," she said, "l'oer dear I He's
been se worried. He never thought you
would really come at all ; he always said
that I was wasting my time. He wns
ever se angry when I would net leek
at any any of the ether men who
who " She laughed.
"Well, I did tell you that there
wcre ether men, didn't I?" she ap
pealed. He echoed her words slowly.
"Yes eh, yes. Yeu did tell me."
But he hardly heard. He was won
dering hew en earth he could explain
te her, what excuse he could make te
get out of the house and away before
the fraud was discovered.
She seemed quite unconscious of bis
agitation. She went en eagerly : "And
1h Temmy like what you thought he
was? Peer Temmy, he's been longing
for you te come. I've nlwnjs read lilm
bits of jour letters, nud since you snld
you had a bearskin for him he s talked
about it ecry day. Yeu have brought
It, haven't you?"
The Fortune Hunter opened his
mouth te hpenk, and shut It again with
a little snap. There was a grim amuse
went In his blue eyes.
"Oh! he nlmll have his bearskin nil
light," he tnid nftcr n moment, and
wondered hew it was that if Jehn Smith
had known this clrl se well nnd luti-
mt'tcly he had uetcr before met either
her uncle or the boy Temmy.
It was obviously n situation from
which te escape as seen ns possible. The
enl wonder was that he had net al
ready given himself hopelessly nway.
Why, he did net even knew the girl's
surname, ej- the place from which he
himself was supposed te have conie.
He ran n nervous finger round the
Inside of his cellar. He felt as if he
could net breathe.
"Can't we go out in the garden?"
he asked abruptly.
"This room's te het "
He knew it was net; the room was
deliciously cool and filled with the soft
rsver breeze, but it felt llke n prison
from which he longed te cscape.
She led the way en te the lawn, and
the Fortune Hunter followed; he
glanced down at his ill-fitting suit and
iarghed.
"Will the neighbors be shocked?" he
asked. Anne turned and laughed.
"Ne one can see us; this house is
vcry secluded. See hew lovely the trees
are."
Her voice softened shyly, "Jehn,
thnse willows" bhe pointed te a clump
of graceful willows bending their
branches down te the flowing river
"what de they remind you of? Aren't
they HUc " She broke off, waiting
for him te supply the missing word.
The Fortune Hunter bit his lip. With
every step he knew he was treading
en a mine. The sense et danger and
discovery fingered him.
What n feel he hnd been te carry
things se far; It was unlike his usual
foresight and cautiousness.
He echoed her words with an effort.
"Aren't they like?" He slipped n hand
suddenly through her nrm, drawing her
close te his side. "Yeu tell me what
they arc llke," he said.
etntinueFtuespay
THE GUMPS-
a
-Twos the Niglit Before Christmas
By Sidney Smith
CHRWrMIVS AtU UNCIE AIM
HWUi SHOppiMCr MOMEY-
SENT te AHW AW
AUN A moesN JOllK
BOHV AH& WESfTER S
8- aei WECt- t
TEU. tne universe-
i 9 11 I
?aLg.
BE wvm MfrA ciwtt-
MR. 606 FELtOW-
'TMPSE AE THE KO THAT
uhcue BtM auREs in- Hey
0M1X tOE$ HE TOJ
PttPSEKTS TO THE tWr
BUT ThWORipSjreEX.THE CHEtRmQ
T- Ji 57 . '
TANXP
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HKTC'ER. THet
M TYUNK
OF MR. ZAHDER.
IT'S FORGOTTrtM
tOOA-
THE HK?PS
PlRVT OF
PEftAtEk
HOME- 1THES
vnerl K MERW
SOMEBODY'S STENOG Wishing Yeu a Happy Fourth of July
CepyTlaht. 1021, by Publle Ledger Company
'By Hay ward
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The da of
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SUPREME.
AMOM6 OTHER
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she Get a
c?ard from-
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AA4t THE BOSS BEFORE HE. C6AVES
HIS OFFICE. HAS IMWRAPPED THE.
DOt-U HE GdT FbR HtS LlTTLG fiCE
HE'S SlTTAiS THERE
STRAMG&ur
CRAEL tCttiT ME t
", BIIJ J y A E HAfUA HO . '-
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A E-HAYuAOfi.
Xy Ci-- V., ,
The Yeung Lady Acress the Way
The young lady across the way
sayu the United States, England
and Jnpan nrc the three great naval
l'ewers and we enn hnrdly expect
the smaller nntiens, like Utopia, te
have much influence.
Dad Gees Up in the Attic After the Toys and Dreps a Bex en IIU Tee By Fontaine Fex
-- -
SCHOOL DAYS
By DWIG
1
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tser. txPKT win
te ever. "
fJOVTH THPO"CHiCf
de win.
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if mmmmm&m lmm-:
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PETEYFrem the Heart
- Sffms Te me ae oesurts.
"TrvTe Se Something "Real
CIeVer wTme vaV of a
XNfAS Ci3EETius TmisNear
SeMETVIlUG Dlr"FvEWr
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SAV, NAEEi.,
MOW APOOT SOME-
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'Rhymes jTlXL
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faF GOODUESS
5Ar& OWCIE
VeTeV ThaTs
Ierwble
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"JesT TRoecmV Of 50ME-
Thiug Much tseTtec
- SCREAM INGCV FUNH-Y
j let's vjish everV-!
Soev A Merry
;rEVdm.-TiDE:"
GASOLINE ALLEY Tit for Tat
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VI5M 'EM A
'Recuiar COOD
fASHIeWEO-1
By C. A. Voight
Merry chi?s:thas)
LOOKS HKe A REGUUR
ei n PAcuiAucf ia. . . -
mmn r m w-m t lji - ml t.r w Hb-ivrjun i. -t
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Teuw. PHV MM STOCalNr7 OUCuT T u.
HONd IN A ReiiI i j.i tri.,.,
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HOLDS MORGy
ALL
NOw MeTHec , veuree Tueee
YOO CO ON UP TO BED. I'M
COH& Te SIT UP AND READ
A FEW MINUTES.
IHK UCARl -5OOL! ALL I
WANTBD WAS A CHANCE Te
Fill up mew. stocking '
By King
-1n. !y vsSsJlts4ilUM
v&WWm Tme Dear- 8en! Me
ffl&& '11 Fwckee we off Te bed W2Z0&
1 TJ ' I JUJ mf;c vitiU TO WJ
L Wllfk DO T H'M WWet HE W
vane se. nulte w.
well, we must
4ns wiilen
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