Again Mr. Grafton looked curiously at him. "You have done no harm, young man, if you have done no good," he grimly replied. "Good-afternoon, sir." "Good-afternoon," replied Ray, leaving the office with a great wish in his heart that he could have plead better the cause he had espoused; but though he did not know it, he had exerted an influence that day destined yet to produce important results. The weeks glided swiftly by. The fall term at the academy ended just before Thanksgiving; the winter term began immediately after. Ray's pay from his two pupils enabled him now to be entirely independent of his friends; in fact, he was saving something toward his prospective college course. Early in the beginning of the new year, a well-known evangelist, and one whose fame as a successful Christian worker was in all the churches, visited Easton. Union services were held in the largest hall of the city, and though the evangelist remained but a short time, an unprecedented religious awakening took place. Religion became the theme of conversation on the streets, at the places of business, and in the homes. With the departure of the evangelist, the churches, dividing the city into districts, vigorously carried on the work. In the suburbs of the city, near the academy, was a young but growing church. Here Ray, on coming to Easton, though he did not sever his connection with the First Church, Afton, had made his religious home. He became a teacher in the Sunday-school. He frequently led the prayer meetings; and so efficient had he proved himself in all religious work, that when this thorough awakening on the part of the churches came, Mr. Gage, the pastor of the young church, pressed him into full service. It fell upon Ray to take charge of the evening services whenever Mr. Gage was detained elsewhere. One evening when he was in charge of the services, he was quite surprised to see Mr. Grafton, the merchant, some time after the meeting had begun, enter the room and take a back seat. Ray knew that the chapel was the nearest place of worship to the merchant's palatial residence, but he had never known him to enter its doors before. Indeed, he seldom ever went to church anywhere, and when he did, it was at one of the most aristocratic and fashionable churches farther down town. This made his entrance into the chapel now all the more noticeable. He paid the strictest attention to the remarks and prayers of those who took part in the services, and even once or twice added his deep bass to the familiar songs that were sung. Near the hour for closing he arose, and said: