Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-01-25

Virginia added with n smile: Il sup
pose he Is writing another book. Is he
going to put you into this one, Rachelg
You know I always suspected Jasper
Chase Of doing that very thing in his
first story"
Virginia Rachel spoke with the
franLnc=s that had always existed be-
tween the two friends Jasper Chase
told me the .Jher night that he-in fact
he proposed to me-or he would if
Rachel stopped and sat with her
hands clasped on her lap. and there
were tears in her eyes.
Virginia, thought little while
age that / loved him. as he said he
loved me, but when he spoke my heart
felt repelled, and l said what I ought
TO have said. l told him no. 1 have not
seem him since. That was the night Of
the first conversions at the Rectangle
II am glad for you. said Virginia
quietly
"WhyP'' asked Rachel. little star
tied
Because l have never really liked
Jasper Chase. He is too cold and-I do
not like to judge him, but I have al
ways distrusted his sincerity in taking
the pledge ut the church with the rest. -
Rachel looked at Virginia thought
( fully
Il have never given my heart TO him,
am sure. He touched my emotions,
and admired his skill as a writer l
have thought at times that l cared
/ good deal for him. l think perhaps if
he had spoken to me at any other time
than the one he chose l could easily
( have persuaded myself that / loved him.
/ but not now " Rachel paused suddenly.
/ and when she looked up at Virginia
I again there were tears on her face Vir-
/ ginia came to her and put her arm
about her tenderly.
When Rachel had left the house, Vir-
/ ginia sat in the hall thinking over the
/ confidence her friend had just shown
/ her. There was something still to be
| told. Virginia felt sure from Rachels
manner, bat she did not feel hurt that
| Rachel had kept back something. She
was simply conscious of more on Ra-
! chel's mind than she had revealed
| Very soon Rollin came back, and he
and Virginia, arm in arm, as they had
lately been in the habit of doing, walked
up and down the long hall.
1t was easy for their talk to settle
finally upon Rachel because of the place
she was to occupy in the plans which
were being made for the purchase of
the property at the Rectangle.
did you ever know a girl of such
really gifted powers in vocal music who
was willing to give her whole life to
| the people, as Rachel is going to dol
She is going to give music lessons in
the city, have private pupils to make
her living and then give the people in
the Rectangle the benefit of her culture
and her voice -
1T is certainly very good example
of self sacrifice. replied Rollin, little
stifly
Virginia looked at him a little
sharply.
But don't you think it is a very
unusual example? Can you imagine
here Virginia named half dozen ia
nous opera singers-''doing anything
of this sort?"
"No: l can't" Rollin answered
briefly Neither can 1 imagine Miss
he spoke the name of the girl with /
the red parasol who had begged Vir |
ginia to take the girls to the Rectangle |
-"doing what you are doing, Vir- |
ginia.
"Any more than | can imagine Mr..
--yIrgruIa spUKv urro Irunrv UT yUunS I
society leader-"going about to the |
clubs doing your work, Rollin. -
The two walked ON in silence for the |
length of the hall
Coming back to Rachel" began |
Virginia "Rollin, why do you treat
her with such a distant, precise man
nerH l think, Rollin-pardon me if
hurt you-that she is annoyed by it.
You used to be on easy terms. / don't i
think Rachel likes this change"
Rollin suddenly stopped. He seemed
deeply agitated. He took his arm from |
Virginia's and walked down to the end |
of the hall Then he returned, with his
arms behind him. and, stopping near
his sister, he said:
Virginia, have you not learned my
secret?''
Virginia looked bewildered Then |
over her face the unusual color crept-t
showing that she understood.
chel Winslow " RoIlin spoke calmly
enough now. "That day she was here,
whom you talked about her refusal to
join the concert company, asked her
to be my wife, out there on the avenue.
She refused me, as l knew she would,
and she gave as her reason the fact that
l had no purpose in life, which was
true enough Now that l have pur-
pose, now that / am new man, don't
you see, Virginia, how impossible it is
for me to say anything? l owe my very
conversion to Rachel's singing, and yet
that night while she sang l can honest
ly say that for the time being l never
thought of her voice except as Gods
message. I believe all my personal love
for her was for the time merged into
personal love to God and my Saviour.
Rollin was silent Then he went on
with more emotion, 81 am still in love
with her, Virginia, but l do not think
she could ever love me. He stopped
and looked his sister in the face with
sad smile
~ don't know about that, " said Vir-
ginia to herself. She was noting Rol- |
lin IS handsome face, its marks of dissi-
patton nearly all gone now, the firm
lips showing manhood and courage, the
clear eyes looking into hers frankly, the
form strong and graceful Rollin was
a man now Why should not Rachel
come to love him in timer Surely the
two were well fitted for each other,
especially now that their purpose in
life was moved by the same Christian
source
She said something of all this to Rol-
lin but he did not find much comfort.
When they closed the interview, Vir-
ginia carried away the impression that
Rollin meant to go his way with his |
chosen work, trying to reach the fash /
ionable men at the clubs and, while not
avoiding Rachel. seeking no occasion
for meeting her He was distrustful of |
his power to control his feelings, and |
Virginia could see that he dreaded even
the thought that his love was still the
same
The next day she went down to The
News office to see Edward Norman and |
arrange the details If her part IN the !
establishment C.. the paper on its new |
foundation. Henry Maxwell was pres
ent at this conference, and the three
agreed that, whatever Jesus would do
in detail as editor of daily paper, he
would be guided by the same general