"It's getting on toward noon, gentlemen," he said, in an impatient voice.
The business meeting which followed was for a considerable time confined to hearing extracts from the books and papers read in a swift and formal fashion by Mr.Gorringe.If this was intended to inform the new pastor of the exact financial situation in Octavius, it lamentably failed of its purpose.

Theron had little knowledge of figures; and though he tried hard to listen, and to assume an air of comprehension, he did not understand much of what he heard.

In a general way he gathered that the church property was put down at $12,000, on which there was a debt of $4,800.

The annual expenses were $2,250, of which the principal items were $800 for his salary, $170 for the rent of the parsonage, and $319 for interest on the debt.

It seemed that last year the receipts had fallen just under $2,000, and they now confronted the necessity of making good this deficit during the coming year, as well as increasing the regular revenues.