Agin's experiment. Ellen never had and
never would care two straws about George Riley and now, with something
else to occupy her mind, she had forgotten even the slight pique which
Rosie's little affair had at first excited. Rosie wondered whether
honesty required her to point this out to George. She tried to once or
twice, but George was so slow at understanding what she was talking
about that at last she desisted.

The truth was, George was having so good a time playing his and Rosie's
little game that he was in a fair way of forgetting that it was a game.
Not that he was falling in love with Rosie. Rosie was only a little girl
of whom he was tremendously fond and to his northern mind, as to
Rosie's, the idea that a man should fall in love with a little girl was
a preposterous one. His affection for her was founded solidly on the
approval of reason. It had not in it one bit of the wild unreason which
characterized his feeling for Ellen. They were pals, he and Rosie, who
understood and appreciated each other and who enjoyed going off on
little larks together. Since these larks had become a regular thing,
life for George had regained its normal zest, as it does for any man
once fresh interests begin to occupy the leisure moments heretofore
given up to a fruitless passion. A look, a word, would have awakened the
old passion, but for the present no look was being given, no word
spoken.

So Rosie, seeing George happy, could only sigh, hoping it wasn't
cheating on her part not to tell him the truth. Except for this scruple
of conscience, she was very happy herself. Her little world was jogging
comfortably along: Geraldine was well; for Janet McFadden life seemed to
be brightening; and for Janet as well as Rosie the waning summer was
affording many treats. Janet's cousin, Tom Sullivan, was making a good
deal of money on summer jobs and was squandering his earnings lavishly
on his two lady friends.

"Just think, Rosie," Janet announced one day, "Tom wants to give us
another picnic! You know I've always told you how generous he is."

"I know he is," Rosie agreed. "Tom sure is nice. It wouldn't surprise me
one bit if he grows up as nice as Jarge Riley. What's this new picnic,
and when is it to be?"

"For Labour Day. He says he'll pay Jackie to take your papers and that
you and me and him will all go downtown to the parade. After the parade
we'll eat supper at a restaurant and after that we'll go to the movies."
Janet pau