Zoie gazed at Jimmy in deep disgust; her friend Aggie had made an
excellent suggestion, and instead of acting upon it with alacrity, here
sat Jimmy sulking like a stubborn child.
"I suppose," said Zoie, as her eyebrows assumed a bored angle, "there
are SOME babies in the world outside of Children's Homes."
"Of course," was Aggie's enthusiastic rejoinder; "there's one born every
minute."
"But I was born BETWEEN minutes," protested Jimmy.
"Who's talking about you?" snapped Zoie.
Again Aggie exclaimed that she "had it."
"She's got it twice as bad," groaned Jimmy, and he wondered what new
form her persecution of him was about to take.
"Where is the morning paper?" asked Aggie, excitedly.
"We can't advertise NOW," protested Zoie. "It's too late for that."
"Sh! Sh!" answered Aggie, as she snatched the paper quickly from
the table and began running her eyes up and down its third page.
"Married--married," she murmured, and then with delight she found
the half column for which she was searching. "Born," she exclaimed
triumphantly. "Here we are! Get a pencil, Zoie, and we'll take down all
the new ones."
"Of course," agreed Zoie, clapping her hands in glee, "and Jimmy can get
a taxi and look them right up."
"Oh, CAN he?" shouted Jimmy as he rose with clenched fists. "Now you
two, see here----"
Before Jimmy could complete his threat, there was a sharp ring of the
door bell. He looked at the two women inquiringly.
"It's the mother," cried Zoie in a hoarse whisper.
"The mother!" repeated Jimmy in terror and he glanced uncertainly from
one door to the other.
"Cover up the baby!" called Zoie, and drawing Jimmy's overcoat quickly
from his arm, Aggie threw it hurriedly over the cradle.
For an instant Jimmy remained motionless in the centre of the room,
hatless, coatless, and shorn of ideas. A loud knock on the door decided
him and he sank with trembling knees behind the nearest armchair, just
as Zoie made a flying leap into the bed and prepared to draw the cover
over her head.
The knock was repeated and Aggie signalled to Zoie to answer it.
"Come in!" called Zoie very faintly.