Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1901-10-10
TWO MEN.
By BARRY PAIN.

quently the greater sinner. never knows
that he is vain unless somebody tells
him. Even then he must be told with
considerable force, and the hypothesis
that the teller is Jealous must be too
absurd to be tenable. Richard Perral
was convinced somewhat suddenly of
vanity and his other defects by Rhoda
Lestrange.
The social manner may be only skin
deep, but it is a tough skin. 1t takes
more than a scratch to get through it.
The natural Rhoda came through one
night at a dance when Perral made
her angry without intending it. When
boy suddenly tears off the boxing
gloves and wishes TO continue with bare
fists, there is generally somebody handy
to stop him. But there happened to be
nobody to stop Rhoda. l doubt if any
body could have stopped her. A mo-
ment before she had been smiling and
saying the usual things. And before
Perral could grasp what the reason
was, though she soon told him, she
was being absolutely truthful, abso-
lutely merciless, absolutely brutal.
He had been speaking of Lucy Wyl-
fingers engagement, which he profess
ed to find incomprehensible. Rhoda
was an intimate friend of Lucy and
understood the engagement perfectly,
but as she had no intention of telling
Perral anything whatever about it she
said that she thought so too.
Perral suggested that pique might
be the explanation. "In fact" he
added fatuously, Il have heard it
limited, though it is ridiculous enough,
that am to blame"
The social manner still held. What
do you mean?" she asked. Did you
advise her in any wayY"
mo, not that"
Rhoda's eyes flashed.
"Since you are so fond of explana-
tons, will tell you one or two things
that you had better know-things about
yourself"
Delighted" said Perral, who had
not grasped the situation.
For instance. l think you do not
know that you are the common joke of
the set that, by no means for your sake,
still tolerates you. | have seen you
leave people whom you evidently
thought that your Dragging had i'm
pressed nightly, and have been sorry
that you did not hear what was said
when you had gone. l suppose you
cannot help it. 1t is one of your nat
ural disadvantages; it is one of many.
You need not stare at me. know per-
fectly well that have lost my temper.
l hope | shall lose my temper again II
ever again | hear a cad lying about
woman TO satisfy his silly vanity. 1t is
not likely; one is generally careful not
to meet your type. If a woman talks
to you at dinner to satisfy conventions
and her hostess, you think that she is
in love with you. If you had not been
as dense as milestone, you must have
seen how all women. and Miss Wyl-
linger particularly, worked and plotted
to avoid your society. You shall hear
presently what they say of you, of your
appearance, your manners, your habit
of drinking too much, your plumbers,
your brag and your fancied accom-
plishments You do not even know
the nickname by which everybody calls
you. But you shall know it; you are
fond of explanations. Afterward even
your vanity will not tempt you TO say
that Miss Wyllinger or anybody else
was in love with you"
Perral had gone very white. Il can
see that l have offended you, but
think there is a misunderstanding.
did not say that Miss Wyllinger was in
love with me. even expressed my
opinion that the idea was ridiculous"
You did not say it? No, because
you thought it would impress me more
If you said that others said it. and you
did not mean me to think you ridicu-
Ious You are amusing when you try
to veil your brag. You always do it so
clumsily. But l thought you would
make some such spiritless excuse.
Well, let me tell you some true stories
things you have done and things 9th
er people have said of you"
That was where, he told himself aft
erward, he should have left her. but he
had a morbid desire now TO know the
very worst, for all the vainest men
live on the edge of a precipice of self
abasement. She gave him chapter and
verse, dryly and bitterly. She must
have hated him for a long time and
made notes of things in her mind. The
image of himself as he had supposed
himself collapsed in fragments. out of
them arose d CHASTITY figure-himself
as he was and now knew that he was.
For a moment he had a sense of injus-
tice He had said a silly thing from
kind of instructive vanity and without
planning it consciously. but did it merit
this virulent punishment? What did it
matter? Socially he was done and fin
ished. Rhoda Lestrange would cut
him. and she would take good care not
TO be alone in her action. He found
himself standing up, speeches.. He
got out somehow.
After the last carriage had rolled
away in the early morning he VIZ still
awake. He sat and thought over the
comparative values Of suicide. the