Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1890-09-01
Told i'm a Dream.

force.
The young man in his excitemeu
rose from the char and paced til
floor of his office.
81 made fool of myself" he sal
bitterly. ''Here | am, young law
yer, without practice, in little coun
try town, and with no hope of bet
tering my condition. Instead o
waiting patiently for something t.
turn up | have had the audacty t.
fall tn love with the wealthiest heires;
in the place, and tonight | forever
disgraced myself by asking her tc
marry me. Tomorrow | am to see
her father. There can be but one re.
suit. Mr.. Howard is a millionaire.
He will ask me about my property
and prospects. Well, [ have about
So in my pocket and owe $500. The
old gentleman will regard me as a
fortune hunter and request me to dis
continue my visits. Yet, the Lord
knows love Alice, and [ would de-
vote my life to her.
Blair looked around the office and
took survey of his scanty posses
sion. A few articles of furniture,
and perhaps hundred law books
this was all.
SIT will be useless he said, ''to
tell man like Mr.. Howard that l
will wait for his daughter. He will
simply show me the door, and all will
be over"
The young fellows frank and
manly face wore look of panied en-
barrassment. He had taken leap
in the dark and was already regret
ting his hasty action.
| The town clock struck the hour of
midnight, and Blair retired to his
chamber adjoining his:ohice, and made
an attempt to sleep off his trouble.
For some time he was wide awake.
His eyes burned and his brain was in
a whirl. At last he fell into fever
ish and disturbed slumber.
| In the course of the night strange
thing occurred. Just how it happen
ed he did not understand, but he had
a late visitor, who introduced himself
af lawyer from London.
The stranger made profuse apollo
gies for his untimely visit.
''Mr. Blair" he said, 81 will not
detain you with any preliminaries.
You are the heir to the estate of
John Blair, one of your uncles who
ran away from home when a mere
boy, and settled down in Liverpool.
Your uncle was remarkably lucky.
He found friends, went into business,
and in the course of time made for
tune. He died a month ago and left
you $5OO,O0O."
Julian proceeded to ask for further
information, but the London lawyer
pleasantly remarked that good news
would keep.
81 must leave in half an hour for
| New York." he said, shut you may
expect me back in a week or so, and
then the necessary arrangements will
be completed for placing you in pos
session of your Inheritance"
With this the strange visitor van
ished, and Julian Blair, as he raised
himself on his elbow and looked
about the room, asked himself wheth-
er he was awake or dreaming.
A sudden drowsiness overcame
him, and when he again opened his
eyes it was morning.
"Was it dream p he cried, as he
dressed himself. "No, it is impossi-
BILE. There is the chair the man sat
in. remember his features distinct
~, and every word he said, and even
the tones of his voice. Thank God !
1t was no vision it was a reality"
Julian found after making his toll
ct, that he was still little feyerish,
with a strange fullness in his head,
but glance at the mirror showed
that he was looking unusually well.
One thing startled him not little
in the course Of the morning. After
a brief interview with one of the
bankers of the town, he walked out
on the street with $500 in his pocket.
A sudden doubt struck him as he
reached the sidewalk. Had he made
a mistake in telling the banker of his
good fortune? If the whole thing was
only a dream, as he sometimes sus-
pected, he had done very bad thing.
"Pshaw!" he said to himself, II
am sick and nervous. How can it be
a dream? %
By degrees his confidence was re-
stored, and later in the day when he
saw Mr.. Howard his manner was
well calculated to impress the mill
ionaire. He told the story of his
legacy, and the rich man took him by
the hand and told him that no man
in the world would suit him better as
a son-in-law.
A week passed away delightfully."-.
Blair found himfelf the lion of the
town, but he spent most of his lei
sure time with his affianced.
One morning the young lawyer
arose, cool and clear headed without
trace of fever. He looked back
upon the events of the past week in
amazement. He no longer had any
belief in the visit of the man from
London. 1t was dream and moth
ing else.