The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1899-10-12

not avoid Rachel. hut he seemed to
shrink from any appearance of seeming
to wish to renew the old acquaintance
wi.h her Rachel found il even difficult
to express TO him hor pleasure ut the
new life he had begun to know. He
seemed to be waiting to adjust himself
to his previous relations before this new
life began, He had not forgotten those
relations Int he wns not yet able TO
fit his consciousness into new ones,
The end Of the week found the Rec
tanEle struggling hard between two
mighty opposing forces The Holy
Spirit was battling with all his super
natural strength against the saloon
devil which had SO long held a jealous
grasp ON its slaves If the Christian
people of Raymond once could realize
what the contest r'eant to the souls
newly awakened to a new life, 1t did
not seem possible that the election could
result in the old system Of license. But
that remained yet to he seen. The hor-
ror of the daily surroundings Of many
of the converts was slowly burning its
way into the knowledge of Virginia
and Rachel, and every night as they
went up town to their luxurious homes
they carried heavier hearts.
"a good many Of those poor Great
ures will go back again" Gray would
say with sadness too deep for tears
1.-The environment does have good
deal to do with the character. 1t does
not stand to reason that these people
can always resist the sight and smell OF
the devilsh drink all about them o
Lord. how long shall Christian people
continue to support by their silence and
their ballots the greatest form Of slav-
cry now known in American"
He asked the question. but did not
have much hope Of an immediate an
swcr There was n ray Of hope in the
action of Friday nights primary. but
what the result would be he did not
dare to anticipate The whisky forces
We're organized. alert. aggressive, reused
into unusual hatred by the events OF
the last week at the tent and in the
city. Would the Christian force net as
O unit against the saloon, or would 1t
be divided on account Of its business
interests or because it was not in the
habit of acting together, rs the whisky
powers always didH That remained to
be seen. Meanwhile the saloon reared
itself about the Rectangle like some
deadly viper, kissing and coiling, ready
TO strike its poison into any unguarded
part.
Saturday afternoon, as Virginia was
just stepping out Of her house to go
and see Rachel to talk over her new
plans. a carriage drove up containing
three of her fashionable friends. Vir-
ginia went ont to the driveway and
stood there talking with them. They
had not come to make q formal call,
but wanted Virginia to go riding with
them up on the boulevard. There was
a band concert in the park. The day
was too pleasant to be spent indoors
"Where have you been all this time.
VirginiaS" asked one of the girls, tap
ping her playfully on the shoulder with
q red silk parasol. 1--WE hear that you
have gone into the show business. Tell
Us about it.
Virginia colored. but after q mo-
ment's hesitation she frankly told some
thing of her experience at the Rectan-
gle. The girls in the carriage began to
be really interested.
"Tell you what, girls, let's go slum-
ming with, Virginia this afternoon in
stead of going to the band concertl I've
never been down to the Rectangle. I've
heard it's an awful wicked, place and
lots to see. Virginia will act as guide,
and it would be real'-"fun, she was
going to say, but Virginia's look made
her substitute the word interesting.
Virginia was angry. At first thought
she said to herself she would never 60
under any such circumstances The
other girls seemed to be Of tho same
mind as the speaker. They chimed In