Year: 1873

MY LADY DISDAIN.

 My Lady Disdain was brilliant queenly girl. Her real name was Ga brielle Ransome but one of her admir- CTS, once called her My Lady Disdain, and Gabrielle was proud of the title. She treated most of her lovers with un- conditional disdain when she happened to feel in the mood for thus rewarding their devotion ; and she felt hattered by the name which showed how well her reckless power was recognized.

 Poor Eugene Valmy was made to il- lustrate the force and the appropriate ness of the title he had applied :; for on him fell the full measure of 0 disdain which nearly crushed him.

 It happened in this way. Gabrielle was the queen and goddess of certain fashionable watering place one summer, and Eugene Valmy was there. She had met him few times in New York, and was pleased with him because he was handsome and looked distinque and had

 French origin, and was, in short, a parsonage somewhat out of the com mon. But he was poor: 8 literary scribe of some sort or other, she hardly knew what. Individually, Eugene Val my was a versatile, brilliant creature, who might possibly have made Ename for himself if he could but have waited and thrown his soul into some one kind of work. But Valmy had not much of the "proud patience which the gods love" and he liked bright and joyous life 1; and he made money as fast as he could, and spent it, his most laborious efforts only just enabling him to keep decently within the circumference of that glittering circle of which My Lady Disdain was the centre. Sometimes he sighed a little over the flying years which were bringing him nothing, and he looked sadly forward into life, and began to think that he must give up all hope of making 6 name, and to say to himself bitterly that there was nothing in him. But from the time when Ga brielle Ransome singled him out for a little favorable notice he forgot all about this, and foated in an exquisite blue ether of love and hope and love- pain, which is often so like happiness that the owner can not distinguish one from tho other-until the catastrophe came.

 Gabrielle was really much attracted by Valmy's brilliant talk and his vivid alternations of humor and thoughtful ness; his varied experiences and knowl- knowledge. Those of her circle some what looked down upon him for his poverty, which made her take him up all the more graciously and eagerly. Most women find something very sweet in the patronizing of some one and here was handsome and gifted young man with 8 romantic sort of poverty-a poverty which allows of good clothes and kid gloves and graceful ways-on the whole, quite a delightful object of patronage. So Valmy found himself during the season at this watering place distinguished in a manner which surprised, enraptured, and almost be- wildered him. Men with millions oi dollars, men with names that echoed from Maine to Florida, Europeans oi title as we'll as fortune, struggled in vain for the favor which was spontane- ously bestowed on Eugene Valmy. Probably Vamly's head became @ little turned by the delicious novelty of his situation. Perhaps, on the other hand, he was not intoxicated or bewildered, but merely had manhood enough tc think his profession and himself worthy any woman's respect, and worthy to compete with any rivalry of wealth and station. Anyhow, he one day made wild love to Gabrielle Ransome, asked her to marry him, pressed and besought her, and received at last an angry, vehement, dis. dainful refusal. He learned by bit ter experience how justly applied was the title he had given her. She sent him from her with scornful, stingine words.

 "But what have you, my old one ? said gay young French friend, selzine Eugene by the arm as the latter strode with head down and plunging steps along the strand after he had received this cruel dismissal" what have you and where go you with such visage ?

 Eugene stopped, and looked for { moment vacantly at his inquiring friend

 "I have got my sentence of banish ment, Alcide," he said at last, with { ghastly smile on his tremulous lips and am going into exile."

 "Pardieu P the sympathetic French man exclaimed "I comprehend all duu P1Gy you O1 It. DuG l aIn uOG sur prised-and you will survive. Come, { game of billiards p

 Eugene shook his head, pressed hil friends hand, and hurried away. He left the place that evening.

 Can I explain why Gabrielle Ransom, locked herself up in her room shortly after, and wept bitter and passionate tears? Can explain why she felt mis erable, and yet wholly unrepentant Can explain why the place and the so ciety around her seemed now utterl, barren and hateful, and yet were Valm! back again at her feet, she knew sh' would again reject him Above all can explain why she was angry witl herself, not for the manner in whicl she had dismissed poor Vamly, but fo the bangs she felt at the dismissal? No I. Far be it from me to attempt t,

 enter into the heart of o fashionabl young lady of the period. But I thinl that Gabrielle Ransome would hay

 been less scornful in her manner to Val my and less angry now with herself if

 were not that she felt herself to hay

 been really in danger of falling in lov

 with 6 man who had neither station no ! NAnNAW.