Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-10-13
THE LAD1'S DREAM.

Lady Blanche Narley was the only daughter of the Earl and Countess of Riv- enham. She was also the lovelicst girl of the day, but as cold and unimpassioned as statue wrought from purcst alahaster
 Her sirenlike smiles lured Gerard Rams ford, young officer of hussars, to her side, and he soon became cnslaved in the meshes of love which she heartlesSly weavcd around him.
 One evening when alone with her in the earl's drawing room he declared his pas sion. She permitted him to toy with her soft, white hand, and she glanced into his enraptE-ed face smile played around her lips Gerard imagined the smile to be an omen of success, and his delight was unhounded.
 On the impulse of the moment he clasped her into his arms and imprinted warm kiss upon her lips.
 He was the first lover who had ever dared to press his lips to hers. Soon her cold na- ture asserted itself. She extricated herself from his arms and turned away dis,iain- fully. Gerard saw tho dark frOwn upon her brow and tremblcd. but it was against his nature to recoil. therefore he determined to learn his fate at once
 Dear Lady Blanchc,' he pleaded in tremulous tones, pray pardon my impctu- osty. Words are powerless to express how devotedly love you. Do for pity's sake hold out one ray of hope"
 She vouchSafed no reply, but turned from him with scorn iucftable and slowly left the room without deigning to cast even one look behind.
 On the lnorruw Gerard called again at the carl's house, but Lady Blanche refused to receive him She sent him no message, not even n word, from which he. with all a lovers fond desire. could manage to cN- tract the smallest hope, and so, with head bowed low and an aching heart Gerarl came away.
 At this time Count de Lornais a scion ot au old and wealthy French family made his appearance in London society. De Tor nai> WAS handsome man. with polite and fascinating manners, and it was soon whis- percd that he, too, was enthralled by the supreme loveliness of Lady Blanche
 All through one London season the count continued stanch in his allegiance to Lady Blanche, and then it began to be rumored that the handsome and wealthy FrpnChman had beaten all his rivals and won the great est beauty of the day at last.
 These rumors reached the ears of ,itrard Ransfurd. who drew his own deductions therefrum.
 The smirking Frerchman's non,.y has won her" said Gerard. while l am dis carded because of my poverty"
 From that moment Gerard b, came an
  to the betting ring and his nights 10 the card table, Formerly one of the most ChCCry of companions, he WAS now an eager, greedy. graSp;uG gambler, clriuG for no pAstime or amusement unless it led L, gain, which simply means the wjlaiu., of money at all hazards, and the primary cause of this great change was the tickle will of q woman.
 Phryne Marland was a lady of volup;u. haoIlIN NXhA r,pS.sl ,r1h hpr- .t,.r..l in, Hyde park and lounEed in priN,,;- boxes at the principal theaters. From vn"rce she came or 10 whom she belonged nu one appeared 10 know, and now Gcraui Rans- ford might be seen by the side of Mis- Mar land in all those places of resort where so Cicty loves to couErcgatc
 Meanwhile Count de LOrnais Was 4.ra, ciously received by the Earl and Countess of Rivcnham, and the count himself imagined that his success was now asSure,! there fore he inirortuued Lady Blanche 10 name day for their wedding.
 After hcfoolnG the count month after month she one day abruptly infornl,,l him that marriage was the very last thought in her mind.
 Monsieur le Comtc, she said, you surrly are not one of those foolish t-,tLs of society who imagine that every :ady around whom they hutter is dying oi inve for them:'
 No. Lady Blanche" replied he, smiling significantly. Il am not moth of that kind. He bowed di>rantly and retired and Lady Blanche saw him no more
 The counts vanity was wounded. and his chagrin at this unexpected repulse was very great. His belief in himself with re- gard 10 affairs d'amour was unbounded. and as he could not attribute his failure 70 any fault of his own he concluded that some more favored rival must have won the lady's heart, and as he had heard that the young English officer, Gerard Rars- ford, had been 2 sUi,o- for the l2dy's hand. -e Iow .---2S-ocG that GCc2-1 Was L-o sUc- cessful lov,c, to- whose sake ko k;Icse.,== was rejected, and he hated Gerard accord inSlY.
 Time passed away. and Lady Blanche still led q cold and unsympatheticl life, and at last drear sense of loneliness fell upon her, and she became spirit haunted. For night after night by the side of her snow white couch a phantom stood and in words of sadness and sorrow discoursed of love, and never before had Lady Blanche listened toworiS so sweet as those which came from the lips of the phantom
 This ethereal and shadowy form ofttimes assumed a vague resemblance to herself and sometimesi its dim lineaments reminded her of Gerard R2nsforl, but not once could she trace the faintest likeness to any other face lOTll nun "nlNu Slle W iS ldullIldT.
 The appearance of the phantom was sc constant. night after night, that Lady Blanche grew accustomed to its nocturnal visits and she grieved when it did not ap- pear.
 tom, and in a manner unknown to mortal. they exchanged thoughts and talked to Rether.
 One night the phantom bade I.adl Blanche to follow it, and it led her to strange country over the sea, and when sh glanced around she found herself in sum, land, where the impenetrable dome of tn skies above was of a soft, deep azure, with out fieck of cloud upon the horizon, ant , where the violet tinged sea beat musicall against flower crowned shore, and tn walks were lined with orange trees in bios . som, and magnolias beautifed the hedge } with their pure white flowers. She followe the phantom through a grove of palm tree and into garden of lemon scented gers niums, every one six feet high, and the .. down an avenue of myrtles, and eyerywher the balmy air was perfumed with the swee scent of flowers.
 . They halted in front of a large whit building into which many persons bot men and women, streamed, and on all thei faces Lady Blanche observed the sam eager, anxious and cruel expression.
 Lady Blanche glanced inquiringly at tn phantom.
 . Yes" it said in answer to the lady thought, "this is Monte Carlo, and that i the Casino"
 F They now entered a large room, wher many persons were seated round the tables
 "I perceive" said the phantom, that yo recognize some of the gamesters"
 How changed he isl" remarked Lad Blanche as she glanced into the face c Gerard Ransford.
 ''Changedp cried the phantom mocklnf