Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-10-05

TWO blocks OF magnificent private resi-
dences and turned into wide drive
way under a covered passage, and the
sisters hurried into the house 1t was
an elegant mansion of graystone, fur
nished like palace, every corner Of it
warm with the luxury of paintings,
sculpture, art and refinement.
The owner of it all, Mr.. Charles r.
Sterling, stood before an open CRATE fire
smoking cigar. He had made his
money in grain speculation and rail
road ventures and was reputed to he
worth something over two millions.
His wife was sister of Mrs. Winslow
of Raymond. She had been an invalid
for several years. The two girls, Rose
and Felicia, We're the only children.
Rose was II years old fair, vivacious,
educated in fashionable college, just
entering society and already somewhat
cynical and Indifferent, a very hard
young lady 10 please, her father said
sometimes playfully, sometimes sternly.
Felicia was 10, with tropical beauty
somewhat like her cousin, Rachel Wins
low, with warm, generous impulses
just waking into Christian feeling, ca
pahle of all sorts of expression. a puzzle
to her father, source of irritation to
her mother and with great, unsur-
veyed territory of thought and action
in herself Of which she was more than
dimly conscious. There was that in
Felicia that would easily endure any
condition in life if only the liberty to
act fully on her conscientious convic-
tions We're granted her.
Here's Ii letter for you. Fell cia,"
said Mr.. Sterling, taking it out of his
pocket.
Felicia sat down and instantly opened
the letter saying as she did so, "lt's
from Rachel
"Well, what's the latest news from
Raymond - asked Mr. Sterling, taking
his cigar ont of his mouth and looking
at Felicia, as he often did, with half
shut eyes, as if he We're studying her
"Rachcl says DR. Bruce has been
studying in Raymond for two Sundays
and has seemed very much interested
in Mr. Maxwells pledge in the First
church
"What does Rachel say about her
self?'' asked Rose, who was lying on a
couch almost buried under half "a dozen
elegant cushions
"She is still singing at the Rectangle
Since the tent meetings closed she sings
in an old hall until the new buildings
her friend Virginia Page is putting up
are completed.
II must write Rachel to come to Chi
cago and visit us. She ought not to
throw away her voice in that railroad
town upon all those people who don't
appreciate her "
Mr. Sterling lighted new cigar, and
Rose exclaimed
Rachel is awfully queer think
She might set Chicago wild with her
voice if she sang in the Auditorium,
and there she goes on, throwing her
voice away on people who don't know
what they are hearing.
Rachel won't come here unless she
can do it and keep her pledge at the
same time, said Felicia after a pause
what pledSe?' Mr. Sterling asked
the question and then added hastily:
ooh. | know Yes; very peculiar
thing that. Powers used to be friend
of mine. We learned telegraphy in the
same office; made a great sensation
when he resigned and handed over that
evidence to the interstate commerce
commission, and he's back at his te-
legraphy again. There have been queer
doings in Raymond during the past
year | wonder what Dr. Bruce thinks
of it, on the whole | must have a talk
with him about it. -"
"He breaches tomorrow, said Fell
cha. perhaps he will tell us something
about ii. "
There was silence for minute. Then
Felicia said abruptly, as if she had
gone on with spoken thought to some
invisible nearer, "And what if he
should propose the same pledge to the
Nazareth Avenue church,
"Who2 What are you talking about 2"
asked her father, little sharply
About Dr. Bruce. say what if he
should propose to our church what Mr.
Maxwell proposed to mis- and ask for
volunteers who would pledge themselves
to do everything after asking the ques-
ton What would Jesus dor
"There S no danger of it, said Rose,
rising suddenly from the couch as the
tea bell rang
OTIS very impracticable movement
10 my mind, said Mr.. Sterling sharply
II understand from Rachel's letter
that the church in Raymond is going
to make an attempt to extend the idea
Of the pledge to the other churches If
they succeed, they will certainly make
great changes in the churches and in
peoples lives" said Felicia.
''Oh, well, lets have some tea first, -
said Rose, walking into the dining
room. Her father and Felicia followed,
and the meal proceeded in silence. Mrs.
Sterling lad her meals served in her
room. Mr Sterling was preoccupied.
He ate very little and excused himself
early, and, although it was Saturday
night, he remarked as he went ont that
he would be down town late on some
special business
Don't you think father looks very
much disturbed lately?" asked Felicia
little while after he bad gone out
sob, | don't know | hadn't noticed
anything unusual, replied Rose After
silence she said Are you going tc
I the play tonight, Felicia2 Mrs Delanc
will be here at half past 7. think you