Paul Ralston by Mary Jane Holmes

Elithe was in her room at the rear of the cottage trying to bring up arrearages in her Bible reading. Since entering society she had fallen sadly behind with her five chapters on Sunday and three on every week day. Fishing parties and clam bakes and lawn tennis and the skating rink did not leave much leisure for other duties, and she found to her dismay that she was twenty-five chapters behind,-long chapters, too,-and she felt tired as she thought of them. Still they must be done, and she had set apart this afternoon in which to do them. Her singing in the morning had been a great success, and many had shaken hands with and congratulated her when service was over. She, with others, had wondered at Paul's absence, which was the more singular on account of his solo. There was no one to sing it until Mr. Turner, the rector, attempted it and broke down. It was too bad of Paul to disappoint them, the people said, while Elithe felt a little aggrieved inasmuch as he had expressed himself so proud of her singing and so desirous for others to hear it. At the offertory when she stood alone she had found herself looking over the congregation in the hope that at the last he might come in. He wasn't there, but near the door, close up in a corner, some one was sitting, whose face she could not see distinctly and who, when she was through singing, rose up as if to leave, but resumed his seat, and she thought no more about him until church was out. Then, with others she heard of the trouble at the hotel and that Jack had had the effrontery to come to church, sitting by the door and behaving in a very nervous, restless manner, the sexton said in speaking of him.

"Brought his satchel with him and acted as if he couldn't keep still, and once he did get up to go, but I shook my head at him and he sat down again. He put a dollar in the box, any way."