the door closed behind him. Then,
thrusting her two small feet from beneath the coverlet and perching on
the side of the bed, she declared to Aggie that "Alfred was getting more
idiotic every minute."

"He's worse than idiotic," corrected Aggie. "He's getting dangerous. If
he gets the police around here before we give that baby back, they'll
get the mother. She'll tell all she knows and that will be the end of
Jimmy!"

"End of Jimmy?" exclaimed Zoie, "it'll be the end of ALL of us."

"I can see our pictures in the papers, right now," groaned Aggie. "Jimmy
will be the villain."

"Jimmy IS a villain," declared Zoie. "Where is he? Why doesn't he come
back? How am I ever going to get that other twin?"

"There is only one thing to do," decided Aggie, "I must go for it
myself." And she snatched up her cape from the couch and started toward
the door.

"You?" cried Zoie, in alarm, "and leave me alone?"

"It's our only chance," argued Aggie. "I'll have to do it now, before
Alfred gets back."

"But Aggie," protested Zoie, clinging to her departing friend, "suppose
that crazy mother should come back?"

"Nonsense," replied Aggie, and before Zoie could actually realise what
was happening the bang of the outside door told her that she was alone.

CHAPTER XXV

Wondering what new terrors awaited her, Zoie glanced uncertainly from
door to door. So strong had become her habit of taking refuge in the
bed, that unconsciously she backed toward it now. Barely had she reached
the centre of the room when a terrific crash of breaking glass from the
adjoining room sent her shrieking in terror over the footboard, and head
first under the covers. Here she would doubtless have remained until
suffocated, had not Jimmy in his backward flight from one of the
inner rooms overturned a large rocker. This additional shock to Zoie's
overstrung nerves forced a wild scream from her lips, and an answering
exclamation from the nerve-racked Jimmy made her sit bolt upright. She
gazed at him in astonishment. His tie was awry, one end of his collar
had taken leave of its anchorage beneath his stout chin, and was now
just tickling the edge of his red, perspiring brow. His hair was on end
and his feelings were undeniably ruffled. As usual Zoie's greeting did
not tend to conciliate him.

"How did YOU get here?" she asked with an air of reproach.

"The fire-escape," panted Jimmy and he nodded mysteriously toward the
inner rooms of the apartment.