"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

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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.




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