or old Danny Agin, too, ..." Rosie felt for her handkerchief.

"Well," George complained, "I don't see why you go offering me the worst
old snags in town! Why don't you pick out a few nice ones?"

Rosie swallowed quite pathetically and blinked her eyes toward the
ceiling. It has been observed that gazing fixedly at the ceiling very
often conduces to inspiration. Apparently it was to be so with Rosie.
The expression on her face slowly changed. She turned to George a little
shyly.

"I was just wondering, Jarge, whether, maybe, _I_ wouldn't do."

It must have been an inspiration! To attribute such a suggestion to
anything else would be to credit Rosie with a depth of guile which only
supreme feminine art could have compassed.

George at least saw no guile. His face glowed. He actually shouted in an
exuberance of relief. "Would you, Rosie? That'd be fine! We'd have a
bully time together!" Then he paused. "But, Rosie, do you think you're
big enough? I wouldn't think Ellen would get jealous of a little girl
like you."

Rosie shook her head reassuringly. "Don't you worry about me. I'm plenty
big enough. Besides, I don't count. You're the only one that counts. All
you've got to do is make love to almost any one. If it's some one you
like, then it'll be all the easier for you."

"Well, you know I like you all right, Rosie." The heartiness in George's
tone was unmistakable. "I just love to spend money on you, Rosie! That's
a great idea! Who thought of it, Danny or you?"

"Not Danny," Rosie answered promptly. "I thought of it myself--I mean,"
she added, "I thought of it just now. And you think it's a good idea, do
you, Jarge?"

"Good? You bet your life I think it's good! Why, do you know, Rosie,
when you began talking about Aggie Kearney and Polly Russell and those
Ginneys around the corner, you made me plumb sick! I was ready to throw
up the whole thing! I sure am glad you happened to think about yourself
on time!"

"H'm!" murmured Rosie.

"I mean it!" George insisted. "Let's start out tonight! What shall it
be, a street-car ride or the movies?"

"Just as you say." Rosie, with sweet deference, put the whole thing into
George's hands. "They're going to give the 'Two Orphans' at the Gem.
Three reels. I saw the posters this morning. But you decide, Jarge.
Whatever you say will be all right."

With a fine masterfulness George made the decision. "Well, I say movies
for tonight." He reached across the table and patted R