. The woman's black hair
was dishevelled, and her large shawl had fallen from her shoulders. To
Jimmy, who was crouching behind an armchair, she seemed a giantess.

"My baby!" cried the frenzied mother, with what was unmistakably an
Italian accent. "Where is he?" There was no answer; her eyes sought
the cradle. "Ah!" she shrieked, then upon finding the cradle empty, she
redoubled her lamentations and again she bore down upon the terrified
Zoie.

"You," she cried, "you know where my baby is!"

For answer, Zoie sank back amongst her pillows and drew the bed covers
completely over her head. Alfred approached the bed to protect his young
wife; the Italian woman wheeled about and perceived a small child in his
arms. She threw herself upon him.

"I knew it," she cried; "I knew it!"

Managing to disengage himself from what he considered a mad woman, and
elevating one elbow between her and the child, Alfred prevented the
mother from snatching the small creature from his arms.

"Calm yourself, madam," he commanded with a superior air. "We are very
sorry for you, of course, but we can't have you coming here and going on
like this. He's OUR baby and----"

"He's NOT your baby!" cried the infuriated mother; "he's MY baby.
Give him to me. Give him to me," and with that she sprang upon the
uncomfortable Alfred like a tigress. Throwing her whole weight on his
uplifted elbow, she managed to pull down his arm until she could look
into the face of the washerwoman's promising young offspring. The air
was rent by a scream that made each individual hair of Jimmy's head
stand up in its own defence. He could feel a sickly sensation at the top
of his short thick neck.

"He's NOT my baby," wailed the now demented mother, little dreaming that
the infant for which she was searching was now reposing comfortably on a
soft pillow in the adjoining room.

As for Alfred, all of this was merely confirmation of Zoie's statement
that this poor soul was crazy, and he was tempted to dismiss her with
worthy forbearance.

"I am glad, madam," he said, "that you are coming to your senses."

Now, all would have gone well and the bewildered mother would no doubt
have left the room convinced of her mistake, had not Jimmy's nerves got
the better of his judgment. Having slipped cautiously from his position
behind the armchair he was tiptoeing toward the door, and was flattering
himself on his escape, when suddenly, as his forward foot cautiously
touched