Baby Mine

g it, in a taxi, with his faithful secretary at his side, and his important papers in

ircling around his perturbed young employer and later when they alighted from

t had been left ajar, and thus it was that he was suddenly st

t his fist down with emphasis on

desired an immediate explanation. Jimmy turned to the place where Zoie had been, to ask for help; like the traitress that she was, he now saw her flying thr

disturbed you,"

careless indifference that he did not feel and unc

in such a distinctly family scene,

memorandum into the secretary's hand. Johnson retired as unobtrusively as possible and the two old friend

ed Alfred in a t

ightly nervous manner. Then followed another pause in which

er to bring Aggie--" he corrected himself-"that

with a sarcastic smile, as he recalled the pic

mmy, with an elaborate

usiness hours?" thundered Alfred, becoming mo

ered Jimmy, persisting

re was a solemn warning in hi

guilt was strong upon him. "I beg your pardon," he ga

continued Alfred, "and y

es fixed themsel

lling you her troubl

otest, but the li

ething too. I've done with her." He thrust his ha

then he set out in pursuit of his friend. "I'm

anything else for us TO have. She's lied up hill and down dale from the first time she clinched her baby fingers around my hand-" he imitated

hoed Jimm

ched his fists in anticipation of the justice he

btless be called many more things in the future, but never by the wildest stretc

ment for one of incredulity, Al

sooner or later," he assured him

"She's had the effrontery-the bad taste-the idiocy

hudder, but engrossed in his own troubl

place," continued Alfred, "the LaSalle-a restaurant where I am known-where she is known-where my best friends dine-where Henri has looked after

o as far as that,

bruptly that Jimmy caught his breath. Each word of J

thing is no doubt perfectly innocent. Talk to her gent

d Alfred in derisio

might actually become violent. Alfr

uth if she saw it under a microscope. She's the most uncon

round eyes with f

ed to ask her the time. Invariably she would lie half an hour, backward or forward, just for practice. THAT was the BEGINNING. Here, listen to

pitious time to consult his own preferences. He allowed h

t brought these up from the office," he said. "These are some of the telegrams that she sent me each day last week

to your wee sad wifie? Love and kisses. Zoie.'" Tearing the defenceless tele

over the wire

selected another from the same pocket. "Here, listen to this. Thi

g more and more convinced that his own de

read from the secretary's telegram. "'Shopped all morning. Lunched at Martingale's with man and woman unknown to me-Martingale's,'" he repeated with

is head and Alfred

sley is a young cub," explained Alfred, "who spends his time running around wit

nt of Jimmy's comment, a

Jimmy, expecting to hear Zoie bitterly condemned. Jimmy only stared at him blankly.

d brought his fist down upon the tabl

y THAT day," admit

oing to a fire in the night. You think it's near, but you never get there. And when she begins by saying that s