and laid a financial statement
before him. The Bishop glanced at it, frowned and then read it
through. The frown was still on his face as he looked up at the young
priest before him.

"This looks as if you had been practicing a little deceit upon me,
Father Ryan," he said. "You wrote me that the church was finished
without debt."

"I thought so, my Lord, when I wrote you the letter. I had the money
on hand to pay the exact amount of the contract. The architect and the
builder came to me later and informed me that there had been extras,
of which I knew nothing, amounting to one thousand dollars. I am one
thousand dollars behind. I assure your Lordship that it was not my
fault, except that perhaps I should have known more about the tactics
of the men I was dealing with. I will have to raise the money some
way; and, of course, I do not expect your Lordship to send me to
Lansville. I am sorry, but I have done the best I could. I will know
more about building next time."

The Bishop had no word to say. Though the frown appeared pretty well
fixed upon his face, it did not seem quite natural. There was a
twinkle in his eye that only an expert on bishops could perceive.

"But you sent me one thousand dollars more than I could have expected
only this week, for the Seminary," he said. That surely indicates that
you have some people here who might help you out of your dilemma."

"I am sorry, your Lordship," said Father Ryan, "but it does not
indicate that at all. I have no rich people. All of my people have
done the best they could for the new church. I will have to give them
a rest for a year and stay here and face the debt. The man who gave
the thousand dollar bill was a stranger--a miner. I do not know him at
all. He did not even give his name, but said the money was for the
collection. I could not find any authority for keeping it for the
church here, though, to be candid, I wanted to do it. That is all."

The Bishop still kept his eye on him. "Of course you know that your
appointment to Lansville was conditional."

"I understand that, your Lordship," said Father Etan. "You have no
obligation to me at all in that regard."

"Will you kindly step to the door and ask my Chancellor to come in?"

When the Chancellor entered, the Bishop said to him: "Have you the
letter I received from Mr. Wilcox?"

The Chancellor handed the Bishop the letter, who unfolded it and,
taking another glance at the dejected young pastor, read