"Taking the air?" asked the policeman.

"Ye-yes," mumbled Jimmy with affected nonchalence and he knocked the

heels of his boots together in order to keep his teeth from chattering.

"It's a fi-fine ni-night for air," he stuttered.

"Is it?" said the policeman, and to Jimmy's horror, he saw the fellow's

eyes fix themselves on the bit of white.

"Go-good-night," stammered Jimmy hurriedly, and trying to assume an

easy stride in spite of the uncomfortable addition to his already rotund

figure, he slipped into the hotel, where avoiding the lighted elevator,

he laboured quickly, up the stairs.

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At the very moment when Zoie was driving Alfred in consternation from

the room, Jimmy entered it uninvited.

"Get out," was the inhospitable greeting received simultaneously from

Zoie and Aggie, and without waiting for further instructions he "got."

Fortunately for all concerned, Alfred, who was at the same moment

departing by way of the bedroom door, did not look behind him; but it

was some minutes before Aggie who had followed Jimmy into the hall could

persuade him to return.

After repeated and insistent signals both from Aggie and Zoie, Jimmy's

round red face appeared cautiously around the frame of the door. It bore

unmistakable indications of apoplexy. But the eyes of the women were not

upon Jimmy's face, they too had caught sight of the bit of white that

hung below his coat, and dragging him quickly into the room and closing

the door, Aggie proceeded without inquiry or thanks to unbutton his coat

and to take from beneath it the small object for which she and Zoie had

been eagerly waiting.

"Thank Heaven!" sighed Zoie, as she saw Aggie bearing the latest

acquisition to Alfred's rapidly increasing family safely toward the

crib.

Suddenly remembering something in his right hand coat pocket, Jimmy

called to Aggie, who turned to him and waited expectantly. After

characteristic fumbling, he produced a well filled nursing bottle.

"What's that?" asked Zoie.

"For HER," grunted Jimmy, and he nodded toward the bundle in Aggie's

arms.

"HER!" cried Zoie and Aggie in chorus. Zoie shut her lips hard and gazed

at him with contempt.

"I might have known you'd get the wrong kind," she said.

What Jimmy thought about the ingratitude of woman was not to be

expressed in language. He controlled himself as well as he could and

merely LOOKED the things that he would like to have said.

"Well, it can't be helped now," decided the philosophic Aggie; "here,

Jimmy," she said, "you hold 'HER' a minute and I'll get you the other

one."




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