Rosie had not spoken of George Riley during Ellen's last week. She had tried to suppress even the thought of him. Now the time was come when she had again to think of him, and she was so tired and weary of the whole problem that she felt unequal to the 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."