Rosie washed the dinner dishes in silence, thinking to herself what a cold-blooded family she had. There was poor wee Jackie out there drowning, for all they knew, and not one of them willing to stretch forth a helping hand. She escaped as soon as she could to seek the sympathy of her friend, Janet McFadden.
Another blow was in store for her. Janet heard her out and then said: "But, Rosie, don't all boys go swimming?"
Rosie was ready to weep with vexation. "What do I care what all boys do? This is Jack!"
"Well," said Janet, with maddening logic, "even if it is Jack, I guess Jack's a boy."
Drawing herself up to her greatest height, Rosie looked her friend full in the face. "If that's all you got to say, Janet McFadden, I guess I had better be going. Good-bye."
"Don't you want me to help with your papers this afternoon?" Janet called after her.
"No!" Rosie spoke brusquely, then added lamely: "I'm in a hurry today."
"Oh, very well!" Janet lifted her head and tightened her lips. "I'm sure I don't want to go where I'm not wanted."
"So she's mad at me, too!" Rosie told herself as she hurried off, feeling more miserable than before.
She got her papers and went about delivering them, nursing her grief in her heart, till she came to old Danny Agin's cottage. Then she talked and Danny, as usual, listened quietly and sympathetically.