oney
would be only too glad to have it go to pay off the debt. What does he
know about the Seminary? He was attending the little church out here,
and whatever good he got from his visit came through Father Ryan and
his people. He is under obligation to them first. Can't you see that
it does not make any difference, after all. It is the same thing."

"No, it is not the same thing," said Father Barry. "Perhaps we are too
much tempted to believe that gifts of this kind might be
interchangeable. We are full of zeal for the glory of God at home, and
that means that sometimes we unconsciously are full of zeal for our
own glory. Look it up. I may be wrong, and I do not want to be a
killjoy; but we would not wish our friend here to act first and do a
lot of sorrowful thinking afterward."

It was Wednesday morning when the two visitors left, and the
discussions only ended when the door closed upon them. There was not
a theological book in Father Ryan's library left unconsulted.

When Father Fanning was at the door, grip in hand, he said: "Well, I
guess we have come to no conclusion, Ryan. You will have to finish it,
yourself, and decide for yourself. But there is one thing I can
testify to, besides the stubbornness of my venerable friend here, and
that is that I have learned more theology out of this three-day
discussion than I learned in three years previously. There is nothing
like a fight to keep a fellow in training."

His friends gone, Father Ryan went straight to his desk and wrote this
letter to his Bishop:

YOUR LORDSHIP--I am sending herewith enclosed my Seminary
collection. It amounts to $1,063.10. You may be surprised at
the first figure; but there was a thousand dollar note
handed to me for that particular collection. I congratulate
the Seminary on getting it.

"The church is ready for dedication as your Lordship
arranged.

"Kindly wire me and I will meet you at the train."

Then Father Ryan went to bed. He did not expect to sleep very much
that night; but in spite of his worry, and to his own great surprise,
he had the most peaceful sleep of all the years of his priesthood.

The church was dedicated. The Bishop, severe of face, abrupt in
manner, but if the truth were known, kindly at heart, finished his
work before he asked to see the books of the parish.

Father Ryan was alone with his Lordship when the time for that ordeal
came. He handed the books to the Bishop