Dave smothered an oath. It was plain that he thought he had done a very
handsome thing in passing over the greater part of his money. It was
also plain that he had expected a grateful "Thank you." And what did he
feel he was receiving? An insult! He looked at Janet in sullen
resentment. "You're a nice one, you are, talking that way to your own
father! I tell you one thing, though: you wouldn't talk that way if your
mother was around. She's got a heart, she has! All you've got is a
turnip!"
At mention of her mother, Janet choked a little. "My mother don't think
my heart's a turnip and Rosie don't, either. All I've got to say is, if
it looks like a turnip to you, it's because you've changed it into one
yourself."
To this Dave made no answer. Without further words he could better
preserve the expression of grieved and unappreciated parenthood.
Whatever he may have done or may not have done in the past, just now he
had been noble and generous. And would his own child acknowledge this?
No! He bore her no grudge; his face very plainly said so; but he was
hurt, deeply hurt. Under cover of the hurt, he opened the door quietly
and made his escape.
In Janet the fires of indignation flickered and went out, leaving her
cold and lifeless. She threw herself into a chair and folded her hands.
"You certainly did give it to him straight, Janet!" Rosie spoke in tones
of deep admiration.
Janet laughed scornfully. "Give it to him straight! Oh, yes, I gave it
to him straight all right!" She shivered and clenched her hands. "I can
talk! That's where we come in strong. Take the women in this tenement
and they've all got tongues as sharp as ice-picks. Any one of them can
talk a man to death. But what does it all amount to? Nothing! I tell
you, Rosie, they've got the bulge on us, for, as soon as we make things
hot for them, all they've got to do is clear out!" Janet sighed
unhappily. "Then they pay us back by not coming home and when they get
injured or pulled in it all comes out that it's our fault because we
haven't made home pleasant for them. Huh! They always make it so awful
pleasant for us, don't they?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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