“About a dollar, isn’t it, Ted?”
“Eighty-five cents, to be exact.”
“What on earth were you going to do?” demanded Margie.
“Oh, we had food enough and all our seed and tools, so, after planting, we were going to hire out to our neighbours, if we could,” returned Phil.
“Steve offered us each a job at fifty dollars a month, when we first came,” said Ted. “We figured we could work a month while our stuff was growing. That would give us back the hundred we lost.”
“The idee, and me with the two hundred Winthrop Porter loaned me in my pocket,” exclaimed Jasper. “Here, take it.” And drawing out his well-worn wallet, Mr. Jay again took out the two bills.
“We settled that once, Mr. Jay,” said Phil. And he explained his decision to his mother.
“My boy decided rightly, Mr. Jay,” declared Mrs. Porter. “Besides, I have about three hundred dollars, so that we shall do very well.”
And though both Joy and her father urged them to take the money, the Porters refused.
“Why, you’ve lost everything except what you brought in your schooner,” exclaimed Phil. “You need it even more than we do.”