The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1878-03-21
4" The Hour Before Dawn
AN ENGLISH STORY.

The latest September days had come
in all their pefection-days when the
pure cool air seemed like an elixir of life
and youth-when there was the first sug-
gestion of the exquisitely sad days of
the dying summer time in the hay, red
gold atmosphere, that hung silently over
the hill-tops, and brooded like some pal
pable blessing over low-land and lawn.
Blanche Carroll sat on the low door
step of the farm house 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 being,
what she was now, Mrs. Pemberton's
half assistant in the duties of the fam
ily-half sister, daughter, friend, what
over one choose to call the intimate re-
lation that existed between them--when,
instead of this, she had been belle and
heiress, whose sway was undisputed,
whose reign had been as magnifcently
triumpant 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 n cant
to have wish ungratified-aw want, how
ever imaginary, unfui6lled.
There had never been any lack of
ready money; there had been horses and
carriages, and servants, at the girls sig
nal, 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
go, even to her jewels and laces and
costly little elegances, so that his name
would not now be dishonored for the
first time in his life
A week after that day, which had seem
ed 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 par
alysis-which was not yet decided.
Blanch almost collapsed under that sec
ond blow. Never having remembered
her mother, she had loved her father with
double Intensity. And when he was
dead and buried, the world yawned be-
fore with no protec ling 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 Westcourt' 5
detection, with scores of those she had
implicitly believed were best, truest,
dearest-others whose detection hurt her
for the time, but whom she learned she
could really exist without.
But Elmer Westcourt He had been
all that was most noble, most 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 qualities
of mind had called out her keenest APP
probation, and his peculiarly masterful
way has taught the girl for the first time
in her life how sweet it was tebe govern
ed.
There had never been an engagement
between them, and yet Blanche had been
so positively sure he loved her.
She had seen it in his eyes, 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 beauti-
full castles of their future together, and
had only been 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 sign, to think what she chose,
to suffer or not, as the case might be-
Then, in her distress, in her sorely
wounded pride, her desolation of soul
Blanche had rushed away from London
away up among the green hills of Cum
berland, where she was not mistaken in
supposing she had one friend left-Mrs.
Pemberton, who, although personally a
stranger 10 her, Blanche knew had been
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
farmhouse, where, with light, womanly
duties and pleasant responsibilities she
was brayely 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
~ tAN tNlliSua, tuht WI, uEStZN sep
TENDER night, and into the beautiful
blue eyes had come such a wistfulness
and heartsick woe that dear, motherly
Mrs. Pemberton, looking up from her
knitting, saw the misery.
1t will never, never do" she said,
energetically-so much so that her kind
ly, emphatic tones brought sudden
dash of color to Blanche's face. at will
never do-the way you allow yourself to
brood on things that you can't help. l
am really delighted to think John will
De home soon. He will take YOU in
charge and make you give up these use
less memories, which only seem to make
you miserable. Such dear, blessed old
boy as my John is, Blanche, and so hand
some. 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 in Ger
many.
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 love
story entangled somehow with Blanche's
old life, The girl had been proudly reti-
cent Of particulars, or Elmer Westcourt's
name.
Mr. pa,,bas,o, .oIlxoI