In spite of herself, Rosie began to feel reassured. "But, Danny," she
insisted, "even if it's not dangerous, don't you think it's crooked for
a girl that's engaged to let other men give her presents and take her
out?"

"Maybe it is and maybe it ain't. I dunno. It's hard to make a rule about
it. You see it's this way, Rosie: When a girl's engaged she's usually in
love with the fella she's engaged to, or why is she engaged to him? Now,
when she's in love, she don't want presents from any but one man.
Presents from other fellas don't interest her. So, you see, there's no
need to be makin' a rule, for the thing settles itself. Now if Ellen is
getting presents from this new fella, Harry, it looks to me like she
ain't very much in love with Jarge."

"That's exactly what I'm telling you, Danny. She's not."

"So the likelihood is, she's not going to marry Jarge." Danny concluded
with a smile that was intended to cheer Rosie.

"I wish she wasn't," Rosie murmured. Then she added hastily: "No, I
don't mean that, because it would break Jarge's heart!"

Danny scoffed: "Break Jarge's heart, indeed! Many a young hothead
before Jarge has had a broken heart and got over it!"

"But, Danny," Rosie wailed, "you don't know Jarge!"

There were such depths of tenderness in Rosie's tone that Danny checked
the smile which was on his lips and made the hearty declaration: "He
sure is a fine lad, this same Jarge!"

"Well, Danny, listen here: if Harry comes on Saturday, shall I tell
Jarge?"

Danny looked at her kindly. "Mercy on us, Rosie, what a worryin' little
hen you are! If you ask me advice, I'd say: Let Saturday take care of
itself."

Rosie wiped her eyes slowly. "It's all very well for you to talk that
way. But I tell you one thing: if Jarge was your dear friend like he's
mine, you wouldn't want to stand by and see this Harry fella cut him
out."

Danny gave a non-committal sigh and looked away. "I don't know about
that, Rosie. I think it might be an awful good thing for Jarge if Harry
did cut him out."

"But, Danny," Rosie cried, "think how it would hurt Jarge!"

Danny's answer was unfeeling. "There's worse things can happen to a man
than being hurt."

Rosie's manner stiffened perceptibly. "Very well, Mr. Agin, if that's
how you feel about it, I guess I better be going."

"Ah, don't go yet," Danny begged.

Rosie, already started, turned back long enough to say, with frigid
politeness: "Good-bye, Mr. Agin."

At the gate