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Updated: May 10, 2025
"It couldn't be Alfred, could it?" asked Zoie with mingled hope and dread. "Of course not," answered Aggie, as she removed the receiver from the hook. "Alfred wouldn't 'phone, he would come right up." Discovering that it was merely Jimmy "on the wire," Zoie's uneasiness abated, but Aggie's anxiety was visibly increasing. "Where ARE you?" she asked of her spouse.
"Well, of course, sir," answered the bewildered Maggie, thinking that Alfred meant to reflect upon the gender of the offspring donated by her parents, "if you ain't afther likin' girls, me mother sint the money back," and with that she began to feel for the pocket in her red flannel petticoat. "The money?" repeated Alfred, in a puzzled way, "what money?" It was again Zoie's time to think quickly.
"Oh Lord," groaned Jimmy, who had come to regard any elation on Zoie's or Aggie's part as a sure forewarner of ultimate discomfort for him. Again Aggie had recourse to the 'phone. "Hello," she called to the office boy, "tell that woman to go around to the back door, and we'll send something down to her."
No sooner had Aggie arrived at her decision than Zoie upset her tranquillity by a triumphant expression of "I have it." Jimmy and Aggie gazed at Zoie's radiant face in consternation. They were accustomed to see only reproach there. Her sudden enthusiasm increased Jimmy's uneasiness. "YOU have it," he grunted without attempting to conceal his disgust. "SHE'S the one who generally has it."
"Shall I lay the things on the sofa, mum?" asked Maggie as she placed her basket on the floor and waited for Zoie's instructions. "Yes, please," answered Zoie, too exhausted for further comment. Taking the laundry piece by piece from the basket, Maggie made excuses for its delay, while she placed it on the couch.
She'll give you her baby, you bring it back here, we'll give you THIS one, and you can take it right back to the Home." "And meet the other mother," concluded Jimmy with a shake of his head. There was a distinct threat in Zoie's voice when she again addressed the stubborn Jimmy and the glitter of triumph was in her eyes.
"Wh why not, Alfred?" stammered Aggie for the want of something better to say. "What?" shrieked Alfred. Then he turned in appeal to his young wife, whose face had now become utterly expressionless. "Zoie?" he entreated. There was an instant's pause, then the blood returned to Zoie's face and she proved herself the artist that Alfred had once declared her.
"Why not?" asked Aggie, with a very superior air. Zoie's enthusiasm was increasing her friend's admiration of her own scheme. "This same paper tells of a woman who adopted three sons while her husband was in Europe, and he thinks each one of them is his." "Where can we get some?" cried Zoie, now thoroughly enamoured of the idea.
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.
Before he knew it, Zoie's arms were about him she was pleading desperately. "Now see here, Allie, you may call me all the names you like," she cried with great self-abasement, "but you shan't you SHAN'T go away from Chicago." "Oh, indeed?" answered Alfred as he shook himself free of her. "I suppose you'd like me to go on with this cat and dog existence.
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