Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 October 1907 — A SMILING VILLAIN. [ARTICLE]

A SMILING VILLAIN.

By VIOLET M. FLINN.

CHAPTER XV.—(Continued.) “Don’t be angry}" be whispered pasnionately. She could feel his quickened breath on her cheek. Her “hand fluttered like a bird’s wing in his grasp, then lay quiescent. “On my honor, I won't try to -keep you against rout will.’’ “I’m not angry, but ” "Yes, I know. This sha'n't count. It's |ust my foolishness. I won't try to influ-•nce-ywa,™ "But M is really wrong,” Aileen protested weakly. “You see, it’s of no godd. I—l don’t mean anything, and it seems such a pity you—you should waste — your—affect ions." Billy drew her a little closer. “Hang the future!” he said nk’klessly. “I mean to make the most of the present. It does not matter— afterwards when I have to pay the piper.” Perhaps something of the same spirit animated Aileen, for she made no_fuxiherprotest. lint, as they the avenue. Aileen suddenly stopped with a little cry. A bright light was streaming from the school room window, and it had been momentarily obscured by a man s shadow. ~.> “One of the servants,” Billy said reassuringly. “No servant would go by the schoolroom window to Jhe back door,” she said. “It tramp. Bride will be ter T ~‘ But they met no one, nor was there any response an Billy called the servants’ names. It was too dark to see any one, and he suggested a visitor as he rang the bell. Hammond, who was putting refreshments on the.dining room table, answered the summons promptly. No —no one had railed, and she had just been : into the school room with some hot milk for Miss Bride, who was much bettor. “It was cook's shadow you saw,” Billy said reassuringly; but Aileen did not aeem altogether satisfied with the explanation.

Bride glanced up with her usual welcoming smile as they entered. The milk was on the table beside her, and she was looking at the Sketch. There was a beautiful fire, and the room was the embodiment of comfort. Billy was not surprised that Aileen said nothing to her of her suspicions. He sat for some time talking about the evoning’a proceedings and making plans for the forthcoming dance, in which Bride was deeply interested. "IT will be your first grown-up dance, Bride.” Aileen said, stooping to piek up something from the floor. "White satin and pearls. I suppose?” "Moyra said silk would be quite suitable for me. llow mauy people are you going to have?" "Oh, about sixty or seventy, so as not to crowd the rooms! I hope you’ll give t me some dances. Bride? Do you think Robertson will be back in time? You might let me have his address, and I’ll send him a card. Is there any one either ot you would like invited? Of course Lewisson is to be asked. By the way. he added good-naturedly, "1 might ask Mr.—Mr.—what is his name?—Charteris.*' Bride's face flushed with pleasure, but Aileen interposed quickly. "It might add to some people’s enjoyment, but it would certainly take away all Moyra's,” she said rather coldly. "If I have any influence in the matter, please don’t ask him." "Oh. Aileen!” Bride exclaimed, her eyes filling with tears. But Aileen was obdurate, and Bitty, feeling that there was more behind than he knew, changed the subject. When jhf sound of footsteps outside told of the others* return, he rose to go, and as lje •hook hands with Aileen, said laughingly: "There was nothing wrong after all. We need not have hurried.” But Aileen drew her hand away with a jerk. "Everything is wrong," she said tragically. “1 wish I had never gone to that wretched party!” And then, seeing his blank look, she added more kindly;. “I—J don't mean anything in connection with you." ,

CHAPTER XVI. Tin re wa* undoubted sharpness in the domestic atmosphere at the Rectory the nest morning. Every one was tired, and Aileen was undeniably cross and snappish with every one. She sent a message to the big house to say she was too tired to skate that morning, and after being s<j sarcastic to Bride concerning some writing she ought To have donO for her fa ther that the child was reduced to tears, she shut herself up in the school room with the overflowing contents of Moyra's mending basket. The school room "crew” and Vera went off to the pools. Terry went into town to lunrh with a college "chum.” and Moyra, after finishing her housework, joined Aileen. and found that the illhumor had been worked off on a pile of mended garments and darned stockings. Moyra drew her chair beside Ailoon's, and for the nest two hours they talked and sewed, the bright needles flashing to and fro in their skillful hands. "Bertram Charted* used to be our very great friend in those days." Aileen remarked as she threaded her needle. "What awful holes Terry does make.' And how his laundress does cobble! What caused him —Bertram, I mean —to go away in such a burry. Moyra ? I reniem- ' her so little about it, but I've got the Impression that he was obliged to go.” She looked at her sister inquiringly. The color rose in Moyra’s face, and she bowed her bead over Lulu's torn frock. "He was obliged to go, Aileen,” she said in a very low tone. “I can’t tell you about it; I wish I could forget it. But it was disgraceful. I don't know how he conld come back, but every one seems to have forgotten about it except me.” She paused for a second, as if she were tryiag to come to a mental decision. "Do you care for him, AileenT’ "No. I don't !” Aiken answered very decidedly. “He is vary attractive, very agreeable, and very handsome, but to my \ v - / v- #, . '

mind he does not ring true. I don’t know I should mistrust him- so much—at least I have some suspicions. I do not think he is at all sincere. Ha is too superficial ; he wants ballas.;." "He always did,” Moyra answered, with a sigh. “He was ambitious : be wanted to be rich, and yet he would not work or settle to anything, and he was weaker than water. They were sad faults in a young, fellow, they are worse in a man. Aileen, did you eyer know I was once engaged to him?” Aileen dropped her work with an amazed exclamation. “Yes —for a week Only. It was just. before mother died that —that it- was. broken off. I sometimes think. thq worry and anxiety of that time helped towards her death. It is a thought that does, not make me like him better, I was only seventeen, and we had been always to--jj<*tber?t-a4HHie—yes, I think he was very fond of me, and every one said I .had his future in my hands, and I was very young and inexperience,d, and somehow I lot myself be persuaded. Father and mol her both said I was far too young, but old Mr. Charteris—he was alive then —was very anxious for the engagement.” You see,” she said, in a lower tone, “he knew about —well, -there was another girl, and —and^—ph, Aileen, you know !’* “What a shame! Never mind, dearcst ! I understand.” “Well, the engagement lasted just a week, and no one was to know :■ but T suppose the servants got an idea of it, and talked, and—and then the girl's mother came to father. Oh, Aileen, to this day I hate to go into father’s study! It all comes back to me so vividly. Old Mr. diarteris' was awfully angry about thC engagement being broken off, and Bertram went away for a few days. And while he was a Way I was told—and I knew —something else, and—and his father would not let him return. I can’t tell you What else came out, Aileen, because I am the only one here who knows, even father was not told, though I think at the time be had bis suspicions. But then we were all in such trouble about mother, and, although I seemed to feel the loss of Bertram, I felt the shame and the degradation still more, and there was Lulu to take his place.” There was a little pause; then Aileen said slowly, as,if she were pondering over many things: “I can't understand how he could come back and be so. friendly, and—and forgetful.” »

“lie was always like that. lie had never any thought beyond the gratification of a momentary whim, and when he forgot any trouble or vexation, be thought every oue had done the same. I remembor mother’s once saying that he should have been named Reuben. ‘Unstable as water, thou shall not excel,’ she quoted. But you understand now, Aileen, why I feel so unhappy about his taking any notice of Bride. It pleases him to do so at the time, and when he has tired of her he'll go off quite gaily and easily, and care nothing that be has made her like him and 'that her heart is broken.”

“t >h. 1 hope it -won’t be so had as that!” Aileen was frowning; her firm lips were closely pressed together. ■ Her own thoughts were far from reassuring. She looked once or twice at Moyra, and then decided to keep them to herself for a little while. “I think we had better send her away for a few weeks,” she said. “She's really so extraordinarily pretty she ought to marry very well. Only she is so simple.” “She can't go before the Fentons’ dance: but that is suite soon now. After that she can easily go to the Ilamiltons for a time. She likes being there. I wish I ley wood Fenton would fall in love with her, don’t you? She looked so sweet in all those wonderful diamonds,” Moyra went on. without noticing that her wisli did not seem to meet with warm response.

The'mending was finished when the bell for luncheon pealed sonorously through the house. Aileeu rose and stretched herself lazily. “1 think I’ll go to ‘the pools’ for an hour this afternoon,” she said. "By the way, MOyra, 1 ley wood Fenton” —Aileen never spoke of him in any other way, and ■plways addressed him as Mr. Fenton, whereas all the others used the familiar "Billy"—"is laboring under the impression that Angus is an acquaintance of Bertram’s.”

“They have never met here. I don’t think so. Although I remember that Mr. Robertson was once looking through the album and saw a photo of Bertram takeu years ago, and at first he thought it was a man he knew; but when he heard the name he did not know it. I.think Billy must be mistaken. ■ "Very likely," Aileen assented. As soon as luncheon was concluded she dressed and wont off to “the pools," which lay on the other side of the low hill that rose from the river’s edge. It was a warm, bright day. and there was a sweetness in the air that did not promise much more skating to the enthusiasts whom she could see skimming over the chain of shallow marsh waters known locally as the pools. She could sec Lulu in her scarlet hat disporting herself merrily. and as she drew nearer she could distinguish one or another whom she knew; hut it was not until she was quite* close to -tlie but,< beside which a fire was burning, that she saw Bride sitting on a chair anC .alking very earnestly to Bili,.

. “It is too bad!” Aileen heard her say. "Moyra and Aileen are always stopping my pleasure.” She - looked up eagerly as Aileen approached. and a look of disappointment came over her face as she saw who it was. Billy, on the contrary, was radiant. "llow late you arc!” he cried. “Don’t let us waste any more time" —and he hastened to put on her skates. They were skimming over the ice together. when Aileen said abruptly: “Was Bride asking you about inviting Mr. Chartori *7" “Yes. poor child! I was awfully sorry to refuse; she seemed so set on it I

say, if V told you something”—glancing at her doubtfully—“l’m afraid you’d ba annoyed.” ' Aileen looked at him anxiously. “Is it about——” she began.,, “Last night,” Billy concluded, biting his lip. They skated towards a deserted part of the pool. WL=L-hope-yomfonT think me interfering, or anything of that, but I Ithow you and Moyra don’t liks Chtfrteris, and I_ think he'i awfully low class myself. You rem'ember last night! Well; after I left you I thought I'd just gp round the circle and, .the shrubberies and satisfy myself that there was no one there. So I 'Went round by your-kitchen garden and our glass houses, atfd‘ by the time I gotback to the a yen ue the uioon was well out, and I saw some one going up the avenue walking on the grass. I wouldn’t swear to it, but my first impression was that it was Charteris. Of course I may have been mistaken, but—* — “You were not,” Aileen said quickly. She put her hand into her pocket and, taking out her purse, produced the broken half of a gold sleeve link with an entwined "B. C.” engraved on it. “I pickedf that up on the school room floor,” she said, with a sob that seemed forced from her. “He was there last night,, and she never told u.s !” ,—■- -• ‘ Billy did not know what to say toiler. He had no doubt that the man he had seen was Charteris, who had evidently been desirous of not being recognized. Yet. what could have been ifc&jggfp in maintaining such secrecy? He had not .been forbidden the Bouse, nor was he Bride’s acknowledged lover. They might be mistaken, he said aloud. Perhaps Bride had kept the broken link as a love token, and had "if unwittingly. But Aileen put aside such explanations impatiently. - -“The truth is we have all gone the wrong way w.ith Bride,” she said. “Angus said we coddled her too much, and it’s quite true. We ought to have let her get her experience for herself, instead o Label* tring her from even.vtliHig disagteante an 3 uncomfortable. The result is that she Is bound to be controlled by a stronger will, and when that will comes in the form of a young and fascinating man she submits to it at once. You beard what she said about Moyra and me. Do you think that Bride —Bride, of all people, would liavs ever said such a thing or thought it if the idea had not been put into her mind first? And do you think that she, who is as open as the day, would ever hold her tongue about any one’s calling unless it had been suggested to her to do so? Aileen stamped her foot. “We are so powerless, she cried. “Suppose I tell father; ha would only forbid him the house, and Bride would consider herself still more ill-used, and he’fl still make opportunities to see her. But Bride, Bride- - Oh, Billy, help me! Tell me what I am to do!” -=- He could hardly believe his ears. 10 think that Aileen, always so self-pos-sessed, so confident of her own powers, should come to him for advice and help, and show so plainly that she thought he could give it, was bewildering enough to drive away every idea he had. But he made a vigorous attempt to keep his senses about him and to think deeply. _ “I don’t for a second think there’s any likelihood of her eloping with him or anything of that sort,” he announced slowly. "But she’s immensely taken with him, and she’s very simple, easily led, and fascinated by his superficiality. And she’s awfully romantic, and no doubt imagines herself the heroine of a three-vol-ume novel; and of course any opposition would only feed her ideas. If I were you I’d pack her off somewhere, and not give Charteris any chance of knowing where she is, and then if he really means anything ” “But he does not, and he knows that father would never countenance such a thing.” “Well, then, send her away for a change, and until she goes I'll help 'you to see that Charteris is kept as much at arm’s length as we can manage.”' Aileen’s face brightened, she looked at him gratefully. There was a smile on her lips aiul a friendliness in her manner that made Billy bold. , "Suppose for the next few days I enter the lists against Charteris?" he said, watching the varying expressions that flitted over her mobile,face. ‘Tlowjvould that do?” Aileen scratched a hole in the ice with her skate blade. - “l>o you think you are likely to be victorious?” she asked demurely. “You are very conceited. I'm afraid.' "I could bowl Charteris out if I set myself to work; but in such a case I should expect a fitting reward.” She looked at him archly and skated awa . v i/W looked lovely in those diamonds," ihe said over her shoulder. (To be continued.)