e could only answer stiffly, though
somewhat lamely: "My father's different!"

"I should think he was different! And when he hands over money which
goes to support his own family, I see you and your mother and the rest
of you falling down on your knees and saying: 'Oh, thank you, dear
father! You are so noble!' Well, that's what you expect me to do to my
old man and that's what he expects, too, because for a week or so he's
been paying the bills he ought to pay. And when I don't say it I wish
you'd see how injured he looks."

Rosie could not meet the logic of Janet's position, but logic is not
everything in this life. "I don't care what you say, Janet," she
persisted, "I don't think it would hurt you one bit to say 'Thank you'
to him."

Janet started to answer again, then stopped with a laugh. "Tell you
what, Rosie, I promise you this: I'll say 'Thank you' to him as soon as
you say 'Thank you' to your father for the three meals you eat every
day, for the clothes you wear, for the house you live in."

It was Rosie's turn to flare up. "Janet McFadden, you're crazy! Haven't
I a right to all those things? Don't I do my share of work in the
family?"

"Yes, Rosie, you do and I'm not saying that you haven't every right to
them. But why don't you see that I've got the same right? Don't I work
as hard as you? And hasn't my poor mother worked harder than your mother
has ever worked? My father's got out of the way of supporting us, so I'm
not surprised that he thinks he's a wonder when he does it for a couple
of days, but search me if I see why you should think so, too, when your
father has always supported you without saying a word about it." Janet
paused, then ended with a rush: "Oh, don't you see, it would choke me to
say 'Thank you' to him with ma lying there in the hospital like a dead
woman! Why hasn't he always done this? There's nothing he can do now to
make up for all those years. It's too late! Even if she does get well,
she'll never be the same. The nurse told me." Janet hid her face in her
arm and dry gasping sobs began to shake her body.

"Aw, now, Janet, don't!" Rosie begged. "I see what you mean and I don't
blame you--honest I don't."

The issue that Janet had raised was a little beyond Rosie's
understanding, but Rosie did realize that Janet was right. Janet's point
of view often startled and dismayed her. As on this occasion she would
always begin disputing it vehemently and end meekly accepting it.

If R