.
The horrors into which Jimmy might be rushing had not yet presented
themselves to her imagination.

Of the three, Alfred was the only one who had apparently received
exhilaration from the encounter. He was strutting about the room with
the babe in his arms, undoubtedly enjoying the sensations of a hero.
When he could sufficiently control his feeling of elation, he looked
down at the small person with an air of condescension and again lent
himself to the garbled sort of language with which defenceless infants
are inevitably persecuted.

"Tink of dat horrid old woman wanting to steal our own little oppsie,
woppsie, toppsie babykins," he said. Then he turned to Zoie with an
air of great decision. "That woman ought to be locked up," he declared,
"she's dangerous," and with that he crossed to Aggie and hurriedly
placed the infant in her unsuspecting arms. "Here, Aggie," he said, "you
take Alfred and get him into bed."

Glad of an excuse to escape to the next room and recover her self
control, Aggie quickly disappeared with the child.

For some moments Alfred continued to pace up and down the room; then he
came to a full stop before Zoie.

"I'll have to have something done to that woman," he declared
emphatically.

"Jimmy will do enough to her," sighed Zoie, weakly.

"She's no business to be at large," continued Alfred; then, with a
business-like air, he started toward the telephone.

"Where are you going?" asked Zoie.

Alfred did not answer. He was now calling into the 'phone, "Give me
information."

"What on earth are you doing?" demanded Zoie, more and more disturbed by
his mysterious manner.

"One can't be too careful," retorted Alfred in his most paternal
fashion; "there's an awful lot of kidnapping going on these days."

"Well, you don't suspect information, do you?" asked Zoie.

Again Alfred ignored her; he was intent upon things of more importance.

"Hello," he called into the 'phone, "is this information?" Apparently it
was for he continued, with a satisfied air, "Well, give me the Fullerton
Street Police Station."

"The Police?" cried Zoie, sitting up in bed and looking about the room
with a new sense of alarm.

Alfred did not answer.

"Aggie!" shrieked the over-wrought young wife.

Alfred attempted to reassure her. "Now, now, dear, don't get nervous,"
he said, "I am only taking the necessary precautions." And again he
turned to the 'phone.

Alarmed by Zoie's summons, Aggie entered the ro