The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-04-24


| lation of soul, Blanche had rushed away from
London-away up amorg the cool, green hills
| of Cumberland, where she was not mis-
taken in supposing she had one friend lie. 1
Mrs. Pemberton, who, although per-
sonally str anger 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 Car-
roll made her home in the tenant farm
house, where, with Light, womanly 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
he twilight, that cool, breezy September
uight, aud into the beautiful blue eyes had
come such wistfulness and heartsick woe
that dear, motherly Mrs. Pemberton,
looking up from her knitting, saw the
misery.
''It will never, never dol" she said,
energetically much SO that her kindly,
emphatic tones brought sudden dash of
color to Blanche's face. ''It will never dc
the way you allow yourself to brood OH
things that you can't help. I 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 dear, blessed old boy as my John is,
Blanche, and SO handsomel Why, I con-
fdently expect it will bea case of mutual
affinity, you and he, unless be 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 Pemberton
never imagined her words had caused, for,
although she knew there was a love-story
entangled somehow with Blanche's old life,
the girl had been proudly reticent of
particulars, or Elmer Westcourt's name.
Mrs. Pemberton talked 80 much, so
often, of her darling, cher blessed boy, "
her only son, John, who, to her, fulfilled
every dream of manly excellence and per-
feetion. And Blanche used to wonder
often what the quiet home would be like
when Mrs Pembertons son came into it,
She used to wonder how it would be pos
sible for her to endure the presence of any
one who world in any way remind her of
mans perfdy and heartlessness.
Bat if their ives--her ife-was to be
invaded by man. Well, after time,
she grew to be ashamed of her morbid
cowardice of feeling, apd resolved, with o
stern determination that was pitiful, that
John Pemberton-and odd, strengthful
name it was to her-should not interfere
with the duties of the quiet life she had
chosen, and which, although she was hard
ly conscious of it, was leaving its impress
on her discipline, and patience, and nobility
ON her nature.
NSNCtbnSlSbn, lllS 5tblh NDiJ piUoSA-
ness of woe was not removed. Her
fathers death she could, in the ordinary
healing course of nature, have got over.
Loss of wealth, position, and summer
friends would, after time, have been as a
trife to her.
Bat Elmer WestcourPs detection! So
long as she lived, it would hurt her with
that keen, sick pain which some women do
suffer-women with great purity and trust
of nature, who can no more imagine deceit
and cruelty in one they love than them
selves are capable Of it. Truly it was her
darkest hour.
10 her, Elmer Wcstcourt would always
be the one who had power to touch her
heart. To her he would always be the be,
loved, though not the lover--the one above
all others, although unworthy, strangely
paradoxical as it was.
So Blanche tried her best and brayest to
enter into Mrs. Pemberton's spirit of well
come for her son. She beautitied his
room. that for more than a year had stood
alone in its unoccupancy. She baked de-
licious cakes, and arranged toothsome bills
of fare, and went through the whole house
llaving. everywhere the impress of hel
artistic touch that delighted Mrs. Pember
ton so thoroughly.
"John will appreciate it SO, bless his
dear heart! Blanche, never wanted any
thing in all my life as I want my boy
And do, do Blanche, make him feel, SO fal
as you are concerned, that you make him
welcome; will you?"
Up in her room, hours after, Blanche
remembered particularly what dear ole
old Mrs. Pemberton had said about hel
contributing her share toward welcoming
and pleasing the coming guest, and a'
she stood before the glass, brushing
out the long, lustrous hair, that was full
of CLEANS of sunshine, she thought how fal
past the time it was when she could be {
pleasure or pride to any one.
She thought how worn-out she hat
l. I = i