“What about you, Jo?” asked Mrs. Seymour gently. It seemed as though the farm boy had suddenly grown lonely as new plans began to be talked over. “Have you any idea about what you wish to do with your share?”
“I have always wanted to go to a bigger school than we have here,” Jo answered slowly, “but pop never seemed to be able to get ahead enough to send me and hire help in my place. Perhaps he might be able to manage without me for a while now.”
“Father!” exclaimed Ann. She had not said anything about her own plans; it seemed as if everybody ought to know what she would do with her money, she had wanted one thing for such a long time. Any share given to her would go toward her western ranch; five minutes ago she wouldn’t have supposed that any other use of it would be possible. But now she knew differently. “Father! I am going to lend mine to Jo, to make his last longer.”
Mr. Seymour looked at Jo. “Will you accept Ann’s offer?” he asked.
The boy was dazed; it took him a moment to answer. “I don’t rightly know why she should do that for me,” he said finally, “but I do think kindly of her for being so generous.”
“I want to do it, Jo! Why shouldn’t I? Think of all you have done for us this summer. And besides that, if we are going to have a ranch together sometime, one of us will really have to know something. I am sure I couldn’t learn how to add or subtract any better than I do now.”
At last they all trooped to bed and slept soundly. Now that the haunted ship had become a solved puzzle each one of them had his own new dream.
The next morning broke clear and bright. The rain of the night had painted the grass a new green, the sky was cloudless. The sun woke Ann and she dressed hurriedly.
What a glorious day! She peered out of the window, glad that she was alive.
Something out there was different. What?