eeth are certainly through. I
let her bite my finger on both sides, just to see."

Perhaps Janet was right. Perhaps things were arranging themselves.
Rosie's heart sang a tremulous little song of happiness as she rubbed
herself dry and put on fresh clothes. The world wasn't such a bad place
after all, and the people in it weren't so bad, either. There was
Janet--good, kind Janet--and Terry, and nice old George Riley--Rosie
stopped short to scowl at herself in amazement. Then she repeated,
defiantly, _nice old George Riley_. For he _was_ nice! And he always had
been nice, too! What if he had forgotten himself once? Hadn't other
people as well? Hadn't everybody, Rosie herself included, been crazy
with the heat?

As Rosie looked at things now her only surprise was that George hadn't
forgotten himself oftener! Come to think of it, he had kept his temper
better than any one else in the family.... Dear old George! Rosie wanted
to put her arms about his neck that instant and tell him how much she
loved him.

Her first way of doing this was by saying to him as she handed him his
supper-pail at six o'clock: "Oh, Jarge, what do you think? Geraldine's
been asleep all afternoon!" This was a greeting very different from a
cold, "Good-evening, Jarge," and George would understand the difference.

He did. His face beamed with understanding. "I'm awful glad, Rosie;
honest I am!" Then as he ran back to his car he called out: "Rosie, wait
up for me tonight. I've got something to tell you--something fine!"

"All right, Jarge, I will!" Rosie spoke with all her old-time
enthusiasm, and waved him a frantic farewell.

CHAPTER XXII

A CHANCE FOR GERALDINE

After finishing her household duties and preparing Geraldine's last
bottle, Rosie had nothing more to do but to enjoy the cool of the
evening with the rest of the family. They were seated on the little
front porch, Mrs. O'Brien and Jamie on chairs and Terence on the porch
steps. Rosie took her place opposite Terence to await the arrival of
George Riley.

In good time he came, bursting with his bit of news. "Hello, Rosie!
Hello, everybody!" he called out before he was inside the gate. He had a
letter in his hand which he waved excitedly in Rosie's face.

"See this, Rosie? It's from mother; and what do you think? You and
Geraldine are to go out to the country for two weeks and maybe three!
What do you say to that?"

For a moment Rosie had nothing to say. Then she gasped: "