Baby Mine

he face of the elevator boy expecting to find it particularly solemn because of the tragedy that had doubtless taken place upstairs. He was on the point of sending out a "feele

ndered whether he could hit the mark. The result was a very faint note from the bell, but not so faint that it escaped the ea

servant, then reaching for her chatelaine, she daubed her small nose and f

e and to properly reprove her he assumed a grave, dignified air out of

inly not that of a heart-broken widow. "It's TI

She was never what he would have call

ned me," he stammered; "wha

ore up and down the room regardless of

t?" questi

ever had,"

ed?" ventured Jimmy. And he

ne," sob

re that his worst fears were abo

Zoie, "I just 'phoned his

lief. "Just another little family tiff," he was unab

ng tone that he was adopting. How dare he be cheerful when she was so unhappy-and

ut the luncheon," she said, weighing

oie had suddenly marked him for her victim, but puzzl

apparently to conceal her disgust at

mmy, his eyes growing round

e KNEW," answere

ioned Jimmy, more

y. Then she turned her back upon Jimmy and again dashe

nted observations, but Jimmy was doing his best. He followed her restless

bject to your

thing that he DOESN'T object to," she continued, "I haven't found it out yet." And with that sh

help being hypnotised by Zoie's small feet. He wondered now if they had been the reason of Alfred's first downfall. He recalled with a sigh of relief that Aggie's feet were large and reassuring. He also recalled an appropriate quotation: "The path

ked, with a touch of irritation, "

ngry," sn

small creature his vanity resented the bald assertion

s that vanquished any remaining conceit that Jimmy might have brought with him. "I expl

e it more and more in the

ng," she continued, "all this would never have happened. But you were there, and

now, but where was he going to end? That was the question. "See here," he exclaime

ourself first," sneered Zoi

t your husband down on me

" and she fixed her eyes upon him with a scornful expression th

'd 'found out,'"

re and more aggrieved at having to employ so much detail

--" prote

must explain each aspect of their present difficulty, with as much patience as though Jimmy

st after we had gone out and Henri, the waiter who has taken care of him

on the edge of his

t and last night too, and then just as he was leaving this morning, I said something about luncheon and he said, quite casually, 'Where did you have luncheon YESTERDAY, my

, wondering how Alfred could co

liar!" shrieked

n't you?"

ou know how jealous Alfred is," she continued. "He makes such a fuss about the slightest thing that I've got out of the habit of EVER telling the TRUTH." She walked away from

opped lower. "I-I-don't believe I did," he st

with tightly pressed lips. Then she knot

owing uneasiness. "What ar

NOT GOING TO TELL AGGIE-that's ONE SURE th

y, with a wag of his very round head. "Agg

urt look, she continued apologetically: "Aggie MEANS all right, but she has an absolu

e," declared Jimmy, with an air of self

ly, "you aren't going to have moral hy

hat you mean," said Jimmy, endeavouring not

" answered Z

n she APPEARED to agree with him. He

he truth,"

red Jimmy with

cluded Zoie with an imp

y, and he felt himself

r been in that restaurant without him in all my life, that the waiter ha

uld all be so very much simpler if you'd just

ow, whatever I told him. He says a woman who lies once lies al

he full realisation of his pred

ised state to which she was fast reducing him. "For Heaven's sake,

ed Jimmy, and he sank d

from the opposite side of the table, "

my and again he foun

d Zoie, "I give y

rror. "I don't believe you've a

d throwing herself into the nearest armchair she w

Jimmy gazed at her gloomily. "Well, I'M

hemently. "I just wish I'd never l

shing the ve

o bad; but to think of losing my Alfred for--" words

himself he was always miffed by the uncomp

he had to say to him, she was now apparently bent upo

t intuitively that he was face to face with such a moment, but which way to turn? that was the question. Being Jimmy,

, as he crossed to the arm of her

sobbed t

you and Alfred have called

she

, something or other loosened the flood-gates of her emotion, and before Jimmy could possibly escape from her vicinity

louder and louder; furthermore she was compelling Jimmy to listen to an exaggerated account of her many disappointments in her unreasonable husband. Seei