The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-11-10

three of her fashionable friends. Vir-
ginia went out to the driveway and
stood there talking with them. They
had not come to make 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.
s'Where have you been all this time
Virginia?" asked one of the girls, tap
ping her playfully on the shoulder with
red silk parasol 1--WE hear that you
have gone into the show business Tell
US about it y
: Virginia colored, but after 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 concerto 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 go
under any such circumstances The
other girls seemed to be of the same
mind as the speaker They chimed in
with earnestness and asked Virginia to
take them down there.
Suddenly she saw in the idle curl
osity of the girls an opportunity. They
had never seen the sin and misery of
Raymond Why should they not see
them, even if their motives in going
down there were simply to pass away
an afternoon?
Every well; I'll go with you. You
must obey my orders and let me take
you where you can see the most a." she
said as she entered the carriage and
took the seat beside the girl who had
first suggested the trip to the Rectangle
Hadn't we better take policeman
along, said one of the girls, with a
nervous laugh cit really isn't safe
down there, you know. "
There's no danger" said Virginia
briefly
els it true that Rollin has been con
verted?' asked the first speaker, look
ing at Virginia curiously. 1t impressed
her during the drive to the Rectangle
that all three of her friends We're re-
garding her with close attention. as if
she We're very peculiar.
'Yes; he certainly is l saw him
myself on the night of the first interest
shown. week ago Saturday, replied
Virginia who did not know Just how
to tell that scene
81 understand he is going around to
the clubs talking with his old friends
there trying to preach to them. Doesn t
that seem funny?" said the girl with
the red silk parasol
Virginia did not answer, and the
other girls were beginning to feel sober
as the carriage turned into the street
leading to the Rectangle AS they
neared the district they grew more and
more nervous. The sights and smells
and sounds which had become familiar
to Virginia struck the senses of these
refined. delicate society girls as some
thing horrible AS they entered farther
into the district the Rectangle seemed
to stare as with one great bleary, beer
soaked countenance at this fine carriage
with its load of fashionably dressed
young ladies' Stunning had never
been a fad with Raymond society, and
this was perhaps the first time that the
two had come together in this way.
The girls felt that, instead of seeing the
Rectangle, they were objects of Curl
osity. They were frightened and dis
gusted.
Let's go back. I've seen enough, :"
said the girl who was sitting with Vir-
ginia.
They were at that moment just op-
posite notorious saloon and gambling
house The street was narrow and the
sidewalk crowded. Suddenly out of the
door of the saloon a young woman
reeled. She was singing in broken,
drunken sob that seemed to indicate
that she partly realized her awful con-
dltlon, "Just as l am, without one
plea" and as the carriage rolled past
she leered at it, raising her face so that
Virginia saw it very close to her own
1t was the face Of the girl who had
kneeled sobbing that night. with vir-
ginia kneeling beside her and praying
for her
''stopl" cried Virginia, motioning
to the driver, who was looking around
The carriage stopped, and in moment
she was out and had gone up to the
girl and taken her by the arm.
"LoreenN' she said, and that was all
The girl looked into her face, and her
own changed with look of utter hor-
ror The girls in the carriage were
sm1tten into helpless establishment. The
saloon keeper had come to the door Of
the saloon and was standing there look
Ing on, with his hands on his hips, and
the Rectangle from its windows, it's
saloon steps, its filthy sidewalk. gutter
and roadway paused and with undis-
gulsed wonder stared at the two girls.
over the scene the warm sun of spring
poured it's mellow light. A faint breath
OF music from the band stand in the