Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-03-19

but wanted Virginia to go riding with
them up on the boulevard There was
band concert in the park. The day
was too pleasant to be spent indoors.
''Where have you been all this time,
Virginia?' asked one of the girls, tap
ping her playfully on the shoulder with
red silk parasoL eve hear that you
have gone into the show business. Tell
us about it. -
Virginia colored, but after a mo-
ment'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 Rectangle. I've
heard it's an awful wicked place and
! lots to see. Virginia will act as 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 afternoon?
Every we'll; 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' we better take q policeman
along, said one Of the girls, with a
nervous laugh. cit really isn't safe
down there, you know.
There's no danger. said Virginia
briefly
lis 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
eyes; he certainly is. l saw him
myself on the night Of the first interest
shown, week ago Saturday. replied
Virginia. who did not know just how
to tell that scene.
Il 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
Virginta 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 its load of fashionably dressed
young ladies. Stunning had never
been fad with Raymond society, and
this was perhaps the first time that 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
gusted.
Let 8 go back I've seen enough,
said the girl who was sitting with Vfr-
ginia.
They were at that moment just OPP
posite notorious saloon and gambling
house. The street was narrow and the
sidewalk crowded. Suddenly out of the
door of the saloon a young woman
reeled. She was singing liz broken,
drunken sob that seemed to indicate
that she partly realized her awful con-
dition, Just as l am, without one
plea. : and as the carriage rolled past
she leered at it, raising her face SO that
Virginia saw it very close to her own.
1t was the face of the girl who had
kneeled sobbing that night, with Vir-
ginia kneeling beside her and praying
for her.
''Stop' cried Virginia, motioning
to the driver, who was looking around
The carriage stopped, and in a moment
she was out and had gone up to the
girl and taken her by the arm
''LOreenl" she said. and that was all
The girl looked into her face, and her
own changed with a look Of utter hOr-
ror The girls in the carriage were
smitten into helpless establishment. The
saloon keeper had come to the door of |
the saloon and was standing there look
ing on. with his hands on his hips, and
the Rectangle from it's windows, its |
saloon steps, it's filthy sidewalk, gutter
and roadway paused and with undls- |
guised wonder stared at the two girls.
Over the scene the warm sun of spring |
poured its mellow light A faint breath |
of music from the band stand in the |
park fOated into the Rectangle. The