The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1899-11-17

/ the same person. he talked more with
Gray than with any one -else He did
not avoid Rachel, but he seemed to
shrink from any appearance of seeming
to wish to renew the old acquaintance
with her. Rachel found it even difficult
to express to him her pleasure at 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. but he was not yet able to
fit his consciousness into new ones.
The end Of the week found the Rec
tangle 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 it's slaves. If the Christian
people Of Raymond once could realize
what the contest meant to the souls
newly awakened to n new life, it did
not seem possible that the election could
result in the old system of license. But
that remained yet to be seen. The hor-
ror Of the daily surroundings of many
of the converts was slowly burning it's
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 a sadness too deep for tears.
"The environment does have good
| deal to do with the character. 1t does
not stand to reason that these people
| can always resist tho sight and smell Of
the devilish 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
swer. There was 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
were organized, alert, aggressive, reused
| into unusual hatred by the events OF
| the last week ut the tent and in tho
| city. Would the Christian force act as
u unit against the saloon, or would it
| be divided on account Of its business
| interests or because it was not in tho
| habit of acting together. as the whisky
powers always did? That remained to
| be seen. Meanwhile the saloon reared
| itself about the Rcctangle 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, carriage drove up containing
| &C g.. Co. a,
| ginia went out to the driveway and
| stood there talking with them. They
| had not come to make a formal call,
but wanted Virginia to go riding with
them up on tho boulevard. There was
| a band concert in the park. The day
was too pleasant to be spent indoors.
''Whcre have you been all this time,
Virginia!' asked one of the girls, tap
ping her piayfully on the shoulder with
a red silk parasol 1--WE hear that you
| have gone into the show business Tell
| US about it
Virginia colorcd, but after mo-
mcnt'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 Rectanglc. I'vo
heard it's an awful wicked place and
| lots to see Virginia will act as guide,
| and it would be rcai'-'fun, she was
| going to say, but Virgixia's look made
her substitute the word interesting"
Virginia was angry. AT first thought
| Sh fn chn
under any such circumstances. The
| other girls seemed to be Of the same
mind as the speaker. They chimed in
with carnestncss and asked Virginia to
take them down there.
Suddenly she saw in tho idle curl
osity Of the sirls'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 We're simply to pass away
an afternoon?
VERY we'll; I'll go with You. You
must obey my orders and let me take
yon where yon can see tho most, she
said rs shc entered tho carriage and
took the seat beside the girl who had
| first suggested the trip to the Rcctangle.
Hadn't we better take Il policeman
along" said one of tho girls. with
nervous laugh. "It really isn't safe
down there, you know"
There's no danger" said Virginia
briefly.
'Is 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 were re-
garding her with close attention, as if
she were very peculiar.