The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1907-11-30
A SMILING VILLAIN.
By VIOLET M. FLNN
By VIOLET M. Finn.

you know how it was blessed for me I;
| it was / who got you out, and, badly
as I've behaved, you won't deny / saved
your life? From the minute l got You
| on to the bank and carried you to that
cottage, with your cheek resting on my
shoulder and your poor little hand"
There is no necessity to go into de-
tails" Aileen interrupted, blushing hotly.
you will kindly remember that i was
| partially unconscious"
Pm very thankful you were, or you
would never have lei me hold you. Well,
from that minute it was all up with me-"
IL am very sorry. 1t is to be trusted
that your friend who rescued Miss
Themes was not similarly attacked?
Trinity must have been in bad way last
term with two such signing furnaces in
adjacent rooms"
"Oh, knew you would laugh but I
don't care If making fun of me could
do it, | should have been choked OF long
ago. Hobson is already engaged-lucky
beggar land, if he wasn't, Miss Themes
wouldn't get him. Fancy any one falling
in love with that grim austerity! That's
rather 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 Hobson
to come back with the cab, and the aus
terity' was waiting upstairs while her
things dried. You don't deny that, do
your
Naturally l was polite and very
thankful to you for having saved my
life. 1t was matter of common cour-
tesy. | should have been as grateful, |
hope, to a sweep had he rescued me-"
You liked me bit better than a
sweep" he answered gloomily.
The color rose in Aileen's face; she
looked little confused, and her answer
was not quite so prompt as usual.
'All this is beside the question:" she
said, speaking with all the unconcern she
could muster you saved my life.
acknowledged my obligation; but that
didn't form sufficient ground for you to
declare--such nonsense !-that-that--"
THAT | worshiped the ground you
walked on. that / had tried every means
in my power to get properly introduced
to you, as that seemed to be the princi-
pal objection in your mind then. But |
knew no one at either Newman or Cir
toni never could stand clever woman
till | met you"
II told you the matter had gone far
enough" Aileen interrupted
He tried to take her hand, but she drew
it back with a jerk, and he exclaimed
with real alarm:
Don't tell me you hate me! Don't
tell me you really don't like mel"
"Of course / don't hate you! Why
should 1? / know nothing about YOU.
| can't accept or refuse you--now can /?
I've only spoken to you once before. /
don't want to get married. No, of course
l don't hate you, but you are so foolish y
speaking with Il disjointed jerkiness
very different from her usual fiuency. II
dare say l might like you if you were
not so ridculously foolish. Oh, / can't
stand talking all day Besides, we've
not been introduced"--and she turned
away and went on to the Rectory, with
nervous little laugh and a lightness of
heart that was not BETTING the attitude
she ought to have assumed.
AT that moment she felt only girl,
and it was the sight of an envelope adj
dressed to her in the close, cramped writ
ing of Prof. Lewiston 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
boyw She gazed unseeingly at the card.
This is absolute weakness )" she ex-
claimed suddenly. II am behaving like
silly. sentimental school girl | will
write to the professor tonight"
CHAPTER TX.