The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-12-13

Rachel Winslow went up to her room
and faced her evenings experience with
conflicting emotions Had she ever
loved Jasper Chasef Yes-no. One mo-
ment she felt that her life's happiness
was at stake over the result of her ac-
tion; another. she had strange feel.
ing OF relief that she had spoken as she
did There was one great overmastering
Z feeling Va her. The response Of the
wretched creatures in the tent to her
singing. the swift. awesome presence of
the Holy Spirit, had affected her as
nsver in all her life before The mo-
ment Jasper had spoken her name and
she realized that he was telling her Of
his love she had felt sudden revulsion
for him. as IL he should have respected
the supernatural events they had just
witnessed She felt as II 1t were not the
sime to DO absorbed in anything less
than the divine glory of those CONVEX
siona The thought that all the time
che was singing with the one passion Of
her soul TO touch the conscience of that
TINT full Of sin Jasper Chase had been
moved by IL simply to love her for him
seh gave her shock as Of irreverence
ON her part as well as on his She could
mt tell why she felt as she did; only
che knew that IL he had not told her to-
night she would still have felt the same
toward him as che always had.
What was that feelingf What had
he been to herr Had she made a mis-
takef She went to her bookcase and
took ont the novel which Jasper had
given her Her face deepened in color
- she turned 10 certain passages which
she had read often and which che knew
Jasper had written for her. She read
them again Somehow they failed to
touch her strongly. She closed the book
and let IL lie on the table She gradual
u felt that her thought was busy with
mo sight she had witnessed in that
tent Those faces. men and women,
touched for the first time with the
6pdrits glory. What wonderful thing
dfe was. sfter all The complete regen.
erstion revealed In tho sight OF drunk.
em. vile. debauched humanity kneeling
down 70 give itself to life Of purity
ard Christlikeuess-oh. it was surely q
. witness to the superhuman in the
world And the face Of Rollin Page by
the dde OF that miserable wreck out OF
the guttcr-she could recall a. II she
now saw it Virginia crying, with her
arms about her brother. Just before she
left the tent, and Mr.. Gray kneeling
close BY. and the girl Virginia ha.' tax.
en Into her heart bending her head
while Virginia whispered something to
hex All these pictures, drawn by the
Holy Spirit In the human tragedies
brought TO climax there in the most
abandoned spot In all Raymond, stood
out In Rachel's memory now. memory
% recent that her room seemed for the
time being to contain all the actors and
their movements
''No. mol" she had said aloud "He
had no right TO speak to me after all
thatl He should have respected the
place where our thoughts should have
been. l am sure do not love him. not
enough to give him my life"
And after she had thus spoken the
evenings experience at the tent came
crowding In again. thrusting out all
other things II Is perhaps the most
striking evidence Of the tremendous
spiritual factor which had now entered
the Rectangle that Rachel felt. even
when the great love OF strong man
had come very near her. that the spir.
itunl manifestation moved her with an
agitation far greater than anything
Jasper had felt for her personally or she
for him
The people OF Raymond awoke Sun
oay morning to u growing knowledge
Z. events which were beginning to rev.
olutionize many Of the regular custom
ary habits Of the town. Alexander Pow.
ers' action in the matter Of the railroad
frauds had created sensation. not only
IN Raymond. but throughout the coun.
try. Edward Norman's daily changes
OF policy in the conduct of his paper
had startled the community and caused
more comment than any recent polit-
ical event Rachel Winslow's singing
at the Rectangle meetings had made
stir In society and excited the wonder
OF all her friends Virginia Pages con.
duct. her presence every night with
Rachel her absence from the usual cir.
Gle Of her wealthy. fashionable ac-
quaintances. had furnished a great deal
OF material for gossip and question In
addition To tho events which ccntered
about these persons who were so well
known. there had beer all through the
city. in very many homes and in bust
ness and social circles. strange happen
ings Nearly hundred persons in
Henry Maxwell's church had made the
pledge To do everything after asking.
"What would Jesus dor and the re-
sult had been. in many Gases. unheard
OF actions The city was stirred as it
had never been As a climax To the
weeks events had come the spiritual
manifestation Mt the Rectangle and the
announcement, which came TO most