task of working out its
solution.

"Do you know, Danny," she remarked that afternoon to her old friend,
"I'd give anything to go off somewheres where I don't know anybody and
where nobody knows me. I'm just so tired of this old town that I don't
know what to do."

Danny nodded sympathetically. "I'm thinking you're in need of a little
change, Rosie. Maybe you could go out to the country for a day or two at
Thanksgiving."

Rosie knew perfectly well what Danny meant but, for conversational
reasons, she asked: "Where in the country, Danny?"

"Well, I was thinking of the Riley farm. I'm sure Mrs. Riley would be
crazy to have you."

Rosie shook her head. "I can't go out there because Jarge is coming
here." She paused a moment. "He's coming to see Ellen. You know, Danny,
he thinks he's engaged to Ellen."

"What!" Danny's little eyes blinked rapidly. "Don't he know yet that
she's married to the other fella?"

"How can he know when no one's told him? Ellen said she would, but of
course she didn't."

Danny's expression grew serious. "Rosie dear, he ought to be told! He
ought t' have been told at once! You don't mean to say, Rosie, you'll
let him come down on Thanksgiving without a word of warning?"

Rosie shrugged her shoulders. "I don't see that it's any of my
business."

Danny looked at her sharply. "Why, Rosie dear, what's come over you?"

Rosie sighed. "I don't know, Danny. I'm just kind o' tired of things."
She made a sudden change of subject. "Wisht I didn't have to go to
school! I hate school this year. I don't see why I have to go, anyway.
I'm not going to be a teacher."

There was no mistaking Rosie's dejection and Danny, instead of scoffing
it away, accepted it quietly.

"I'm sorry to hear you say that about school, Rosie. I was thinkin'
you'd be in High School next year."

"I would be, if I passed. Ellen went through High School, and now
Terry's in the first year, and of course dad wants me to go, too. But I
don't see why I should. You know, Danny, I'm not very bright in school.
I'm not a bit like Janet. I've got to work awful hard just barely to
pass. I don't think I'd have passed last year if Janet hadn't helped me.
But I can cook and do a lot of things that Janet can't do. I know
perfectly well I could never be a teacher, so I don't see the use of
keeping on at school."

"You surprise me, Rosie!" Danny peered at her earnestly. "Do you think
that's the only reason for going to school--so's to be