hich emotions were accelerated with their own
intensity. When he was miserable his misery left no place in his soul
for any ray of sunshine. It fed on itself, and grew to amazing
proportions. It spread out from its original cause and enveloped his
whole life. It tinctured all his relationships, past, present and
future. When a cloud of gloom settled upon him he felt that it would
never lift, but became heavier and heavier until he was crushed under
its weight. And the sudden manner in which Reenie had now invaded his
consciousness intensified the blackness in which he was submerged, as
lightning darkens the storm. He saw her on that last night, with the
moonlight wooing her white face, until his own body had eclipsed it in
a warmer passion, and he heard her words, "I know you are true and
clean."

True and clean. "Yes, thank God, I am still that!" he cried, springing
suddenly to his feet and commencing to dress. "I've been spattered,
but nothing that won't wash off. Perhaps," and he stopped as the great
thought struck him, "perhaps it was the luckiest thing in the world
that the booze did put me out last night. . . It'll wash off."

There was considerable comfort in this thought. He had wasted some
precious months, but he had not gone too far, and there was still time
to turn back. But he must begin work at once on the serious business
of life. With this resolve his spirits returned with a rush, and he
found himself whistling as he completed his toilet. There was no
breakfast for the late sleepers Sunday mornings, and he went at once
into the warm air outside. The sunshine fondled his body, his limbs,
his face; the spring ozone was in his lungs; it was good to be alive.
Alive--for a purpose. Well, he would start at once; how could he begin
a life of purpose to-day? He was quite set on the necessity of doing
something, but quite at sea as to what that something should be. It
occurred to him for the first time that society had been much more
generous in supplying facilities for a boy to go down hill than to go
up.

He became aware of a bell ringing. At first the sound had fallen only
on his subconsciousness, but gradually he became aware of it, as one
being slowly recalled from sleep. Then he remembered that it was
Sunday, and that was a church bell. He had often heard them on
Sundays. He was about to dismiss the matter when a strange impulse
came into his mind. Why not go to church? He had nev