ten thousand dollars." He carefully inscribed the amount in numerals in
the lower left-hand corner. "Honest," he confided to himself, as he
signed the check, "I feel so philanthropic I could almost make myself
believe I had this money in the bank." He tore the check from its stub,
and, standing up, handed it to Helena. "I am not a rich man, Miss Vail,
as I said," he smiled gravely, "but I can give this, and I give it with
great joy in my heart."

Helena took the check, glanced at it, gasped a little, lifted her eyes,
an instant's mocking glint in them, and veiled them quickly with her
long lashes.

"No"--Madison's hand, palm up, went out protestingly--"no, do not thank
me--it is little enough." He sat down again, drew the Patriarch's blank
book toward him, and, on the line beneath the one where the Patriarch
had ended his essay with the words, "such is the power of faith," wrote
his name and set down the amount of his contribution after it.

"Ten thousand dollars!"--it was Mrs. Thornton speaking, as she took the
check from Helena. She turned quickly to her husband. "Robert, have you
your check-book here?"

Thornton shook his head.

"No, dear," he said. "I'm afraid I haven't."

"Well, it doesn't matter," said Mrs. Thornton brightly. "You can use one
of Mr. Madison's checks and write the name of your own bank on
it--you've often done that, you know."