Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-09-21
CHAPTER VI.

hold
BE ye therefore imitators Of Cod as beloved
children, and walk in love even as Christ also
| loved you
When Virginia left the carriage and
went to Loreen, she had no definite idea
as To what she would do or what the
result Of her action would be. She sim
| ply saw soul that had tasted of the
joy of better life slipping back again
into its old hell of shame and death,
and before she had touched tho drunken
| girls arm she had asked only one ques-
| ton, "What would Jesus do2" That
| question was becoming with her, as
with many others, n habit of life.
She looked around now as she stood
close by Loreen, and the whole scene
was cruelty vivid to her. She thought
first of the girls in the carriage.
'Drive on. Don't wait for me. | am
going to sec my friend here home" she
said calmly enough.
The girl with the red parasol seemed
to gasp at the word friend" when Nir-
ginia spoke it, She did not say any
thing. The other girls seemed speech
less
500 on. l cannot go back with you,
said Virginia.
The driver started the horses slowly.
One of the girls leaned little out Of
the carriage.
Cant we-that is-do you want
our helpf Couldn't We
"No, nor exclaimed Virginia. "You
cannot be Of any use to me. "
The carriage moved on, and Virginia
was alone with her charge.
She looked mp and around. Many
faces in the crowd were sympathetic.
They were not all cruel or brutal The
Holy Spirit had softened a good deal Of
the Rectanglc
"Where does she live2' asked Vir-
ginia.
No one answered. It occurred TO Vir-
ginia aftorward, when she had time to
think it over, that the Roctangle showed
a dclicacy in its sad silence that would
have done credit TO the boulevard
For the first time it flashed upon her
that the immortal being who was flung
| like wreckage upon the shore of this
earthly hell called the saloon had no
place that could he called home.
The girl suddenly wrenched her arm
from Virginias grasp. In doing it she
nearly threw Virginia down.
"You shall not touch mel Leave mel
Let me 90 to hell That's where l be-
long The devil is waiting for me See
him" she exclaimed hoarsely. She
turned and pointed with a shaking fin
ger at the saloon keeper The crowd
laughed.
Virginia stepped up to her and put
her arm about her.
"Loreen," she said firmly, "come
with me- You do not belong to hell
You belong to Jesus, and he will save
you. Come.
The girl suddenly burst into tears.
She was only partly sobered by the
shock of meeting Virginia.
Virginia looked around again.
"Wherc does Mr.. Gray live?" she
asked. She knew the evangelist board
ed somewhere near that tent
A number of voices gave her the d.
rection
Come, Loreen. l want you to go
with me to Mrs. Gray's, she said still
keeping her hold of the swaying. trem-
bling creature, who still moaned and
sohbed and now chung to Virginia as
before she had repulsed her.
SO the two moved on through the
Rectangle toward the evangelist's lodg
ing place. The sight seemed to impress
the Rectangle seriously. 1t never took
itself seriously when it was drunk, but
this was different. The fact that one of
the most beautifully dressed girls in
Raymond was taking care of one of the
Rectangles most notorious characters,
who reeled along under the influence of
liquor, was fact astonishing enough
to throw more or less dignity and i'm
portance about Loreen herself The
event of Loreen stumbling through the
gutter dead drunk always made the
Rectangle laugh and jest, but Loreen
staggering along with a young lady
from the society circles mp town sup
porting her was another thing. The
Rectangle viewed it with soberness and
more or less wondering admiration.
When they reached Mr.. Gray $ board
ing place, the woman who answered
Nirgnia's knock said that both Mr.. and
Mrs. Gray We're out somewhere and
would not be back until 8 o'clock.
Virginia had not planned anything
further than possible appeal to the
Grays either to take charge of Loreen
for awhile or find some safe place for
her until she was sober again. She stood
now at the lodging after the woman
had spoken, and she was really at loss
to know what TO do. Loreen sank down
stupidity on the steps and buried her
face in her arms Virginia eyed the
miserable figure with feeling that she
was fearful would grow into disgust.
Finally thought possessed Virginia
that she could not resist. What was to
hinder Loreen from going home with
her? Why should not this homeless,
wretched creature. reeking with the
fumes of liquor, be cared for in Vir
ginia's own home, instead of being
consigned to strangers in some hospital
or house of charity3 Virginia really
knew very little about any such places
of refuge. AS a matter of fact, there
We're two or three such institutions in
Raymond, but it is doubtful if any of
them would have taken person like
Loreen in her present condition. But
that was not the question with Virginia
~ 1 81.