El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-11-25
PAGES 9 TO IL.

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 a 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 afternoon2
Every well; I'll go with you You
must obey my orders and let me take
you where you can see the most, " 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
nervous laugh. cit really isn't safe
down there. you know"
There's no danger said Virginia
briefly
els it true that RolIin has been con-
verted2" 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
eyes: he certainly is 1 saw him
myself on the night of the fist 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 p 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 it's load Of fashiopably dressed
young ladies- Stunning had never
been fad with Raymond society, and
this was perhaps the first time ti.ut 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
yusted.
"Let's go back. I've seen enough.
said the girl who was sitting with Vir-
yinia.
They were at that moment just op-
oosite notorious saloon and gambling
louise The street was narrow and the
idewalk crowded. Suddenly out of the
loor of the saloon young woman
eeled- She was singing in a broken
runken sob that seemed to indicate
hat she partly realized her awful con-
lition, ''Just as I am, without one
lea, and as the carriage rolled past
he leered at it, raising her face so that
Virginia saw it very close to her own.
t was the face of the girl who had
neeled sobbing that night. with Vir-
inia kneeling beside her and praying
or her.
''Stopp cried Virginia, motioning
o the driver. who was looking around
he carriage stopped, and in a moment
he was out and had gone up to the
irl and taken her by the arm.
''Loreenr' she said. and that was all.
he girl looked into her face. and her
wn changed with look of utter hor-
Or. The girls in the carriage were
nltten into helpless astonishment The
aloon keeper had come to the door of
ne saloon and was standing there look
1g on, with his hands on his hips. and
ne Rectangle from its windows. its
aloon steps. its filthy sidewalk, gutter
nd roadway paused and with undis-
ulsed wonder stared at the two girls
yer the scene the warm sun of spring
oured its mellow light. A faint breath
music from the band stand in the
ark hoated into the Rectangle The
'ncert had begun. and the fashion and
ealth of Raymond were displaying
lemselves up town on the boulevards