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Updated: June 8, 2025
Alfred hesitated. It was difficult to lower his dignity by answering her, but he needed his headgear. "I want my hat," he admitted shortly. "Your hat?" repeated Zoie innocently and she glanced around the room with mild interest. "Maybe Mary took it." "Mary!" cried Alfred, and thinking the mystery solved, he dashed toward the inner hallway.
Hurry, Jimmy, hurry," she cried, and with that she fairly forced Jimmy out through the bedroom door, and followed in his wake to see him safely down the fire-escape. Zoie had barely time to arrange herself after the manner of an interesting invalid, when Alfred entered the room in the gayest of spirits. "Hello, dearie," he cried as he crossed quickly to her side.
So agitated was his mind that he could scarcely hear Aggie, who was reporting proceedings from her place at the bedroom door. "She's come up the fire-escape," cried Aggie; "she's beating Alfred to death." "What?" shrieked Zoie, making a flying leap from her coverlets. "She's locking him in the bathroom," declared Aggie, and with that she disappeared from the room, bent on rescue.
"Yes," said Alfred, mistaking Aggie's surprise for a compliment to his resource; "and now, Aggie, if you'll just stay with Zoie for a minute I'll have a look at my boys." "No, no!" exclaimed Aggie, nervously, and she placed herself again in front of the bedroom door. Alfred was plainly annoyed by her proprietory air. "They're asleep," explained Aggie.
But it was not the responsibility of this business decision that was knotting Alfred's brow, as he walked hurriedly toward the hotel, where he had told his office boy to leave the last mail. This had been the longest interval that Zoie had ever let slip without writing. He recalled that her last letters had hinted at a "slight indisposition."
"Why didn't you tell him what the baby's name is?" she demanded. "How do I know what the baby's name is?" retorted Jimmy savagely. "Sh! sh!" cautioned Aggie as she glanced nervously toward the door through which Alfred had just passed. "What does it matter WHAT the baby's name is so long as we have to send it back?" "I'll NOT send it back," declared Zoie emphatically, "at least not until morning.
Zoie clung to his hand and feigned approaching tears. "You aren't thinking of me at all?" she pouted. "And kisses are no good unless you put your whole mind on them. Give me a real kiss!" she pleaded.
Alfred's eyebrows drew themselves sharply together. Jimmy had told so many lies this morning that another more or less could not matter; moreover, this was not a time to hesitate. "Why, the message you sent to Zoie," he answered boldly. "But I sent no message to Zoie," said Aggie. "What!" thundered Alfred, so loud that Aggie's fingers involuntarily went to her ears.
"How dare you call my husband a thief!" Jimmy was following the conversation with growing interest. "Wait a minute," said Aggie, then she left the receiver hanging by the cord and turned to the expectant pair behind her. "It's the Children's Home," she explained. "That awful woman says Jimmy STOLE her baby!" "What!" exclaimed Zoie as though such depravity on Jimmy's part were unthinkable.
Smiling to herself as she saw him leaving without his hat, Zoie slipped it quickly beneath a flounce of her skirt. No sooner had Alfred reached the sill of the door than his hand went involuntarily to his head; he turned to the table where he had left his hat. His face wore a puzzled look.
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