THE WATCH-DOG
That night at supper, Ellen remarked casually: "Harry's coming to town
on Saturday, and if he comes up here, I want you all to treat him nice."
Mrs. O'Brien glanced at Rosie a little nervously. "But, Ellen dear," she
asked, "why does he want to be coming up here?"
Ellen smiled on her mother patronisingly. "It looks like he wants to
call on me."
Mrs. O'Brien lifted hands in vague protest. "But tell me, now, do you
think Jarge----" She hadn't courage to finish her sentence.
Terence looked over to Rosie with a sudden chuckle. "Say, Rosie,
wouldn't it be fun if Jarge happened in? Let's drop him a line. Gee!
Maybe he wouldn't do a thing to that St. Louis guy!"
"Ma!" Ellen admonished, sharply.
"Terry lad," Mrs. O'Brien began, obediently, "I'm surprised at you
talkin' this way about the young gentleman that's coming to see your
poor sister Ellen on Saturday night."
Terence pushed away his plate and began writing an imaginary postcard
with a spoon. "Dear Jarge," he read slowly; "Won't you please come in
on Saturday night? We're arranging a little surprise for Ellen. Yours
truly, Terence O'Brien. Gee!" Terry murmured thoughtfully, "I wish he
would come! It sure would be worth seeing!"
"Now, Terry," Mrs. O'Brien begged, "promise me you'll do nuthin' so
foolish as that! You know yourself the awful temper Jarge has on him,
an' if he was to come I'm afeared there'd be something serious. Don't
you think, Ellen dear," she went on a little timidly, "that perhaps
you'd better tell Mr. Harry not to come this week?"
Ellen looked at her mother defiantly. "I don't see why. This week's as
good as any other for me."
"Well, then, don't you think that perhaps he'd better make you a little
call down at the shop? With so many children and things the house is a
wee bit untidy."
"It's his own idea to come up here." Ellen paused, a trifle embarrassed.
"He says he wants to meet the family."
"H'm!" murmured Terry. "He's not like your old friend, Mr. Hawes, is he,
Ellen?"
Ellen flushed. "No, Terry, he's not a bit like Mr. Hawes."
Small Jack piped up unexpectedly. "Is he like Jarge, Ellen?"
"No, he's not like George, either."
"Can he fight?"
Ellen tossed her head. "I should hope not! Harry Long is a gentleman!"
Seeing that this was not a very strong recommendation to her brothers,
she added: "But, unless I'm very much mistaken, he's plenty able to take
care of himself. He's a fine swimmer, too."
"Is he a sport, Ellen?" Terry asked.
"He's certainly an elegant dresser, if that's what you mean. Just you
wait and see."
Friday's letter put Ellen into something of a flurry.
"Ma, Harry thinks it would be awful nice if you would invite him to
supper tomorrow night. He's coming to the shop in the morning. Then
he'll take me out to lunch and we'll go somewheres in the afternoon, and
he wants to know if we can't come back here for supper. He thinks that
would be a good way for him to meet the whole family."
"Mercy on us!" Mrs. O'Brien wailed. "With all I've got to do, how can I
get up a fine supper for a sporty young gent like Mr. Harry? Can't you
keep him out, Ellen? I don't see why he's got to meet the family. We're
just like any other family: a father, a mother, and five children."
"But, Ma, he makes such a point of it. I don't see how we can refuse.
Besides, you know he's been pretty nice to me taking me out to dinner
and things."
"If he was only Jarge Riley now," Mrs. O'Brien mused, "I wouldn't mind
him at all, at all, for he wouldn't be a bit of trouble. Poor Jarge was
always just like one of the family, wasn't he?"
Ellen drew her mother back to the subject of the moment. "So can I tell
him to come?"
Mrs. O'Brien sighed. "Oh, I suppose so. That is, if Rosie'll help me. I
tell you frankly, Ellen, I simply can't manage it alone."
Mrs. O'Brien called Rosie to get the promise of her assistance. Rosie
listened quietly, then, instead of answering her mother, she turned to
her sister.
"Ellen, I want to know one thing: Have you told this Harry about Jarge
Riley?"
Ellen frowned. "I don't see what that's got to do with tomorrow's
supper."
Rosie took a deep breath. "It's got a lot to do with it if I'm going to
help."
For a moment the sisters measured each other in silence. Then Ellen
broke out petulantly:
"Well, then, Miss Busybody, if you've got to know, I haven't! And,
what's more, I'm not going to!"
"You're not going to, eh? We'll see about that." Rosie turned to her
mother. "Ma, I'll help you tomorrow night. We'll have a good supper. But
I want to give you both fair warning: if Ellen don't tell this Harry
about Jarge Riley, I will! She's trying to make a goat of both of them
and I'm not going to stand for it."
"Ma!" screamed Ellen, "are you going to let her meddle with my affairs
like that? You make her mind her own business!"
"Rosie dear," begged Mrs. O'Brien, "don't go excitin' your poor sister
Ellen by any such foolish threats. You'd only be causin' trouble, Rosie,
and I'm sure you don't want to do that. And, Ellen dear, don't raise
your voice. The neighbours will hear you."
"I don't care!" Ellen shouted. "She's nothing but George's little
watch-dog, and I tell you I'm not going to stand it!"
"Perhaps, Ellen dear," Mrs. O'Brien ventured timidly, "it might be just
as well if you did tell him about Jarge."
Ellen burst into tears. "You're all against me, every one of you--that's
what you are! You're so afraid I'll have a good time! Isn't George
coming on Thanksgiving and aren't we to be married in the spring? I
should think that would suit you! But, no, you've got to spoil my fun
now and it's a mean shame--that's what it is!"
"Ah, now, Ellen dear, don't you cry!" Mrs. O'Brien implored. "I'm sure
Rosie is not going to interfere, are you, Rosie?"
Rosie regarded her sister's tears unmoved. "I'm going to do exactly what
I say I am, and Ellen knows I am."
Ellen straightened herself with a shake. "Very well," she said shortly.
"I guess I can be mean, too! You just wait!"