he hotel was
reached, and they had drowned the recollection of the young face, with
the look of age upon it, in four drinks at the bar.

When the priest, with a slight look of relief, closed the door upon
his visitors and bolted it after them, he had perhaps seen a little
humor in the situation; but the bolting of the door was the only sign
of it. His face was still grave when he stood, silent and stunned,
staring at the bill on the table.

"The good Lord help me," he prayed. "One thousand dollars and the
Bishop coming in two weeks! What can I say to him? What can I do?"

He pulled out a well thumbed letter from his pocket and read it to
himself, though he knew every word by heart.

"DEAR FATHER RYAN,--I am pleased at your success, especially
that you built the church, as I told you to, without debt.
The congregation is too poor for any such burden. I will be
there for the dedication on the 26th.

"And by the way. You may get ready for that change I spoke
of. I am as good as my word, and will not delay about
promoting you. The parish of Lansville is vacant. In a month
you may consider yourself its pastor. In the meantime, I
will look around to select one of the young men to take
your place and begin the work of building a house. God bless
you.

"Sincerely yours in Christ,

THOMAS, _Bishop of Tolma_.

"All these years," whispered the young priest, "all these years, I
have waited for that place. I meant to have a home and mother with me,
and at least enough to live on after my ten years of sacrifice; but
one thousand dollars spoils it all. How can I raise it? I can not do
it before the 26th and the Bishop will ask for my report. How can I
tell him after that letter?"

He dropped the letter over the contractor's bill and sat down, with
discouragement written on every line of his face. He was trying to
think out the hardest problem of his life.

The town wherein Father Ryan had built his church had been for years
on the down-grade, so far as religion was concerned. There were in it
forty indifferent, because neglected, Catholic families. They had just
enough religion left in them to desire a little more, and they had a
certain pride left, too, in their Faith.

Father Ryan builded on that pride. It was a long and arduous work he
had faced. But after ten years he succeeded in erecting the little
church. His warnings to the architect had gone witho