Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-03-21
MiseeIIansons. q
THE Hour Before Dawn.
AN ENGLISH STORY.

in all their perfection-days when the
pure cool air seemed like an elixer of
life and youth-when there was the
first suggestion of the exqusitely sad
days of the dying summer time in the
bazy. red gold atmosphere, that hung
silently over the hill-tops, and brooded
like some palpable blessing over low
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
a year gone by. when, instead OF be.
ing, what she was now, Mrs. Pember-
tons half assistant in the duties Of
the family-half sister. daughter.
| Observation-Disclosures one choose to call
the intimate relation that existed be
tween them-when, instead Of this,
she had been belle and heiress. whose
sway was undisputed, whose reign had
been as magnifcentlv triumphant as
its sudden ending had been pitifully
sharp ana bitter.
| She had never, in all her eighteen
years of CAV, joyous life, known what
it meant to have wish ungratifed-
want. however imaginary, unfulfilled.
There had never been anv lack OF
| ready money; there hal been horses,
and carriages, and servants. at the
/ girls signal, and trips TO the Cont
| nent 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 90. even 10 her jewels and laccs
| and costly little elegances. so that his
name would now be dishonored for
the first time in his life.
\ week after that dav. which had
/ seemed the most dreadful Of all possi-
/ BILE DAYS. some one had come to her
/ and added the very blackness Of dark
ness to her woe by telling her of how
Mr.. Carroll was found dead in his Of
/ fee chair-apoplexy or paralvsis,-
which, was not vet decided Blanche
/ almost collapsed under that second
blow. Never having remembered her
mother, she had loved her father with
/ double intensity. And when he was
dead and buried, the world yawned
before her, with no protecting arms
! between her and it-when there did
not remain a 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 West
/ courts detection, with scores of those
whom she had implicitly believed
were best, truest, dearest-others
whose detection hurt her for the time.
hut whom she learned she could readi.
! Is exist without.
But Elmer Westcourtf He had
( been all that was most noble, most
1 perfect, grandest in masculine human
nature. To him she had looked with
almost the reverence OF devotee TO
her patron saint.
His physical beauty had commanded
her passionate admiration, his quail
ties of mind had called out all her
keenest appreciation. and his peculiar
masterful way had taught the girl for
the first time in her life how sweet it
was to be governed.
There had never been an engage
ment between them. and vet Blanche
had been so positively sure he loved
/ her.
| She had seen it in his ewes, time
and again. She had more than once
/ listened TO sweet, suggestive words he
had spoken. in his low, thrilling voice.
She had, with good reason, built the
most beautiful castles OF their future
together, and had been only waiting
his pleasure to speak, when her trouble
came TO her.
And, with all other summer friends.
he, too, had left her, without a word,
without a sign, to think what she
chose, TO suffer or not, as the case
might be. Then, in her distress, her
sorely-wounded pride, her desolation
| of soul, Blanche had rushed away from
London.a away up among the cool. green
hills of Cumberland, where she was not
mistaken in supposing she had one
friend left-Mrs. Pemberton, who, al
though personally a stranger to her,
Blanche knew had been a dear, warm
friend in girlhood days of her dead
| mother.
And so it came to pass that Blanche
Carroll made her home in the tenant
farm house, where, with light, woman.
ly duties and pleasant responsibilities.
she was bravely striving to forget her
bitter past, and the sound of Elmer
Westcourt's voice, and the look in his
eyes.
She was thinking of all this as she
sat in the twilight, that cool, breezy
September night, and into the beauti-
fnl blue eyes had come such a wistful-
ness and heartsick woe that dear,
motheriy Mrs. Pemberton, looking up
from ner knitting, saw the misery.
1t will never, never do !" she said,
energetically-so much that her kind
ly, emphatic tones brought a sudden
dash of color to Blanche's face. SIT
will never do-the way you allow your
self 10 brood on things that YOU can't
help. | am really delighted to think
John will be home so soon. He will
take you in charge and make you give
up these useless memories, which only
seem to make YOU miserable. Such a
dear, blessed old boy as my John is.
Blanche. and SO handsome! Why, l
confidently expect it will be case Of
mutual affinity, you and he, unless he
has lost his heart abroad this year he
has been to Germany"
A case of affinity for her! Blanche
felt thrill of sick pain Mrs. Pember.
ton never imagined her words had
caus ed, for, although she knew there
was love story entaLgle d somehow
with Blanche's old life, the girl had
been proudly reticent of particulars,
ar Elrnnr