The Senator's Favorite

"Because I teased her yesterday. I—I—told her I'd be wearing that ring of yours within a week," and Ladybird gave him a coquettish side glance from her dazzling eyes that made his heart leap and his cheek burn.

She was playing with fire, this thoughtless girl, for Earle Winans' heart knew how to love with burning passion.

His voice trembled with emotion as he said eagerly:

"Would you like to have the ring, Miss Conway?"

"I, Mr. Winans? Why, certainly not. I was only teasing Aura; she seemed to prize it so highly and declared she would throw it in the river before I should have it," asserted Ladybird, gayly.

"I will get the ring for you any minute you say you'll wear it, Ladybird. You know what I mean—as my betrothed," murmured her handsome young lover eagerly.

Ladybird blushed rosy red, then smiled brightly and whispered back:

"I'll give you my answer to-morrow."

And all his pleading would not induce her to shorten his probation.

"To-morrow—you must wait till to-morrow," she repeated, but her drooping eyes and rosy blushes made him almost certain what her answer would be.

Aura Stanley watched the lovers with a jealous pang, for it was a cruel blow to lose Earle, whom she had hoped to captivate, not only because she loved him, but because he was the son of a great man and had a fortune in his own right. She was ambitious and longed to reign a social queen.

By some clever maneuvering she managed to get a tête-à-tête by the river bank with Earle that day, and then she said coldly:

"Ah, really, I must return your ring, Mr. Winans."

She held the glittering circlet toward him on the end of her taper finger, and somehow, just as he was about to accept the ring, it slipped off Aura's finger, flashed like an evil eye in the sunlight, then rolled into the river.

"Oh, I am so sorry—but it was an accident," cried Aura quickly.

The young man's eyes flashed with anger, and he cried with stinging contempt:

"Oh, no, you did it on purpose, because you thought I meant to give it to Miss Conway. But it does not matter; I will buy her a prettier one to-morrow."

Aura sprang to her feet, her eyes blazing, her cheeks crimson, and exclaimed in a loud, angry voice:

"You villain! How dare you insult me like that?"

CHAPTER XIII.

LADYBIRD'S LOVE-TEST

"Proud young head, so lightly lifted,
Crowned with waves of gleaming hair;
Eyes that flash with tell-tale mischief,
Fearless eyes to do and dare;
Cheeks that start to sudden flame,
Willful mouths that none can tame."

    —Elaine Goodale.

Those angry words to Aura Stanley had barely passed Earle Winans' lips ere he regretted them, although he knew quite well that she had deserved them, and had dropped the ring purposely, as she had told Ladybird she would do.

But he regretted his exhibition of temper, and was about to apologize, when her angry words arrested the speech on his lips.

"You villain! How dare you insult me like that!"

Although they seemed to be alone on the river-bank, there were several young men near by under a tree, and, catching Aura's angry denunciation, they hurried to the spot.

Aura turned quickly toward them, exclaiming maliciously:

"Gentlemen, Earle Winans has insulted me, and if I had a brother to take my part he should knock the coward down!"

All of these young gentlemen admired Ladybird Conway, and envied Earle Winans because she had shown a preference for him. Accordingly they were eager to take Aura's part, just to humiliate their dangerous rival. The foremost one therefore sprang with fierce agility at Earle just as he was rising from his seat on the grassy bank, and with a stinging blow knocked him backward to the ground.

There was laughter—spiteful from Aura, appreciative from the men—but it did not last long.

Earle Winans scarcely touched the earth ere he rebounded like a ball, and flew directly at Jack Tennant, his adversary, a big, burly fellow, with fists like iron.

Earle was slender, but he was an athlete too, and with a rush he caught his assailant around the waist with both arms, lifted him almost above his head, and hurled him with superb strength far out into the river, firing after him this parting shot:

"There, my lad! a cold bath will cool your temper!" Then he turned a scornful smile on the others. "Are there any more who wish to play the rôle of Miss Stanley's brothers?" he sneered.

"Oh, no; the quarrel is between you and Jack Tennant," they hastily replied, having no desire to be made ridiculous like their hasty friend, who was now swimming ashore, his picnic toggery, sash and flannels, dripping and ruined, but with his rage not yet cooled, for as he clambered up the bank he exclaimed:

"Mr. Earle Winans, I will fight this quarrel out with you now."

Earle's handsome face flushed with anger, but, holding in his temper, he answered with cool scorn:

"Your pardon, but it would not be quite proper to settle it in a lady's presence. I will send a friend to you to-morrow."

"A duel! Oh, Heaven!" cried Aura, in a panic of fear, but no one seemed to notice her as she sank trembling on the grassy bank. Mark Gwinn exclaimed kindly:

"I'll drive you home for your dry clothes, Jack, and we can be back in a jiffy."

They were all turning away, but Earle Winans arrested them with one stern word:

"Wait!"

They all turned back to him in impatient surprise.

Pale with anger, he pointed to Aura, crouching on the green, flowery bank.

"Miss Stanley, you must now repeat to these gentlemen who defended you the words of my insult."

Flashing on Earle a glance of sullen resentment, she obeyed.

"I dropped his diamond ring into the water—and he said I did it on purpose."