Elizabeth lifted her hand and turned his face toward her. He looked down and gave up.
“There ain’t no use pretending to you. I sold her.”
“You sold the Jennie P.?”
“I sold the Jennie P.,” he repeated slowly, as though it were hard for him to comprehend that fact. “You see, I didn’t have no more real need for her, and ’twas kind of expensive to keep her afloat.”
“Nonsense!” exclaimed the girl.
“It was a mite expensive, honest, Beth.”
“Uncle Josiah! Why didn’t you come to me if you were in need of money?”
“I owe your father more now than I’d otter.”
“But I love you so!”
The big shoulders gave a decided heave. “That’s wuth more to me than all the money in the world.”