hought of
it sooner. She would discuss it with Janet in the morning.... Yes,
morning--morning. Then dream and waking flowed together and she felt
Janet patting her arm and she heard Janet's voice saying, "Morning! It's
morning, Rosie! Wake up!"

Rosie opened her eyes with a pop. "Why, I've been asleep, haven't I?"

"I should think you had!" Janet told her. "You've been laughing and
talking to yourself to beat the band. It's time to get up now. I want
you to go to the grocery and, while you're out, I'll get him up."

CHAPTER XXX

JANET TO HER OWN FATHER

When Rosie got back from the grocery, Dave McFadden was washing his face
at the sink. He paid no attention to Rosie and, in fact, seemed not to
see her until he sat down to breakfast. Then he looked at her in
surprise.

"Why, hello, Rosie! Where did you come from?"

He was a large powerfully built man, dark, with sombre cavernous eyes
and a gaunt face. His voice was not unkind nor was his glance.

Rosie spoke to him politely: "Good-morning, Mr. McFadden."

"Rosie's been here all night," Janet announced.

"All night!" Dave looked around a little startled. "Where's your
mother?"

"My mother?" Janet spoke indifferently. "Oh, she's at the hospital.
She's been there since yesterday morning. I tried to tell you about her
last night."

Dave put down his coffee cup heavily. "What's the matter with her?"

"The doctor said it was overwork and worry."

"Overwork and worry! What are you talking about? They don't put people
in the hospital for overwork and worry!" Dave spoke with a rising
irritation. "Can't you tell me something that's got some sense to it?"

Janet answered casually as though relating an adventure that in no way
touched herself. "I can tell you the whole thing if you want to hear it.
We were on the street going to Mrs. Lamont's for the washing when
suddenly ma jumped and her hands went up and she shook, and I looked
where she was looking because I thought there must be a snake or
something on the sidewalk. Then, before I knew what was happening, she
screamed and fell and her eyes began rolling and she bit with her mouth
until her lips were all bloody and her head jerked around and--and--it
was awful!" With a sob in which there was left no pretence of
indifference, Janet put her hands before her face to shut out the horror
of the scene.

The details were as new to Rosie as to Dave. Janet had not even hinted
that it was _this_ which had hap