Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1907-10-29
A SMILING VILLAIN.
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By VIOLET M. FILM.

yet, and now the pain is hard and heavy,
my poor child"
.'Oh. it is awful - Bride sobbed. "How
can / live? | must die when | am SO
miserable. 1t would be impossible to live
/ with such agony-it viii never go away.
How could / ever forgetf"
The professor consoled her gently, ten
| derly-even as her mother might have
done, and gradually Brides agitation less
ened. and he ventured to ring the bell.
You have been so kind she said,
gratefully, as they waited for sleepy Ham
mond to open the door. II shall never
fo--et how kind When-when-- 1
thought of you at once. l knew you
would help me-"
Always, always, dear child" he an
| swered quickly. as Hammond opened the
| door remember in al! circumstances /
am your friend"
| 1t happened that when he returned TO
the big house Moyra was standing in
the hall with her last partner. He in
| formed her where he had been, and said
be thought Bride had headache. Moyra
received the news without displaying any
great concern. Bride was very subject
TO headaches. and she was not surprised
that the excitement and strain of the oc-
casion had brought on one of her attacks.
| They were still standing in the hall when
Aileen joined them, looking very tired.
81 am going for my cloak, Moyra," she
said II can't dance any mere. Let Ls
60 away quietly. / sha'n't be long"
1T is evidently the end of the evening"
Moyra laughed Here is Billy, looking
/ tired too'-as young Fenton approached,
looking quite worn out. His eyes had
lost their merry light and wore a strain
| ed. tired expression that made Moyra de-
eide that he had a headache as well as
Bride. Aileens return was delayed, and
Moyra grew tired o: waiting.
II think l shall co. she said. draw
| ing her lace scarf round her head. "She
! can easily run across alone. If you see
her, Billy tell her l have gone please
| and she and Lewiston went out.
Aileen stopped abruptly, the color ris-
| ing in her face when she made her tardy
appearance. and saw Billy standing alone
in the doorway. Billy plunged into the
| vortex and she followed him blindly,
while carriage lamps cast confusing cir
cles of light, and an incessant babel of
voices went on. They walked without
speaking to the door, as if they were total
strangers The hall door was open On
the step Aileen paused.
Thank you very much" she faltered
meekly. "Good night !"
Billy did not answer he stood mo-
| tionless, his eyes fixed on the girls grace
| full form. She seemed to move, and there
was sound as if a sob had escaped her.
| Then Billy made step forward and
caught the trembling figure in bis arms
"Aileen" he whispered hoarsely, his
| face pressed against hers, so that he
! felt that her cheeks were wet with tears.
us it quite impossible|
She seemed TO draw nearer to him, to
nestle closer within his arms, yet she
/ answered:
| Yes"
For a moment they stood motionIess
and in silence. Then suddenly Billy bow
! ed his head and kissed her passionately.
| covering her face with fierce caresses, and
paying no heed to her resistance. Per-
haps it was not until then, when she was
weak and powerless as a child in his
grasp, that she realized how great was
the strength that had first drawn her to
him. Suddenly he released her.
There! :" he cried savagely. 81 shall
never ask you again, bat marry Lewiston
! if you dare! !"