My, you’ve grown up.” Silas Plank was a hale old man of sixty-eight years. The outdoors life had given him a ruddy complexion, and his hair was snow white. But still there was a life in his eyes, and he leaned forward toward her where he had placed her in a chair and fixed her a cup of tea. “I was so sorry to hear about your daddy. He was a good man. Good to me.” “He thought a lot about you, Mr. Plank.” “I’ve thought about those days on the River Queen. If those two boilers hadn’t cracked, I think he could have made a lot of money with it.” “That’s what I want to talk to you about,” Julienne said quickly. “I didn’t quite understand what happened to the River Queen.” “She was a good, hardworking boat,” he said solidly, and glanced at her questioningly. “Do you have any idea about how a steamer works?” “I’m afraid not.” “You seem like a sharp young lady, so I think I can explain it to you.
