here was something
important on his mind.

"By the way," he said, glancing from one to another, "I forgot to
ask--what's his name?"

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.

"Jimmy!" thundered the infuriated Alfred. "You've called my boy 'Jimmy'?
Why 'Jimmy'?"

For once Zoie was without an answer.

After waiting in vain for any response, Alfred advanced upon the
uncomfortable Jimmy.

"You seem to be very popular around here," he sneered.

Jimmy shifted uneasily from one foot to the other and studied the
pattern of the rug upon which he was standing.

After what seemed an age to Jimmy, Alfred turned his back upon his old
friend and started toward his bedroom. Jimmy peeped out uneasily from
his long eyelashes. When Alfred reached the threshold, he faced about
quickly and stared again at Jimmy for an explanation. It seemed to Jimmy
that Alfred's nostrils were dilating. He would not have been surprised
to see Alfred snort fire. He let his eyes fall before the awful
spectacle of his friend's wrath. Alfred's upper lip began to curl. He
cast a last withering look in Jimmy's direction, retired quickly from
the scene and banged the door.

When Jimmy again had the courage to lift his eyes he was confronted by
the contemptuous gaze of Zoie, who was sitting up in bed and regarding
him with undisguised disapproval.

"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. That will give Jimmy a whole night to get another one."

"Another!" shrieked Jimmy. "See here, you two can't be changing babies
every five minutes without Alfred knowing it. Even HE has SOME sense."

"Nonsense!" answered Aggie shortly. "You know perfectly well that all
young babies look just alike. Their own mothers couldn't tell them
apart, if it weren't for their clothes