ted Alfred, and he glared at Jimmy
threateningly. "You've frozen the child parading him around the
streets."

"Let me have him, Alfred," begged Aggie sweetly; "I'll put him in his
crib and keep him warm."

Reluctantly Alfred released the boy. His eyes followed him to the crib
with anxiety. "Where's his nurse?" he asked, as he glanced first from
one to the other.

Zoie and Jimmy stared about the room as though expecting the desired
person to drop from the ceiling. Then Zoie turned upon her unwary
accomplice.

"Jimmy," she called in a threatening tone, "where IS his nurse?"

"Does Jimmy take the nurse out, too?" demanded Alfred, more and more
annoyed by the privileges Jimmy had apparently been usurping in his
absence.

"Never mind about the nurse," interposed Aggie. "Baby likes me better
anyway. I'll tuck him in," and she bent fondly over the crib, but Alfred
was not to be so easily pacified.

"Do you mean to tell me," he exclaimed excitedly, "that my boy hasn't
any nurse?"

"We HAD a nurse," corrected Zoie, "but--but I had to discharge her."

Alfred glanced from one to the other for an explanation.

"Discharge her?" he repeated, "for what?"

"She was crazy," stammered Zoie.

Alfred's eyes sought Aggie's for confirmation. She nodded. He directed
his steady gaze toward Jimmy. The latter jerked his head up and down in
nervous assent.

"Well," said Alfred, amazed at their apparent lack of resource, "why
didn't you get ANOTHER nurse?"

"Aggie is going to stay and take care of baby to-night," declared Zoie,
and then she beamed upon Aggie as only she knew how. "Aren't you, dear?"
she asked sweetly.

"Yes, indeed," answered Aggie, studiously avoiding Jimmy's eye.

"Baby is going to sleep in the spare room with Aggie and Jimmy," said
Zoie.

"What!" exclaimed Jimmy, too desperate to care what Alfred might infer.

Ignoring Jimmy's implied protest, Zoie continued sweetly to Alfred:

"Now, don't worry, dear; go back to your room and finish your shaving."

"Finish shaving?" repeated Alfred in a puzzled way. Then his hand went
mechanically to his cheek and he stared at Zoie in astonishment. "By
Jove!" he exclaimed, "I had forgotten all about it. That shows you how
excited I am." And with a reluctant glance toward the cradle, he went
quickly from the room, singing a high-pitched lullaby.

Just as the three conspirators were drawing together for consultation,
Alfred returned to the room. It was apparent that t