Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 104, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 September 1907 — A SMILING VILLAIN. [ARTICLE]

A SMILING VILLAIN.

By VIOLET M. FLINN.

CHAPTER Vll.—(Continued.) It wu a novelty to Moyra to have to •bey a law, but she submitted meekly to the gentle-handed giant who was evidently determined to have his own way. Prirately she thought it was rather pleasant to obey now and again, and she certainly enjoyed the conversation that went on .around her, smiling in a very frank and friendly fashion each time she met Angus' grave eyes. She almost forgot the worry that a certain brown paper parcel lying •n the hall table at home had caused her. They had coffee and sandwiches, according to a time-honored custom, in the vestry, where a large party assembled, »( which Terry was the bright and shining light But when they returned to the church the workers began to drop off, and then Moyra insisted upon helping. No one approved Terry's work upon the choir stalls except himself, and she was busy there, with Mr. Robertson near enough to break stubborn pieces of holly and drive in necessary nails. - The church dock struck the half-hour after two as Aileen emerged from the porch. She shivered a little and drew quickly up the hill. She had not gone tar before she met Mrs. Charteris, a at out, phlegmatic lady, a widow with little interest in life beyond herself and her fat, wheesy pug. As in duty bound,- Aileen Stopped to exchange the seasonable greetings and to inquire after the lady’s health. “I hear your son is away again,” she said, thinking that she ought to mention him, although she had only seen him once since his return and had promptly dubbed him shallow and superficial. “You will be lonely without.-him," “He was away .so long that I have grown accustomed to his absence,” was bis mother's not very affectionate reply. “No—l don’t think he'll be back for „Christmas. Ilia movements are very uncertain. I find it suits me better not to expect him. I have a weak heart, you know" —smiling with complacent sadness. "A very selfish one!” was Aileen’s inward comment, as she went on. She had no great love for Mrs. Charteris, and her recollections of Bertram were vague in the extreme. She had been a school girl engrossed in classes and exams, when he had left home; hut aha had a vague idea that he had gone away under a cloud, and that Moyra had been his especial friend. Ailfen had been walking more slowly, her hands in her muff, her eyes downcast ; but instinct told her that she had reached the avenue. Mechanically she put out her hand to push the gate open, when, to her intense astonishment, it was seised and held in a close grasp. Her startled eyes met the gaze of a pair of laughing ones that yet had a little confusion lurking in their depths.

CHAPTER VIII. “Oh!" gasped Aileen; then angry resentment crimsoned her face and flashed in her eyes. “Oh, how dare you! This is abominable! I- —I—if is persecution!" “I'm very sorry,” said the young man humbly, for the eyes were those of a well-set-up, broad-shouldered young fellow. “I—I —thought you saw me and—and —wanted to shake hands.” “You didn’t! You knew perfectly well 1 would not condescend to do such a thing! I wander you are not ashamed of yourself!"—with a withering glance. “1 was going to open the gate.” ‘Then you do live at that house!” the young fellow exclaimed. “This Is grand luck! We live at the other, you know. The doctor has ” “I don't wish to hear,” Aileen interrupted icily. “I don’t know you, and I haven't the least desire to know you.” She passed through the gate which he held open with all the dignity she could muster, and after a second he followed her. They walked along the avenue for some distance in silence. Aileen's head was held very high; she absolutely disdained any notice of the young man. “I say !” he exclaimed abruptyl. “1 really think you’ll drive me crazy!” she cried. “You’ve made me the laughing stock of the ’varsity!” “Oh, come. Miss Beresford!” “Well, of my friends —which is still worse. You have positively persecuted me with your odious —yes, your odious attentions and letters and flowers, and—and everything else. I’ve hardly dared to go out alone because of you, and the worry and anxiety have told on my health and, what is worse, on my work. I could almost believe that you do it on purpose to sppil my chances for the tripos. And now you begin the same thing here, where I did hope to have a little peace. It is more than ungeutlomanl.v—it is caddish!” The color mounted to his forebmd as they confronted each other, yet his eyes met hers without any hesitation. “Well, I’ll acknowledge all tliat,” he said slowly, thrusting his hands deep into bis pockets, “and I’m aw fully sorry about the beastly old tripos if you are so set upon it, though why a pretty But that’s nothing to do with it, I suppose:” —looking at her imploringly. “Certainly not!”—with much decision. “But, after all, am I so much to blame? After that blessed doy when you were nearly drowned —I mean ,of ebursit was blessed for me, that is. Oh, confound it all! Yon know what I’m trying to tell you.” A very fain, smile, instantly sup pressed, flickered at the corner*- of Aileen's mouth. Mr. I ley wood Fenton saw It and took courage once more. “You know how it was ble**ed for me; it was 1 who got you out, ,-*nd, badly as I’ve behaved, you won’t deny I saved your life? From the minute I got you on to the bank and carried yon to that cottage,' with your cheek resting on my •boulder and your poor little hand- *’ “There is c© necessity to go ino detail*,” Aileen interrupted, hlndiing hotly. “Yon w*!a kindly remember that 1 was partially unconscious.’’ “I’m very thankful yon were, or you would never have let me hold }*•% Well, from that minute it was all uy vit’j me.’’ “I am very aorry. It is to be trusted

that your friend who rescued Miss Thornes was not similarly attacked? Trinity roust have been In a had way last term *ith two such sighing furnaces in adjacept rooms.” “Oh, I knew you would laugh, but I don’t care! If making fun of me could do it, I should have been choked off long ago. Hobson is already engaged—lucky beggar!—and, if be wasn’t, Miss Thornes wouldn’t get him. Fancy any one falling in love with that grim austerity! That’s rather a good phrase, is it not?” He paused for a reply, but, receiving none, continued hurriedly. “You won’t deny that you were very grateful to me and made yourself as sweet and charming as you could while we waited .for Hobsdh to come back with , the cab,-and ‘the austerity’ was waiting upstairs while her things dried. You don’t deny that, do you?” “Naturally I was polite and very thankful to you for having saved my life. It was a matter of common courtesy. I should have been as grateful, I hope, to a sweep had he rescued me.” “You liked me a bit better than a sweep,”- he 'answered gloomily. —- The color rose in Aileen’s face; she looked a little confused, and. her answer was not quite so prompt as usual. L_ “All, this is beside the question,” she said, speaking with all the unconcern she could muster. “You saved my life, I acknowledged my obligation; but that didn’t form sufficient ground for you to declare —such nonsense !—that —that—”

“That I worshiped the ground you walked on, that I had tried every means in my power to get properly introduced to you. as that seemed to be the principal objection in your mind then. But I knew no one at either Newnham or Girton —I never could stand a clever woman -t4H I - .met = you.” — ■- “I told you the matter had gone far enough,” Aileen” interrupted. He tried so take her hand, but she drew it back with a jerk, and he exclaimed with real alarm ; “Don’t tell me you hate me! Dont" tell me you really don’t like me!” “Of course I don’t hate you! Why should I? I know nothing about you. I can’t accept or refuse you—now can I? I’ve only spoken to you once before. I don’t want to get married. No, of course I don’t hate you, but you are so foolish!” —speaking with a disjointed jerkiness very different from her usual fluency. “I dare say I might like you if you were not so ridiculously foolish. Oh, I can’t stand talking all day! Besides, we’ve not been introduced’’—and she turned away and went on to the Rectory, with a nervous little laugh and a lightness of heart that was not befitting the "attitude she ought to have assumed. At that moment she felt only a girl, and it was the sight of an envelope addressed to her in the close, cramped writing of Prof. Lewisson that reminded her that she was the chief pillar of the cause. She opened the letter mechanically. “He is good-looking, and he really Is very much in love. What an absurd boy!’’ She gazed unsoeingly at the card. “This is absolute weakness!” she exclaimed suddenly. “I am behaving like a silly, sentimental school girl. I will write to the professor to-night.”

CHAPTER IX. Moyra was the last of the decorating party to return home. Tea was nearly at an end when the Rector appeared. The younger ones had gone off to finish the house decorations, taking Angus and Terry with them. Bride and Aileen had refused to join them so soon. The Rector was in high spirits. “I’ve been to the big house,” he announced, not noticing Aileen’s start. “They are delightful people. The house is furnished in perfect taste. They might have lived there for years. I saw Mr. and Mrs. Fenton. She was the daughter of the Earl of Beckenwith, but .she has dropped her title. lie is a quiet, gentlemanly fellow.” The Rector had evidently enjoyed his visit and formed very favorable impressions of his new parishioners. The alterations in the house and gardens had evidently taken his fancy, and he talked about them until he lmd finished his tea and risen to leave. Then he observed casually—“Ob, the Fentons have got a daughter about Delda’s age, Moyra! They have only a son and this child. I asked her to come Across to-morrow evening after dinner and make friends with our youngsters. We may expect her about eight o’clock for an hour or so. her mother slid. By the way, Aileen, the son is up at Trinity. Do you know anything about him? The father seemed to imply that he was rather well known there.” “I suppose he is,” Aileen said carelessly. “He rowed in the ’varsity eight and is captain of the Rugby team. He'll never- do anything in the other branches of collegiate education.” “Well, two blues ought to be enough for any man! I promised Mrs. Fenton you .would call as soon as possible, Moyra. You might go as well, Aileen. You and young Fenton might have some cornmod interest.” lie set his cup down, rallied Bride on her quietness, and departed to his study. A minute or tw<) later Aileen also went away, and Moyra and Bride were left to-, get her. It was the moment for which Moyra b*-t been an» < '>usly waiting, and yet now that it had come she felt a sudden painful nervousness cam* over her. Suppose Bride were to keep silent! She looked anxiously at the girl who sat in the circle of the firelight, her cheek resting on her hand, her eyes fixed on the ruddy heart of the fire. The suspense was sickening, the reaction almost as painful, when Bride said abruptly : “I’ve had a lovely present, Moyra! Bertram lias sent me a beautiful book of tMema, and—and such a nice note. Would you like to see it?" —and shyly Bride drew the precious parcel from its hiding place. “1 did not want the others to know." she said, as Moyra took the book'. “They laugh and tease so and 1 don’t

want to be teased about Ber —it Isn’t it lovely?” “It is beautifully bound," Moyra agreed, turning the pages ‘over, her lips coropiewing as she saw .that here and there verses had been lightly penciled, and sometimes a note of a vaguely sentimental, strictly impersonal character had been written. The poems were the productions of a minor* poet whose claim to long life was entirely due to his printers. “Very charming—beautifully got,up!” she commented aloud. “It is a pity the poems are not more worthy of the care expended on them.” “I thought they were beautiful/’ Bride said meekly. “They are so nice and short, and there are not many of them.” "All recommendations in your eyes, eh, dear? Well, it of Bertram to send them. I suppose he wanted to make some acknowledgment of our kindness, to him. and he thought the poems would find the most favor in yotvs eyes,” Moyra said, hating herself for speaking so. “And what does he say in his letter?”—holding up her hand as a matter of course. Bride hesitated, but lifelong obedience prevailed, and she slowly gave the note into the outstretched hand. “Don’t —don’t criticize it, Moyra,” she whispered, and then hurried from the room. - It was a very clever letter, Moyra thought angrily—a letter which could ~be read in many ways. High-flown and a little sentimental, but non-committing, would be the ordinary person’s verdict on it. But it would not be classed like that by Bride, a romantic girl already disposed to view the writer with more favor than he deserved. “He has no right to write to her so,” Moyra deelqyed, and while slip sat with

the book and the letter still on her knee the Rector entered in search of her. She was worried and perplexed, and almost without intention spe told her trouble to him. The Rector was inclined to “pooh-pooh” the wfiole matterr Bertram was a seatimental lad who was naturally attracted by Bride's uncommon beauty. It was not at all likely that Bride would take such little courtesies and attentions seriously. "But it is likely she does so already,” Moyra answered irritably. “She hasn’t a scrap of ambition in her, and, ifshe gets the idea that she is in love with him, she will never lose it. You know what she is! Her affections are slow, but they are lasting. And surely you don’t want her to marry Bertram Charteris, even if he means anything,'which I doubt exceedingly. He is incapable of more than a flirtation,” she added bitterly. “Of course I don't want him to marry Bride. I look to her to make the match of the family. I shall write to Lady Sarah as soon as the holidays are over. But I am afraid, Moyra dearest, you are a little prejudiced against young Charteris. You should let bygones be bygones.”

The tears sprang to Moyra’s eyes. “Oh, father,” she said, “do you think there is any thought of myself in the matter? You misjudge me cruelly if you do,” and the Rector protested vigorously that he hatj never intended to imply that any selfish motive influenced her words. Christmas is essentially the children’s festival. To those who have eaten of the tree of knowledge, who have much to remember as well as to hope, the sigh of regrets for the years that are past comes readier to the lips than the jest for the future, yet Angus Robertson enjoyed the whole day thoroughly. The church was very crowded, and the Rectory party had to separate. Aileen saw that the Feiitons occupied the bench behind her own, and went off to the transept, leaving Robertson to take her place with Moyra. It was the first time he had sat with her. He listened to her quiet voice confessing humbly her many sins and transgressions—dear saint, there were Few in that church who had a lighter confession to make,- none 'who made it more sincerely—he saw the grave, sweet eyes—“homes of silent prayer"—upraised, he listened to the sweet rise and fall of her gentle voice as she joined in the old hymns, and he knew that voice and eyes belonged to the woman he Toved. He realized then that slowly, almost unknowingly, she had found her way into a heart whose affections were slow to move yet tenacious to hold. He had wandered the wide world over, and in this slight, quiet girl, with no striking gifts of mind or beauty, he had found the woman he most desired. A happy Christmas! What else could such a festival be to him when it had brought such knowledge? (To be continued.)