The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-04-24
"Tbe Hour Before Dawn
The love you flung lightly away.

'lpe llUUr DtlUI6 UdWI.
The latest September days had come in
oil their perfection-day when the pure,
cool air seemed like an elixir of life and
youth-when there was the first suggestion
of the exquisitely sad days of the dying
summer time in the hazy, red gold atnlos-
phere that hung silently over the hill-tops,
and brooded like some palpable blessing
over land and lawn.
Blanche Carroll sat on the low door
step of the farmhouse that had been her
home that summer, looking out through
the twilight with wistful eyes that were
blue as Heavens dome. Thinking-always
thinking, it seemed to her, since those
other days, not yet year gone by, when,
instead of being, what she was now, Mrs.
Pembertons half assistant in tie duties
of the family-half sister, daughter, friend
whatever one choose 10 call the intimate
relation that existed between them-when,
instead of this, she had been belle and
heiress, whose sway was undisputed, whose
reign had been as magnifieently triumph
ant as its sudden ending had been pitifully
sharp and bitter.
She had never, in all her eighteen years
Of gay, joyous life, known what it meant
to have wish upgratifed-a want, how
ever imaginary, unfulhEed.
There had never been any lack of
ready money; there had been horses, and
carriages, and servants at the girls signal
and trips to the Continent whenever the
fancy seized her.
Then had come the terrible financial
earthquake, and week after, Blanche
Carroll had learned from the lips of her
distracted father that everything must 60,
even to her jewels and laces, and costly
little elegances, 80 that his name would
not be dishonored for the first time in his
life.
Aweek after that day, which had seemed
the most dreadful of all possible days,
some one had come to her, and added the
very blackness of darkness to her woe by
telling her of how Mr. Carroll was found
dead in his Office chair - apoplexy or
paralysis-which, was not yet decided.
Blanche almost collapsed under that second
blow. Never having remembered her mother,
she had loved her father with double inten-
sity, And when he was dead and buried,
the world yawned before her, with no pro.
tecting arm between her and it-when there
did not remain hundred pounds in all the
wide world she could call her own.
Poor Blanche!
And yet it was not the very worst. The
worst of all was Elmer Westcourt's defec-
ton, with scores of those whom she haG
implicitly believed were best, truest
dearest others whose detection hurt hel
for the time, but whom she learned SHE
could readily exist without.
But Elmer Westcourt He had beer
all that was most noble, most perfect
grandest in masculine human nature. Tt
him she had looked with almost the
reverence of devotee to her patror
saint.
His physical beauty had commanded hei
passionate admiration, his qualities O.
mind lad called out all her keenest appro
baton, and his peculiarly masterful wa,
had taught the girl for the first tint
in her life how sweet it was to be gov
erned.
There had never been an engagement
between them, and yet Blanche had beer
SO positively sure he loved her.
She had seen it in his eyes, time ant
again. She had more than once listened
to sweet, suggestive words he had spoken
in his low, thrilling voice. She had, will
good reason, built the most beautiful cas-
ties of their future together, and had bee'
only waiting his pleasure to speak, whel
her trouble came to her.
And, with all other summer friends, he
too, had left her, without q word, withou
a sign, to think Mat she chose, to suffe
or not, as the case might be. Then, in he
distress, her sorely- wounded pride, her desc