Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-01-17
SMILING VILLAIN.

BY VIOLET M. Finn.

bother-I think that was his idea Of
Brides vocation"
The amazement on Aliens face was
almost comic as her eyes went from
Bride to Eric Lewiston, from Lewiston
to Bride. Suddenly she looked at Billy
with suspicious sharpness, but he met
her gaze frankly.
Il think you must be making it all up
she remarked, the color deepening in her
face, and she readjusted her eyeglasses
with decision. 1T is impossible that a
man like Prof. Lewiston should be at
tracted by such an ignoramus as Bride,
sweet as she is. Why, he is one of the
strongest advocates for women's higher
education and Advancement. Besides
She paused, c~oloring and biting her lip in
her embarrassment.
Billy apparently did not notice her
confusion.
Il don't mean to imply that~he is in
love with Bride" he said coolly, taking
UP her fan and waving it vigorously.
probably he Is only attracted to her SIM
ply because she is 50 different from all
the other women he has known, and, as
a rule, clever men and women marry
their opposites, don't they? 1t is more
of a change for them, | suppose" He
edged a little nearer to her, and dropped
his voice to a confidential whisper.
There is somebody else who thinks a
lot Of Bride, isn't there, and it struck me
Bride sort of reciprocatcd? Charters,
l mean"
"Ohi" Aileen was conscious that she
had not expected the conversation to take
that turn. Il don't know much of him.
He has been abroad so long. II don't
think | like him"
"Oh, he seems a decent sort, and hand
some enough to take any girls fancy,
only he didn't seem to agree with Moyra .
l suppose he met Angus abroad?"
..He doesn't know him at ALL" Aileen
answered. She was wondering if Moyra
had really any serious objection to Ber-
tram, and there was another idea in her
mind, too.
Doesn't he?" Billy queried in surprise.
II am sure he knew the name when Lulu
first mentioned it, and the knowledge
didn't seem to please him, either. l had
an idea that perhaps he had mistaken
the object of Angus affections"
Aileen looked up with a frank smile.
ssT,hen you do think-|" Pausing
with a touch of embarrassment that was
very pleasing as she glanced at him in
quiringly.
t.Oh, it's as plain as a pike-staff Even
the pater noticed it; but l don't think
she"-with a nod toward unconscious
Moyra. intent on her counters-'has the
~faintest idea Of it."
'.I'm sure she hasn't! She's as guile
less in her way as Bride. And that re
minds me, l think I ought to be seriously
angry with you for speaking to me about
Prof. Lewiston as you did. You seem to
forget" Her words trailed off into
ed at her with an expression before which
her eyes dropped.
II forget nothing" he said slowly.
.'You forget that you permitted me to be
MS brotherly as Terry. But I would not
have said a word did l not see that
he leaned forward and smiled at her au-
daclously-'you are no more in love with
him than you are with me-perhaps not
as much.'
CHAPTER XIV.
AS long as the frost lasted, which was
for several days, the inhabitants of the
big house and the Rectory spent every
available moment on the ice, and there
Prof. Lewiston and Bertram Charters
we're wont to join them. the former, how
ever, far more frequently than the
younge man, whose appearance both at
the Rsactory and On the ice were by no
means SO regular as they had been.
Lewiston did not skate at all, and
Aileen was just at that stage of prof.
cheney when the penalties of learning
were over and the joys were treading
close upon each others heels. She had
the skating fever very badly. She was
on the ice from morning to night, and
Lulu declared that she practiced In her
bedroom. Most certainly she was a
credit to her teacher, Billy, who, It must
be confessed, could hardly conceal his
delight on learning that Lewiston could
not skate and had no intention of learn
ing.
The professor seemed astonished to dis
cover that his favorite scholar had so
much weakness in her. He shook his
head obviously when she declared rather
defantly that she did not intend to open
a hook as long as she could skate.
Bride showed no objection to enter
tanning the professor. She liked him very
HuCus III 8Spite VI nS uppullluS CiSSeI-
ness. He was very learned and superior
to her, and very often she forgot that he
was so much her senior and a very clever
man, and talked to him as freely and as
frankly as she would once have dom to
Moyra. For even in the few days that
had passed a change had come over Bride
in her relations with her eldest sister,
and, strange and improbable as it seemed,
Moyra fancied that Bride was avoiding
her. There were no more tender conf
dences. none of Brides usual demonstra-
tive affection. The girl seemed even in
the course of a few days to have grown
older, staider. and quieter. She certainly
was much more reserved. 1t was only
when she was with the professor that
she seemed to be as of old to the anxious
eyes watching her. Whether the others
also noticed the change Moyra could not
tell, and did not like to ask. But there
were many times when she longed earn
estly for Angus Robertson's return. To
him she could tell all that was in her
mind without fear of being misunder-
stood.
Yet even in the thought of him there
was discomfort. She could not forget
the ruby brooch he had given her it was
safely locked up in a secure place, and
many times she puzzled her brains oyer
it. Once she sounded Aileen on the mat
ter, but Aileen, who had her w idea
concerning it, only laughed and put her
off.
Perhaps he is a millionaire in dis
guise after all,r she said, and wondered
why Moyra flushed so holly.
She did not know that her sister had