"Aggie is going to stay and take care of baby to-night," declared Zoie,
and then she beamed upon Aggie as only she knew how. "Aren't you, dear?"
she asked sweetly.
"Yes, indeed," answered Aggie, studiously avoiding Jimmy's eye.
"Baby is going to sleep in the spare room with Aggie and Jimmy," said
Zoie.
"What!" exclaimed Jimmy, too desperate to care what Alfred might infer.
Ignoring Jimmy's implied protest, Zoie continued sweetly to Alfred: "Now, don't worry, dear; go back to your room and finish your shaving."
"Finish shaving?" repeated Alfred in a puzzled way. Then his hand went
mechanically to his cheek and he stared at Zoie in astonishment. "By
Jove!" he exclaimed, "I had forgotten all about it. That shows you how
excited I am." And with a reluctant glance toward the cradle, he went
quickly from the room, singing a high-pitched lullaby.
Just as the three conspirators were drawing together for consultation,
Alfred returned to the room. It was apparent that there was something
important on his mind.
"By the way," he said, glancing from one to another, "I forgot to
ask--what's his name?"
The conspirators looked at each other without answering. To Alfred their
delay was annoying. Of course his son had been given his father's name,
but he wished to HEAR someone say so.
"Baby's, I mean," he explained impatiently.
Jimmy felt instinctively that Zoie's eyes were upon him. He avoided her
gaze.
"Jimmy!" called Zoie, meaning only to appeal to him for a name.
"Jimmy!" thundered the infuriated Alfred. "You've called my boy 'Jimmy'?
Why 'Jimmy'?"
For once Zoie was without an answer.
After waiting in vain for any response, Alfred advanced upon the
uncomfortable Jimmy.
"You seem to be very popular around here," he sneered.
Jimmy shifted uneasily from one foot to the other and studied the
pattern of the rug upon which he was standing.
After what seemed an age to Jimmy, Alfred turned his back upon his old
friend and started toward his bedroom. Jimmy peeped out uneasily from
his long eyelashes. When Alfred reached the threshold, he faced about
quickly and stared again at Jimmy for an explanation. It seemed to Jimmy
that Alfred's nostrils were dilating. He would not have been surprised
to see Alfred snort fire. He let his eyes fall before the awful
spectacle of his friend's wrath. Alfred's upper lip began to curl. He
cast a last withering look in Jimmy's direction, retired quickly from
the scene and banged the door.