A tear fell from Virginia Page’s eyes. Virginia had changed little in fifteen years. She was still unmarried. Beautiful in face and spirit, with no decrease of her old Christian enthusiasm as the years passed, she lavished her wealth and her consecrated knowledge on the welfare of the people of Raymond. She had seen the Rectangle completely transformed since that day when Loreen had been struck down in front of the saloon, where she had given her life in shielding Virginia. And through all the years that followed, Virginia had passionately devoted herself especially to the lives of women and girls in the city. Without a husband and children of her own, Virginia had nevertheless seemed to have complete understanding of the problems of the home life and needs of the women of Raymond, and she was known by them as the source of great reforms in their social and industrial conditions.

Rachel and Felicia would laughingly say that Virginia needed only a home of her own to be the most absolutely perfect woman of the world. Virginia would reply that she was fulfilled in helping to make other women have happy homes. It was the tragedy of women like Loreen that struck deepest into her heart, and when Mrs. Maxwell mentioned Martha, it brought up again the old vision of Loreen stumbling through the Rectangle that day Virginia had brought the girl to her own home and caused her grandmother to leave the house in anger.

“Imagine Martha as a member of the Rectangle Church! If Loreen could only have lived to see it. She told me while she was with me, after Grandmother went, about Martha and the fearful experiences she had gone through in the white slave traffic in Chicago. What a miracle! And what a joy to have her here with you of all women, Mrs. Maxwell.” Virginia’s eyes filled with tears as she laid her hand on Mrs. Maxwell’s arm.

“You never saw a girl like Martha,” Mrs. Maxwell replied. “The fearful things that girl suffered in Chicago are beyond belief. She endured unspeakable things. Twice she tried to kill herself, when she could not escape from the house where she had been imprisoned. But today she is the most devoted and enthusiastic disciple of Jesus you ever saw. I think I never saw a more complete love for Christ in anyone. And when it comes to loving her church, we all feel rebuked at the sight of her absolute passion. Mr. Grey has taken full charge there, and if he stays on the way he has begun, it won’t be long before the members of the Rectangle Church will outnumber in membership its mother church. Martha herself has brought at least twenty new members into the communion since she joined. And she is the most thoughtful and helpful person about the kitchen I ever knew.”

“Yes,” said Mr. Maxwell, “all you need to do to get Mrs. Maxwell started on the ‘hired-girl problem’ is to mention Martha. We haven’t any troubles since she came into the house.”