Mary Roberts Rinehart

“ To all men is given such faith at the beginning of life, and some keep it to the end. But here and there is one who has lost it, who cannot turn his eyes up and say "Lord, Lord." Old Hilary bad not kept the faith.
Years ago he had not been evil. He had gone from philosophy into unbelief, that route which all must travel. But, unlike the many, he had not come back.
He had started with socialism, but socialism must be founded on the Christ, and him he scorned. So from socialism he had drifted to anarchy. To rob the rich and give to the poor, at first. ”

“ Once a year the association closed its books. During all of the June before old Hilary's sudden death, Elinor had been busy arranging figures, collecting data in the cryptic shorthand she knew. Then, on the first of July, Hilary gave his annual dinner.
The band, from twelve, was down to five. Boroday, the Russian, glancing around the table, shrugged his shoulders. It was the chance of the game they played, and percentages would he larger. Nevertheless there was a weight of depression over them all.
Elinor was at her father's right, simply dressed. The dinners were always a trial to her. ”

“ Suspicion had been dawning in old Hilary's eyes.
"Death is the end," he said tersely, and quoted Darwin and Haeckel to her. But at the end of the drive he interviewed Mademoiselle, and sent her flying to her chamber, where from under the carpet beneath her bureau, she got her rosary and wept over it.
Elinor was twenty the year her father died, a slender girl, fond of flowers. rather a dreamer. Well educated, too. Old Hilary had seen to that; she knew Muluto. Haeckel, Bakunin; spoke French and Spanish—Hilary had spent much time In Central America helping the insurgents ”