oment of impressive silence, Rosie continued: "Any ordinary, ignur'nt,
healthy woman, with lots of good milk, can raise a baby, but when it
comes to bottle-feeding----"

Rosie broke off suddenly and her face took on the expression of a
listening mother.

"Rosie! Rosie!" Mrs. O'Brien's voice called. "Geraldine's awake and is
crying for you."

Rosie paused long enough to say, in parting: "There's lots more I could
tell you, Jarge, if I had time."

"Oh, don't mind me, Rosie. Just run along. I'm sure Geraldine needs
you." George spoke with a certain relief. The weight of the new
knowledge that Rosie had already imposed upon him seemed as much as he
could bear for the present.

Rosie left him. She felt cheered and comforted, as talking out her
troubles with George always cheered and comforted her. Dear old George!
Rosie didn't know what she would do without him.

It was well that she had the consciousness of his friendly interest to
support her, for the day was to prove a trying one. Not a breath of air
stirred, and Geraldine, languid and feverish, tossed and fretted
unceasingly. Ordinarily Rosie could have given her whole attention to
the ailing baby, but today she had to take her mother's place as cook
for dinner, since a large family washing required all of Mrs. O'Brien's
time and strength. If Geraldine would only have fallen off to sleep,
Rosie could have managed simply enough; but the poor child could not
sleep. So Rosie spent a frantic morning running back and forth between
kitchen and front room.

"Why, Rosie, what ails you? You're not eating a bite," her father
remarked during dinner.

"It's too hot to eat," Rosie murmured.

"Give me your meat!" Jack cried out. "Please, Rosie!"

Without a word, Rosie passed him her plate.

In mid-afternoon, when it was time for Rosie to go about her business of
delivering papers, she entrusted the care of Geraldine to Janet
McFadden. For several days now she had been employing Janet for this
duty. Out of her own earnings she was paying Janet two cents a day, and
she did not grudge the money. Janet was the one person to whom she was
willing to entrust Geraldine at this critical time. Janet knew as much
about babies as Rosie herself, for she had gone to the Little Mother
classes with Rosie and had faithfully studied the book. So Rosie started
out with the feeling that she need not hurry back.

She loitered along slowly; after the rush of home it was good to loiter.
Even