“If it hadn’t been that George was all but passing away with kidney trouble,” Emeline said, her voice rising, “I never would of let such an arrangement go on for five minutes!  But there was days when we never knew from hour to hour that George wasn’t dying, and what with having him moved and that woman holding up his clothes, and telling the doctor lies about me, I guess I had troubles enough without worrying about Julie.  But I want to tell you right now, Min,” said Emeline, with kindly superiority, “that this isn’t the kind of a house I’m crazy about having my daughter in, anyway.  It ain’t you, so much—­”

“Ha! that’s good!” Mrs. Tarbury interpolated, with a sardonic laugh.

“But you know very well that such girls as Rosie and Con—­” Emeline rushed on.

“Oh, my God, Em!” Mrs. Tarbury began in a low voice rich with feeling, but Julia took a hand.

“Don’t be such a fool, Aunt Min!” she said, going over to sit on an arm of Mrs. Tarbury’s chair, and putting a caressing arm about her shoulders.  “And cut it out, Mama!  Aunt Min’s been kinder to me than any one else, and you know it—­and I’ve felt pretty darn mean living here day after day!  And now I say if Aunt Min has a chance to rent her room—­”

“God knows you’re welcome to that room as long as you’ll stay, Julie,” Mrs. Tarbury said tremulously; “it’s only—­”

“If every one was as good to me as you are, Aunt Min!” Julia said, beginning to cry.  Mrs. Tarbury burst into sobs, and they clung together.

“I never meant that you wasn’t awfully good to her, Min,” Emeline said stiffly.  Then her eyes watered, and she, too, began to cry, and groped for her handkerchief.  “I’m just worn out with worrying and taking care of George, I guess,” sobbed Emeline, laying her head on the arm she flung across a nearby table.

“Don’t cry, Mama!” Julia gulped, leaving Mrs. Tarbury’s lap to come and pat her mother’s shoulder.  Emeline convulsively seized her, and their wet cheeks touched.

“If any one ever says that I don’t appreciate what you’ve done for me and mine,” choked Emeline, “it’s a lie!”

“Well, it didn’t sound like you, Em,” Mrs. Tarbury said, drying eyes between sniffs.

Emeline immediately went over and kissed her, and all three laughed shakily over a complete reconciliation, which was pleasingly interrupted by George’s gallant offer to take the whole crowd to dinner, if they didn’t mind his eating only tea and toast.

Still, it was decided that Julia should not stay at Mrs. Tarbury’s, but should spend the next week or two with her grandmother in the Mission.  Julia’s quiet acceptance of this arrangement was both unexpected and pleasing to her parents.