find them saving every cent
to put the children through school, or pay for their home, or take care
of the old folks. I tell you, Rosie, you got to save if ever you get
anywhere in this world!"

"But, Jarge, I--I think I just got to go to that Dog Show now."

George laughed and gave her a little hug. "All right, kiddo. Here's the
quarter. Have a good time and tell me about it afterwards. Next week,
you know, you can begin saving in earnest. My trunk----"

"Please, Jarge," Rosie begged, "don't make me promise. Give me a week to
think about it."

"Of course you can have a week to think about it." They were standing up
now, ready to go into the house. "But I know all right what you'll
decide."

"How do you know?"

George stooped and gave her a hearty country kiss, smack on the mouth.
"Because I know there's nothing of the mucker about Rosie O'Brien!"

And Rosie, as she slipped upstairs, tying the quarter in the corner of
her handkerchief, suddenly realized that she was no longer unhappy. How
could any one be unhappy who had a friend as good and as kind as George
Riley? And, in addition to him, she had nice old Terry--hadn't he given
her a nickel and been sorry it wasn't a quarter?--and dear little Jackie
and the faithful Janet and poor old Danny Agin, too! Thank goodness,
neither Ellen nor any one else could steal them away from her!

CHAPTER VI

JACKIE

In declaring that Ellen would repay the money she had taken from Rosie's
bank, Mrs. O'Brien had spoken in all sincerity. She was perfectly
convinced in her own mind that every one of her children would always do
exactly as he should do. She was willing to acknowledge that the poor
dears might occasionally make mistakes, but such mistakes, she was
certain, were mistakes of judgment, not of principle. Give them time,
she begged, and in the end they would do the right thing. She'd stake
her word on that!

Ellen's own attitude was one of annoyance, not to say resentment, that
she had been forced to raise money for the curls in so troublesome a
manner. Rosie's reproachful glances and Terry's revilings irritated but
in no way touched her. In fact, she seemed to think that, in
appropriating Rosie's savings, she had been acting entirely within her
rights. She would never have been guilty of touching anything belonging
to an outsider but, like many selfish people, she had as little respect
for the property of the members of her own immediate family as she had