sy at the telegram.
"Yes!" he shouted, excitedly, as he rose from his chair. "Where's a
time table?" he asked the astonished boy, and he began rummaging rapidly
through the drawers of his desk.

"Any answer?" inquired the messenger.

"Take this," said Alfred. And he thrust a bill into the small boy's
hand.

"Yes, sir," answered the boy and disappeared quickly, lest this madman
might reconsider his generosity.

Alfred threw down the time table in despair. "No train for Chicago until
night," he cried; but his mind was working fast. The next moment he was
at the telephone, asking for the Division Superintendent of the railway
line.

When Alfred's partner returned from luncheon he found a curt note
informing him that Alfred had left on a special for Chicago and would
"write."

"I'll bet it's his wife!" said the partner.

CHAPTER XIV

During the evening of the same day that Alfred was enjoying such
pleasurable emotions, Zoie and Aggie were closeted in the pretty pink
and white bedroom that the latter had tried to describe to Jimmy. On
a rose-coloured couch in front of the fire sat Aggie threading ribbons
through various bits of soft white linen, and in front of her, at the
foot of a rose-draped bed, knelt Zoie. She was trying the effect of
a large pink bow against the lace flounce of an empty but inviting
bassinette.

"How's that?" she called to Aggie, as she turned her head to one side
and surveyed the result of her experiment with a critical eye.

Aggie shot a grudging glance at the bassinette. "I wish you wouldn't
bother me every moment," she said. "I'll never get all these things
finished."

Apparently Zoie decided that the bow was properly placed, for she
applied herself to sewing it fast to the lining. In her excitement she
gave the thread a vicious pull. "Oh, dear, oh dear, my thread is always
breaking!" she sighed in vexation.

"You're excited," said Aggie.

"Wouldn't YOU be excited," questioned Zoie'"if you were expecting a baby
and a husband in the morning?"

"I suppose I should," admitted Aggie.

For a time the two friends sewed in silence, then Zoie looked up with
sudden anxiety.

"You're SURE Jimmy sent the wire?" she asked.

"I saw him write it," answered Aggie, "while I was in the office
to-day."

"When will Alfred get it?" demanded Zoie eagerly.

"Oh, he won't GET it until to-morrow morning," said Aggie. "I told you
that to-day. It's a night message."

"I wonder what he'll be