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THE FORTUNE HUNTER
By RUBY M. AYRES
Auther of "The Bacheler Husband," "The One Unwanted," etc.
Copyright by Wheeler Syndicate, Inc.
i Tim IJEOINfl TIIK fcTOItY
K Voune and geed-looking, but nut ef
P Wfc the Fortune Hunter runt across
i, man' I dead body, .near the Thames.
nMO te discover the identity, he flndi
' i letter from a etrt. who is crpectina
i man (mete rem abroad, Her name
it innt and She ill"' of Cnrrn Ledge.
i rlSdrad man's name is Jehn fimllfi.
hidimlu. rupenje 10 a cru or p,
r :...,... a heti who has fallen from it
1 hoot rowed by Ms elstet. She insists
in Ms coming te their home Je changf
& tit clothes, Followed by her father and
7' cited Ms name, he impulsively gives the
iSne of the dead man. Te his horrified
iirnrtM U develop that the house is
cherry loitee and the girl is Anne, lie
imtsher the painful sight of the dead
man ehe Is brought bu the garden
' Ki thus saves her recegnising the real
Jehn Smith. Frem her brother he rflj.
eavtrs that Anne and the dead man are
naaecd te be married, and is embar
i raised that Anne accents him in that
trau. At an inn he hears a yeoman,
I Yrrme aucstten- his Identity and stale
1 fro the isn iallblrd. Then Mr. liar.
I Una. Anne's guardian, requests en In
'; ttrvleiD tttth him.
AND UEKU IT CONTINUES
j fimllE pest well, we'll agree te wipe
f 1 It out. Yeu made atonement, nntl
' I'm going te forget It. But I love that
, .if) as If slie was my ewu daughter, ami
jf I ever fee lier unhappy through you
!, " Ills voice rose fiercely.
L Then he laughed and went en mere
I nuietly : "s,e levcs y" Te1m. and
li because she loves you I'm willing te
r believe you're worthy of her. A worn
' m's instinct Is wonderful, nnd there
'ra net many girls who would have
: ituck' te n man as slje has te you,
through all these years terrible years
thev must have been for her."
-. The Fortune Hunter made no answer :
h tat motionless, his eyes en Mr.
Harding's earnest face, listening in-
rrhre ant a moment of silence, then
-1 the elder man asked sharply: "Well,
1 lvhat bave you get te say?"
LI' ipi, TYirtnnn TTnntpr reused him-
lf with an effort. "Only that I give
my word I will de my best," he said.
Mr. Harding said "Ilumph!" nud
added half in fun, bait serieusly: "And
7 Olir DCSt, una my uesi, win uiny ue
V. j : u i.... au' nn .iei.
Ulf pond enough for her. She's nn ideal
m
lit, you knew. Of course, you knew that
all along sue nas ucucvcu in your in-
necence." ,
The Fortune Hunter nodded ; he could
net find his voice at that moment, and
the old man went en :
"Yeu knew, tee. that she has money
Ihat she is wealthy."
The Fortune Hunter opened bis lip
te say, "I don't want her money," but
he knew It was a He, and somehow the
b words stuck.
TJ. Antrlit- lite) 41ir.tir.1il n-Ar tti n
rrhirl. He did net understand hlmnelf,
could net analyze bis cmot!ep9; be only
knew that for the first time In his life
he was ashamed that he had net played
the game better.
Mr. Harding tilted the shade of the
lamp.Fuddenly, letting Its piercing light
ft.
fall full en the Fortune Hunter s face.
A haggard face it looked a weary
young face during the brief second be
; fore he get control of himself nnd
inllcd..
'"You're llred," Mr. Harding said
1 abruptly, "and I'm keeping you up
bYtenlng te things that cnu easily be
raid during the next few day. You'll
' te ;1ad te se te bed." He held out bis
.'land.- "Geed night, Jehn!"
But new the Fortune Hunter could
'.net meet his eyes, nnd his reply was
almost inaudible ns be turned nnd
'walked out of the room.
1, He went upMnlrs te his room, fecl
t;lng llks a thief. He was deg-tired,
,l:ut he never closed his ejes nil night.
.Centciencc. which had for se len lain
viimuui licit uu uua ufjiuveu u ueuu.
attetc and tortured bim.
NVbn it begah te set light he get
r and sat down by the window, watch
ing the gray mist slowly lifting from
the garden and river and the firetMrcnk
of sunshine creeping wanly through.
"I will go away." lie told himself.
"The thiug is impossible. I will net
day."
And jet when be was dressed and
out in ths garden, wnlklm; nbeut
among the flowers, bis resolution
wiverjd.
It una Fate that had threvwi bim
awe, and he believed in Fate.
mHc ueuld stay yet n little awhile nnd
jMTiik what happened. It was Heaven
i'i ee treated once mere as a gentleman
and te we love in a woman's eyes. If
he went new it would hurt thews people
far mero than If he stayed.
Se hO arirued with blmsMP. l;nrnvinir
Swf he argument te be fabc.
ii'l .Aml then, from one of the upper
winnows of tue house, Anne herself
coiled te him, mnllins down with the
Miuhinc in her ecs nnd upon her hair,
and the heart of tlm Fortune Hunter
heat fnvt ns he called up te her rather
unttendliy: "Come down you're se fnr
away up there ceme down."
She Joined him in the garden nlnwst
ft once, slipping n hand ehyly through
ihia arm.
, "Yiu're still here then ! You're real !
When I weke this morning I was half
afraid that I should find it all a dream,
"'u mac you uau gene
The Fortune Hunter smiled wryly,
cmembcring his resolution of the night.
ieu slept well, then," be said. She
laughed and flushed
"I nTer weke up once. And yeuV"
I never closed my eyes.," laid the
rertnne Hunter grimly. "My guiltv
conscience, I suppose." ner finger's
tightened about bis arm.
"J will net let you say that. Yeu
.rremlsed me that there waa te he no
past no looking back."
It's net be cusyte-ltlll the past as
tome of ua wish," be anpnered rather
etearJly.
8be interrupted swlftlv.
But it is klllcH it la dead! The
Wat cannot come back ; deu't think of
inn- ,n l; r,n sol"C t( loeli forward
1 !..Th.e Fortune Hunter made no rcnlv.
man r'V,UBl)t,et th? fe?5' of the
nbhflcln,ie wlem he h"'1 wen last
bnV ,?"fl 'f ,b,rcatl1 of i'PPrehensien
went through him.
a in nine fi breakfast." Anne baid ns
belt rang through tlm house. "Are
Temmy "nSr5''' n,,l-"(1 Zere's
Jemmr wnitej for them at the. house
wr; he looked at the Fortune Hunter
' chagrined eyec.
aftpi n n","'1 hove te go te Londen
lin frCl be.?nr';1't t0 f?lfh W ba6
a in V1" Il tuniei1 Jnd indicated
n Plle of boxes In the hall. "Ifa all
fecSs,;cpdiy,:etn ,Ue Btatlen'" be
t0lrhenM0rtu."0 .""nter flushed orim erim
th?.'i Ut'!' I,0,1,a(1 ,irst cntcred upon
Hnuua,jv,cnt",r0 u '"" bn mero in the
fnr .i J,"'e wuu" W0ll,cl 'nt only
uUa ""pwent than the manifold
fvX 7 , wiilcli it was blewly
jiening. He looked at the rather hat-
' and much-lnl.le,i ii.f,., ,. 1,1.1
utsnerate m
Thn lhllil. tfw .... .
4f ?nni? tc,urish ,tt,re ,ett 0 the side
1 58?h ,V.X. a"d bere beside the label
In ,....: ,"?,.?' P. ,vcl' Pln'e.(l
sMn .' .1W,U frefs-Atlnntlc hteam hteam
weft.i0" whlcb ,, 1,imscf ''! 0ep
uierly 1 1 the irony of it nil.
sllenn.5, fJh(' '"' "fi'U Handing by
the xIa; r1!'1 .'!ewwl!" ,urm''l nni1 lp''
!i;i .r1''1,',118 Wttt already seated, He
"Yfti, . 1,en",,p Huiiw cheerily.
i- '-? v"i 1 .iiiuin my uc
cinnlne I'm
JWry tUIa mernlnc about that noer
ici iriT ,. r. i i r - . -. . -
'7J," twn in iiirwne.j n. night,
I wonder who the peer man In the
weed will turn out te be," Anne said
thoughtfully. "Yeu don't think any
one killed him. uncle?"
"Killed him I" The words broke
from the Fortune Hunter in sharp dis
inny. Mr. Harding lnughed lightly.
'Dear me. no, He died of heart
failure, se I hear. The peer fellow
was In n very had stnte from all ac ac
ceuntB. The odd part of It In that
there arc no papers of uny sort, or
marking en hid clothes."
"A wanderer, perhaps," said the
Fortune Hunter grimly, "with everv
reason for wishing te hide bis Identity."
Anne blushed, the teara springing te
her eyes, nnd the Fortune Hunter
realized hew painful bin words must
have been te her. His cyiffyiiet her u
remorseful apology, nnd she stmlled.
Mr. Hnrdlnir necnipd net In hnrn
noticed; he hurriedly finished his coffee J
uuu rose.
"You'll excuse me if I run away."
he bnid. "See you at lunch; and, by
the way, Anne, if Fe?tcr calls this
morning tell -him I want te see him,
will you?"
Anne looked quickly nt the Fortune
Hunter. "Yes, I'll tell htm," she said.
Later, when they were alone, she
slipped 11 hand through his arm. "Geof
frey Fester won't come here any mere
new he knows you arc borne." she said.
Tbe Fortune Hunter glanced down
at her. ,
"Geoffrey Fester," he echoed vaguely.
His thoughts bad been far enough away,
and It was only when he saw the color
rise in her cheeks nnd the hurt expres
sion of her eyes that he hastened te
add: "I should hope he won't!"
Dut for the moment lie bad qulte for
gotten that Fester was the name men
tioned by the landlord at the Inn as
the man who had wished te marry
Anne.
"It's impossible te go en," he told
himself angrily. "Seener or later I
shall glve the game away, nnd It's net
worth the risk. Why the devil can't
I clear out new, before I get deeper into
Mirt Jillrn V
tbe mlre?
But when Temmy proposed calling
the gardener In te lend n hand In moving
the boxes upstairs the Fortune Hunter
agreed readily nnd binifelf unstrapped
the knotted cords that bound them.
"Which box is the bear skin In?"
Temmy asked, nnd the Fortune Hunter
frowned and rumpled his hulr in per
plexity. "Dashed if I knew." he said. He
had net the least intention of opening
the boxes, and would net have done se
if be could, but for the moment it bad
teemed easier te yield than te argue
with this boy's eagerness.
"And new where are the keys?"
Temmy urged.
The Fortune Hunter nlnntrerl n hnnH
into his pocket ; he tried crcry pocket In '
ms coat, "i must nave lest mom, he
tald. The excuse was mere than wel
come, though te satisfy Temmy he took
off his coat and turned every pocket in
bide out.
"They're gene, right enough," he
said.
"Yeu prebahly dropped them yester
day when you went Inte the river,"
Anne said. "Don't leek ee tragic,
Temmy, dear ; we can tee-' get some
mero that will fit."
Hut the boy's face had fallen again
into Its fretful, peevish lines.
"Something always happens te spoil
my fun." he complained. "Are you
iurc they're net downstairs In your
room?"
"Quite sure."
Temmy grunted semethlug Inaudible
nnd slipped away, and the Fortune
Hunter looked at Anne.
"And new what de we de?" he asked,
trying te sneak naturally, no had n
painful feeling that no matter who else
he was' successful in deceiving, before
long Anne would find him out.
"Let's go out." she taid. "I want
te talk te jeu, and there arc lets nrfd
lets of things I want you te tell me."
Then went dewu together iute the
garden.
"Net here I'm going te take you
ever te the IslQiid." she told him.
She looked at him shyly. "Yeu knew
the island where I often used te write
my letters te you. Somehow I never
thought I should ever show it te you.
Jehn, though you were 60, sure." -
Tbey untied the punt from the moor
ing at the bottom of the garden and
pushed out into the stream.
"ue you Knew, ' tue girl said sud
denly. "I've never seen Temmy se
friendly with any oue ae he has been
with j 011?"
The Fortune Hunter mude a little
grimace.
"Ileally! I should net have thought
that he 1ms shown me uuy great mark
of favor."
"Oh, but he has," she urged. "As
a rule, he won't 6pek te 11 ny one. He
used te hate all my any men who
came here."
"our weuld-be levers, you mean,"
he interposed ruthlessly.
She leaned ever and laid her hand en
bis.
"Yeu need net. be jealeus: there
was never nny one them never has
been except jeu."
He caught her lingers nnd held them.
"Heme day eu'll realize that I'm
net worth loving," he said tteadlly.
She laughed. "Shall T? I haven't
realized it during the last tcu years,
anyway."
"And I suppose every one did their
bett te set jeu against me," he said
bitterly. "They all tald I was a rotter
net lit te breathe the same air with
you." ' ' '
"Indeed they did uet! They never
dared eay one single word net that
it veuld have mattjred whatever they
had suid."
"I dare fay they thought the mere."
She moved, remlng te sit beside bim
at the end of the punt, letting it drift
with the stream.
"Yeu knew, Jehn," she raid quietly,
"I think I mutt be 11 ery painfully
faithful tort eC woman, becaupe even
right from the very firt-t there hnu never
been a iingie moment, wucii wucn
you " " "
"Yes," he prompted gently as she
She laughed rather bhakily, turning
her face away.
"It's you who ought te be saying
these things te me," she said, with a
little harsh note in her voice.
He put bis .arm round bcr, drawing
her dose te him.
"If I den t say them, if I cau't put
what I feel into words." he said des
perately, "It'b' because I because I feel
l,ew hew unworthy I am. It's because
f " He let her go abruptly. "Sonie
dnt.Y lie cl,i'1, "veU "'" r(,u"ze tlmt
1 i I'm net worth levlug. ihcre was a
I llllt rllAtliin
"Why de you uiy that?" she abked
slew!. "You've said it several times
blnce' fiuce you came back."
"Have I? llecauec it s always in my
thoughts perhaps, Anne. Supposing I'd
ncvPr we'd never met again after all?
Supposing something had happened. I
might have died like that peer devil
they found ill the weeds last night.
She shivered.
"lieu't. I hnte te hear you say
things like that. I was ulwnjs think
iu tlieni iiiytlf dreading them when
. ., unn were unii)
I UfrCU IU III'
nwake ut night and imagine nil pmnni'i.
nf fr ellttul tiling!,. ii iirsi i wiuiihui
of frightful tni ik. Ai. ii
you would die iu In-
"I'risen. the. Fortune
Bilndy as, she faltered aud
Hunter uddeu
ana stepped
lYivriV'TI Tn"-'
EVENING tUBlilO''
THEMUMPSTlw Storm
Aw keep mil- tMr Met? it
Vr-.HE GAJJET WW AM. AUTOMOBILE
DWST GIVE IT TO HER-
WS MS WCLE- MXBE-OOfc
YfO)U 6WE THWGB A.WW
Toe m HE VJ,X
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SOMEBODY'S STENOGHew Time Dees Fly
1H0VH ! I Dm'T MIND'
1 I LOVE TO SLIPOAl ICE.
AHcf D0AIT r'ter'U:
. . -
V
OM JHtire KAVfcMt 10 . r
OVJCH'.. &LLTILL
A1EVR BE
L SAME J
The Yeung Lady Acress the Way
The young lady across the way
says there are styles In dogs just
as in everything else, and it s?cni3
ns if she heard mero about hooch
heundn new than either nircdalcs
or pollce dogs, though she's never
seen one.
PETEY A Great Life
iWA-rsTntwf re is wmi
Theip. WlASj-lfigRE b
MORS HE1 AT" )
y'jK 1 m
SW.TVi - MP
M7k Cs
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TmJ M FT?e2EU
-vain i
VTT Lfl&T3
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VtHf4 --,,- tlKifikHk rf",V.
GASOLINE ALLEY Time for Mether te Learn
mm:
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T".
LBDGHBKPHIIiADEBPHIA, THURSDAY,
tuc HfcBfASM
VIA SARCASM-
ectch cevv eh. wet - iv uNe map
HE WW SHE'D HAVE ME WALKING
NOO KMflW
IMaE
through nevn bahks tsm!evoetet
festhe est os ms upe- wait
Till tmat uncle cemcs into
Ttt HOV)E
A TPM TWMC1
T
W1ATEJ? 'BUT 1
I SLIPPED
- AOTI
ICE THIS
fu I :Mfc.X
TOO. ILL
..... 1 t f -r
FOR6E.T
THE
1
LOVE WILL FIND 4 WAY
X
Te
WWtH SHE.
iMestfj --
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Trust Neu
Mp
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Fl?ArJl5
Ve a
A Geed Kid, i'ii.
M'UD Tb
sem myself'
Cs'oJteMJM AWDiEE.
vahaTsTme MATTER
-The idea!.' ;
giviugIhat ham
450UAR5
Cowie
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uv.
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- EVVJOR.t
..SHE" CABLES .YMtTrlER
HIM
I'LL TELL VUAA
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al
OM THE
HARD, WAS
IT, "VEAJOS"?
MORHIHG
AEVE.R
1 yr
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TrflBP
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"Trie YOUWG CerlSTKUCTiON
HMGiMeeR who Fi6UKeD our
GtT HIS 3WUCTIC OrlDfirt TMfi MlSTLBTeC
CAM AeOMO Te 5Ct HtM eH THE. Jeg.
DeuV
Fl?AUlO ALL
11 (tht Trouble
Ceed
is MPS KVRr?ieD
GO
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WOTftER.
DEOEMBliJR 29, 1021
r
TEtU UrA WVAT OV
UKC BVt UET ME.
ALONE- P VOVRE SO .
MAT fCr HIM SEN1 WAT
DIAMOND BROOCH BACKTO
- OR. AREHVT TO)
THAT MAP EX?
T
X SLIPPED AA1D FE.Ll.-AfD -A
HAMDSOWE. MAN WAS PASSING
OH HE WAS GLORIOUS'.
SAHEM 'I SLIPPED r
Bu FONTAINE FOX
SCHOOL
a way
"X& tM.H cSAn-
I MMiMM.
7AUWh TwaT
vjiTh it. A
.let BEELeEve:
i 'SYi vm
f.vsy
HIS. AJJFIT PRnBARl.V
5euT him out ou
tlcKAWD'
WM T
r 'xwt r4 1.
&M siv
bOliti- THAT Y40MAM CiETS
MS HERVE- A THOUGH IT
MA? MV A)LT- EVEN'S
Time anhthinIi gees vjrehq
HE HHKcV ME UP Te T
SOMEHOW- UST BECAUSE
THAT "POOL UHCLE OF- ANE
B0U6HT THE VJVPONW A C
trflfc. CHRVTMAS AMP t
VUUNTEP VT N MIN'S
FACE HE'B MADE A
MADHOUSE O MT
MiAMr. VkA (tnxtJG
t)OTlN TO A BOLEfc
VCTORT FO t
LITTLE qUlETHere
Copyright. 1921. by Public jtAt-t
HE HELD
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mvk.
(A i
FULLVTWD SECOMOSl
A4D
OH. it was heaveajly:
s' yf
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CoTTe J)e
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By Sidney Smitlt
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HEARER
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