Faith turned these things over and over in her mind.
"Father," said she, after a while--the conversation having been dropped at the old conclusion, and nobody appearing to have anything more to say--"I don't know anything about business; but I wish you'd tell me how much money you've got!"
Her father laughed; a sad sort of laugh though, that was not so much amusement as tenderness and pity. Then, as if the whole thing were a mere joke, yet with a shade upon his face that betrayed there was far too much truth under the jest, after all, he took out his portemonnaie and told her to look and see.
"You know I don't mean that, father! How much in the bank, and everywhere?"
"Precious little in the bank, now, Faithie. Enough to keep house with for a year, nearly, perhaps. But if I were to take it and go off and spend it in traveling, you can understand that the housekeeping would fall short, can't you?"
Faith looked horrified. She was bringing down her vague ideas of money that came from somewhere, through her father's pocket, as water comes from Lake Kinsittewink by the turning of a faucet, to the narrow point of actuality.
"But that isn't all, I know! I've heard you talk about railroad dividends, and such things."
"Oh! what does the Western Road pay this time?" asked his wife.
"And where's the money, father?" asked Faith.
"Gone to pay debts, child," was the answer.
Mrs. Gartney said nothing, but she looked very grave. Her husband surmised, perhaps, that she would go on to imagine worse than had really happened, and so added, presently:
"I haven't been obliged to sell _all_ my railroad stocks, wifey. I held on to some. There's the New York Central all safe; and the Michigan Central, too. That wouldn't have sold so well, to be sure, just when I was wanting the money; but things are looking better, now."
"Father," said Faithie, with her most coaxing little smile, "please just take this bit of paper and pencil, and set down these stocks and things, will you?"
The little smile worked its way; and half in idleness, half in acquiescence, Mr. Gartney took the pencil and noted down a short list of items.
"It's very little, Faith, you see." They ran thus:
New York Central Railroad 20 shares. Michigan Central " 15 " Kinnicutt Branch " 10 " Mishaumok Insurance Co. 15 " Merchants Bank 30 "