, 1886-11-07
LIKE CURES LIKE.


touch of hauteur in the low flexible
tones; yet, in spite Of his wounded pride,
Dean Radnor's eyes were full of passion
ate entreaty as he looked down into
Alice Wier's disdainful, ~half-averted
face.
They were standing together in the
curtained recess of a deep b~ay-window
in her fathers drawing-room. a pleas
ant murmur of voices, as the few in
formal guests there assembled engaged
in there after dinner conversation, fell
dreamily ON Radnor's ear, but he was
conscious of nothing but his own anx-
ious suspense.
Miss Wier presently lifted to his gaze
a fair, proud face, every feature of
which seemed to have frozen into unut-
terable contempt. Her blue eyes flashed
n little too o%minously, perhaps. to bear
out the impression of cold Indifference
which her answering words were de
signed to convey; but Dean Radnor,
blind as all his sex are, heard the words
and believed in them, without p%erceiv-
ing the subtle contradiction that eyes
and voice, in spite of her, contained.
THAT you should need to ask this,
Mr.. Radnor,n she said haughtily, us
ever worse than your oifense. | can
not condescend to point out the special
act of discourtesy which has reversed
my former good opinion of you. The
simple fact that you are unconscious Of
it is a sufficient proof that you are not
the perfect gentleman | once believed
you TO he. Let this explain my request
tl.t . .A.t 800. n...as.
ances.n
Dean Randor stared at the speaker
now in dumb and stupefied amazement.
To any ordinary observer it would have
been perfectly plain from Miss Wier's
whole speech and manner that she was
thoroughly, uncontrollably angry, and
uttering words that did cruel violence to
her own feelings, as well as the feelings
of the one whom she was addressing;
but Radnor, although unquestionably
lacking in cool wisdom where Alice
Wier was concerned, had not the pene-
tration of an ordinary observer, and
therefore failed to make what must
otherwise have been n most gratifying
discovery.
Stung by the contempt in her tone
and words, angered by a criticism which
he felt to be preposterously unreason-
able and unjust, he answered with a
manner quite as naughty as her own,
while his eyes met hers wirh a look ~
cold rs steel.
Very well, Miss Wier, since you re-
gard it as an impossible condescension
to explain the sudden GOODNESS and dis
dain with which you have treated me
after the nattering cordially
and friendship Of the past few months,
| must consider it equally n condescen-
sion on my part to ask further for this
explanation. As to your request that
we meet no more MS acquaintance, |
shall chcerfully accede to it. Believe
me, | can take no pleasure in the ac-
quaintance of a lady who, while dwell
ing with such emphasis upon the cour-
tesy due to herself, quite ignores the
fact that there is IN equal courtesy due
from her to others. | have the honor of
bidding you goodbye"
Did he really mean it, Were there to
he no protestations, no entreatiog, no
frantic admission that he was in the
wrong and pleading for her pardon
Alas for Alice's fond cxIectations-no,
none of these There was GOODNESS,
hauteur, even contempt I'm Dean Rad
nor's handsome face. as scarcely glanc-
ing at her while he uttered his formal
farewell, he pushed aside the heavy
Persian drapery and stepped back. that
she might pass ont from h window
recess. And when she had done SO,
white and trembling with anger and
disappointment, which it took all her
pride and self control to conceal, he fol
lowed her with n careless, Indifferent
air, joined for a few moments in tho
light chatter Of the other guests, and
then, taking leave of his host and
hostess, bowed himself out of the draw
iug-room. Only Alice Wier knew that
he had gone forever; and upon her
heart the conviction settled with all
the icy calm of despair.
Everyone wondered why Dean Radnor,
the most eligible bachelor in Hastings,
should leave town at the very beginning
of an unusually brilliant season. lie
told no one why he went or whittier he
went; and no one suspected that ho took
with him n sore and angry heart, whose
wounds lie hoped to heal by n long
absence from her who had so cruelty in
ilicted them. had no one suspected
that in her luxurious home, surrounded
by fond and admiring trivnds. Alice
Wier was hiding n sore and angry licart
beneath a cold and flippant exterior.
the thought crossed her mind, some
times, that she had boon unreasonable
in her treatment of Radnor-that she
might have explained to him the cause
of her %displcasure without compromising
her dignity or pride-she put the idea
from her impatiently and persisted in
justifying her own conduct and utterly
condemning his And while she was
passing through this daily conflict of
doubt and self Justification, Dean Rad
nor. miles way in the safe refuge that
lie had chosen, was thinking constantly
of her, in spite Of his resolution and Of
fort to forget her, and wondering with
vague anazement that grew more hope
less and helpless every day, what it
could have been that he had done, in
his innocent Inconsistencies, that had
given her such deadly oiTense.
Alice Wicr was in the first stage of
conviction, which would have bcen fol
in due time by repentance and
confession, if vents had beon propitious.
when suddenly Dean Radnor returned
to Hastings, as unexpectedly as he left.
and flashed out oncc more with all his
old-time brilliancy as n bright particu-
lar star" in society.
His first appearance was ut a ball
gwen by the wealthy young patron.
Mrs. Chalmers, who had seized upon
him on the very instant Of his return
hidden him to her "crush" at
the eleventh hour.
Alice Wicr was among the guests,