Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-02-08

faced her.
Felicia, she whispered. and theri
was a flush of anger ON her checks
''this is folly What can you dor Yor
will bring disgrace upon the family
What will father say? Come.
Felicia looked Mt her, but did not an
swer at once Her lips were moving
with a petition that came from depth
of feeling that measured new life fol
her. She shook her head.
mo; 1 am going to stay / shall
take the pledge. l am ready to obey it
Ycu do not know why I am. doing
this -
Rose gave her one look and then
turned and went out of the pew and
down the aisle. She did not even stoT
to talk with her acquaintance Mrs.
Delano was going out of the church
just as Rose stepped into the vestibule
$50 you are not going to join the
DOCTOR volunteer company" Mrs. De-
lano asked in queer tone that made
Rose redden.
mo. Are your 1t is simply asburd
| have always regarded the Raymond
movement as fanatical You know
Cousin Rachel keeps rs posted about it. >
Yes; | understand it is resulting in
great deal of hardship in many cases.
For my part, | believe DR. Bruce has
simply provoked disturbance here 1t
will result in splitting Nazareth Avenue
church. You see if that isn't So There
are scores of people in the church who
are SO situated that they can take such
a pledge and keep it. 1 am one of
them, added Mrs Delano as she went
out with Rose.
When Rose reached home, her father
was standing in his usual attitude be-
fore the open fireplace, smoking a cigar
"Where is Felicia2" he asked as Rose
came in alone
"She staid to an after meeting" re-
piled Rose shortly. She threw off her
wraps and was going up stairs when
Mr.. Sterling called after her:
AN after meeting? What do you
mean %
''Dr. Bruce asked the church to take
the Raymond pledge"
Mr.. Sterling took his cigar out of his
mouth and twirled it nervously be
tween his fingers.
81 didn't expect that of DR.. Bruce.
Did any of the members stay3''
81 don't know. I didn't" replied
Rose, and she went up stairs, leaving
her father standing in the drawing
room
After few minutes he went to the
window and stood there looking out at
the people driving on the boulevard.
His cigar had gone out, but he still fin
gered it nervously. Then he turned
from the window and walked up and
down the room. A servant stepped
across the hall and announced dinner,
and he told her to wait for Felicia.
Rose came down stairs and went into
the library, and still Mr.. Sterling paced
the drawing room restlessly.
He had finally wearied of the walking
apparently and, throwing himself into
chair, was brooding over something
deeply when Felicia came in.
He rose and faced her. Felicia was
evidently very much moved by the
meeting from which she had just come
At the same time she did not wish to
talk too much about it. just as she en-
tered the drawing room Rose came in
from the library.
''How many staid2" she asked. Rose
was curiopA At the same she was skep-
tical of the whole movement in Ray
mond.
"About hundred" replied Felicia
gravely Mr.. Sterling looked surprised.
Felicia was going out of the room. He
called to her.
'Do you really mean to keep the
pledge?" he asked.
Felicia colored Over her face and
neck the warm blood flowed as she an
swered, 'You would not ask such a
question, father, if you had been pres
ent at the meeting" She fingered a
moment in the room, then asked to be
excused from dinner for awhile and
went up to see her mother.
No one ever knew what that inter-
view between Felicia and her mother
was. 1t is certain that she must have
told her mother something of the spir-
itual power that had awed every person
present in the company of disciples from
Nazareth Avenue church who faced DIR.
Bruce in that meeting after the morn
ing service. 1t is also certain that Fe-
licia had never known such an expert
ence and never would have thought of
sharing it with her mother if it had not
been for the prayer the evening before.
Another fact is also known of Felicia 8
experience at this time. When she
finally Joined her father and Rose at
the table, she seemed unable to tell
them much about the meeting. There
was a reluctance to speak of it, as one
might hesitate to attempt description
of a wonderful sunset to person who
never talked about anything but the
weather. When that Sunday in the
Sterling mansion was drawing to a
close and the soft, warm lights through
out the dwelling were glowing through
the great windows, in a corner of her
room where the light was obscure Fe-
licia kneeled, and when she raised her
face and turned it toward the light it
was the face of woman who had al
ready defined for herself the greatest
issues of earthly life.
That same evening, after the Sunday
evening service, the Rev. Calvin Bruce,
D. D., of Nazareth Avenue church, was
talking over the events of the day with
his wife They were of one heart and
mind in the matter and faced their new
future with all the faith and courage
of new disciples Neither was deceived
as to the probable results of the pledge
to themselves or to the church.
They had been talking but little
while when the bell rang, and DIR.
Bruce, going to the door, exclaimed as
he opened it: "It is you, Edward
Come inl'
There came into the hall command
ing figure The bishop was of extraor-
diary height and breadth of shoulder,
but of such good proportions that there
was no thought of ungainly or even OF
unusual size. The impression the bishop
made on strangers was first that of
great health and then of great affection
He came into the parlor and greeted
Mrs Bruce, who after few moments
was called out of the room, leaving the
two men together.
The bishop sat in deep easy chair
before the open fire. There was just
enough dampness in the early spring Of
the year to make an open fire pleasant.
Calvin, you have taken a very seri-
Gus step today" he finally said, lifting
his large dark eyes to his old college
classmates face Il heard of it this
afternoon. L could not resist the desire
to see you about it tonight. "