A CHANCE FOR GERALDINE
After finishing her household duties and preparing Geraldine's last
bottle, Rosie had nothing more to do but to enjoy the cool of the
evening with the rest of the family. They were seated on the little
front porch, Mrs. O'Brien and Jamie on chairs and Terence on the porch
steps. Rosie took her place opposite Terence to await the arrival of
George Riley.
In good time he came, bursting with his bit of news. "Hello, Rosie!
Hello, everybody!" he called out before he was inside the gate. He had a
letter in his hand which he waved excitedly in Rosie's face.
"See this, Rosie? It's from mother; and what do you think? You and
Geraldine are to go out to the country for two weeks and maybe three!
What do you say to that?"
For a moment Rosie had nothing to say. Then she gasped: "Why, Jarge,
what do you mean?"
"And you're to start tomorrow, Rosie, on the eleven o'clock train, and
dad'll be at the station to meet you. You'll know him 'cause he looks
just like the farmers in the Sunday papers, with a big straw hat and
thin whiskers. And he drives an old white horse--Billy's his name."
"Mercy on us, Jarge Riley, how you talk!" Mrs. O'Brien leaned forward in
excitement. "What's this ye're sayin'?"
George laughed and started over again. "You see, Mis' O'Brien, Rosie and
me was talking the other day about babies and the country, and then
Geraldine began crying and I thought to myself, 'Well, I'll just write
to mother and see.' I wrote that morning, and here's the answer. The
postman gave it to me as I was starting out this afternoon."
"That's it, is it?" Mrs. O'Brien seemed to understand perfectly. To
Rosie, however, the news still sounded too good to be true.
"Jarge, do you mean your mother has invited Geraldine and me out to the
country for a couple o' weeks?"
"Sure, that's what I mean. And you're to start tomorrow----"
"Oh, Jarge, and can Geraldine sleep on the upstairs porch where the
breeze always blows and they's no mosquitoes or flies?"
"O' course she can, and you can, too!"
Rosie was laughing and crying together. "Do you hear that, Ma? She's
going to have a chance to sleep and get back her strength and then
she'll be able to pull over this horrible teething time, and then she
won't--she won't have to die!"
Rosie put her arms about George's neck and covered his cheek with tears
and kisses. Then suddenly she paused.
"But, Jarge, I don't know whether I can go! What about my papers?"
George laughed. "Aw, let the papers go blow! Anyway, can't Janet
McFadden take them?"
Rosie appealed to Terry. "Can she, Terry?"
Terry nodded. "Sure she can. Don't you worry about those papers. Me and
Janet'll get on all right. You take Geraldine and skip off and stay away
as long as Mis' Riley wants you."
George spread out his hands. "So you see, Rosie, everything's arranged.
You're to start tomorrow on the eleven----"
"But, Jarge, wait a minute! We can't start tomorrow 'cause our things
aren't ready. A whole lot of Geraldine's clothes and mine, too, got to
be washed."
"Can't you take 'em with you and wash 'em in the country?"
"Oh, Jarge!" The suggestion was evidently a horrible one, for Mrs.
O'Brien and Rosie spoke together.
George looked troubled. "But, Rosie, you got to start tomorrow. Didn't I
tell you that dad and Billy are going to drive down to meet you?"
Mrs. O'Brien stood up. "Make your mind easy, Jarge. Rosie'll be ready on
time. I'll go in this minute and do that washin' now, and the things'll
be all dry and ready for ironin' by early mornin'."
Rosie gasped. "Why, Ma, it's going on ten o'clock!"
"Rosie dear, I don't care what o'clock it's going on. If it's the last
mortal thing I ever do for you, I'm going to do that washin' tonight,
for, if I do say it, ye're the best child that ever trod shoe-leather."
Jamie O'Brien's tilted chair came down on the porch floor with a thud,
while Jamie remarked solemnly: "You're right, Maggie; she is!"
Mrs. O'Brien moved toward the door. "Come on, Rosie dear, and help me
gather the things."
Rosie started up, then paused to glance from one to another of them. In
the soft glow of the summer night she could see that they were all
looking at her with the same expression of love and tenderness. Rosie
choked. "I don't see why--everybody's--so kind--to me!"
She turned back to George. "And I've been just horrible to you, Jarge!
You'll forgive me, won't you? I guess it was the weather."
"Aw, go on!" George spoke with a gruffness that deceived nobody. "I
guess it's been the weather with all of us!"