sense than you have any day and we don't think it's shucks! Now you
listen to what I say and maybe you'll learn something."

But George still seemed unwilling to learn. "Aw, what do I want to go
chasing girls for? I don't like 'em, and besides, 'tain't nuthin' but a
tomfool waste of time and money!"

Rosie was scornful. "Is it because you're afraid of spending a cent?"

George met the charge calmly. "I wouldn't be afraid to spend all I make
on the right girl, but with all the places I got to put money, just tell
me, please, what's the sense of my throwing it away on some girl I don't
care beans about?"

"So's to get a chance at the girl you do care beans about!" Rosie was
emphatic. "Now I tell you one thing Jarge Riley: I don't think much of
Ellen and I think it would be a good deal better for you if she never
would look at you, but you're in love with her and you think you've got
to have her, and I've promised you I'd help you. Now: Are you going to
be sensible or aren't you?"

George refused to commit himself. Instead he asked: "How much do you
reckon this fool scheme would cost a fellow?"

Rosie was ready with a detailed estimate. "It would come to from five to
thirty cents every day."

"Every day!" George was fairly outraged at the suggestion. "Do you mean
to say you've got the cheek to expect me to go sporting some fool girl
every day?"

Rosie was firm. "That's exactly what I mean. I suppose you think the way
to make love to a girl is to give her an ice-cream soda once a month.
Well, it just ain't!"

George continued obstinate. "I'm not saying I know how to make love to a
girl because I don't and, what's more, I don't care. But I'll be blamed
if I'm willing to do more than one ice-cream soda a month for any girl
alive!"

Rosie caught him up sharply: "Not even for Ellen?"

"Ellen! Ellen's different! I'd like to do something for her every day of
her life."

"H'm! What, for instance?"

"Well, I ain't got much money, so I can't do very big things, but I'd
like to take her to the movies or on a street-car ride or buy her some
peanuts or candy or all kinds o' little things like that. I know they
ain't much in themselves, but if a fellow does them all the time, it
seems to me a girl ought to know that he's thinking about her a good
deal."

"Oh, Jarge, you're such a child!" Rosie smiled on him in womanly
amusement. "First you say you don't know how to make love and then you
tell just exactly how to do