Baby Mine Part 22

"Yes'um," a.s.sented Maggie, almost in a whisper. Then she nodded her head jerkily, cast another furtive glance at the three persons who were regarding her so strangely, and slipped quickly through the door.

Having crossed the room and stealthily closed the door, Aggie returned to Jimmy, who was watching her with the furtive expression of a trapped animal.

"It's Providence," she declared, with a grave countenance.

Jimmy looked up at Aggie with affected innocence, then rolled his round eyes away from her. He was confronted by Zoie, who had approached from the opposite side of the room.

"It's Fate," declared Zoie, in awe-struck tones.

Jimmy was beginning to wriggle, but he kept up a last desperate presence of not understanding them.

"You needn't tell me I'm going to take the wash to the old lady," he said, "for I'm not going to do it."

"It isn't the WASH," said Aggie, and her tone warned him that she expected no nonsense from him.

"You know what we are thinking about just as well as we do," said Zoie.

"I'll write that washerwoman a note and tell her we must have one of those babies right now." And with that she turned toward her desk and began rummaging amongst her papers for a pencil and pad. "The luck of these poor," she murmured.

"The luck of US," corrected Aggie, whose spirits were now soaring. Then she turned to Jimmy with growing enthusiasm. "Just think of it, dear,"

she said, "Fate has sent us a baby to our very door."

"Well," declared Jimmy, again beginning to show signs of fight, "if Fate has sent a baby to the door, you don't need me," and with that he s.n.a.t.c.hed his coat from the crib.

"Wait, Jimmy," again commanded Aggie, and she took his coat gently but firmly from him.

"Now, see here," argued Jimmy, trying to get free from his strong-minded spouse, "you know perfectly well that that washerwoman isn't going to let us have that baby."

"Nonsense," called Zoie over her shoulder, while she scribbled a hurried note to the washerwoman. "If she won't let us have it 'for keeps,' I'll just 'rent it.'"

"Good Lord!" exclaimed Jimmy in genuine horror. "Warm, fresh, palpitating babies rented as you would rent a gas stove!"

"That's all a pose," declared Aggie, in a matter-of-fact tone. "You think babies 'little red worms,' you've said so."

Jimmy could not deny it.

"She'll be only too glad to rent it," declared Zoie, as she glanced hurriedly through the note just written, and slipped it, together with a bill, into an envelope. "I'll pay her anything. It's only until I can get another one."

"Another!" shouted Jimmy, and his eyes turned heavenward for help. "An endless chain with me to put the links together!"

"Don't be so theatrical," said Aggie, irritably, as she took up Jimmy's coat and prepared to get him into it.

"Why DO you make such a fuss about NOTHING," sighed Zoie.

"Nothing?" echoed Jimmy, and he looked at her with wondering eyes.

"I crawl about like a thief in the night s.n.a.t.c.hing babies from their mother's b.r.e.a.s.t.s, and you call THAT nothing?"

"You don't have to 'CRAWL,'" reminded Zoie, "you can take a taxi."

"Here's your coat, dear," said Aggie graciously, as she endeavoured to slip Jimmy's limp arms into the sleeves of the garment.

"You can take Maggie with you," said Zoie, with the air of conferring a distinct favour upon him.

"And the wash on my lap," added Jimmy sarcastically.

"No," said Zoie, unruffled by Jimmy's ungracious behaviour. "We'll send the wash later."

"That's very kind of you," sneered Jimmy, as he unconsciously allowed his arms to slip into the sleeves of the coat Aggie was urging upon him.

"All you need to do," said Aggie complacently, "is to get us the baby."

"Yes," said Jimmy, "and what do you suppose my friends would say if they were to see me riding around town with the wash-lady's daughter and a baby on my lap? What would YOU say?" he asked Aggie, "if you didn't know the facts?"

"n.o.body's going to see you," answered Aggie impatiently; "it's only around the corner. Go on, Jimmy, be a good boy."

"You mean a good thing," retorted Jimmy without budging from the spot.

"How ridiculous!" exclaimed Zoie; "it's as easy as can be."

"Yes, the FIRST one SOUNDED easy, too," said Jimmy.

"All you have to do," explained Zoie, trying to restrain her rising intolerance of his stupidity, "is to give this note to Maggie's mother.

She'll give you her baby, you bring it back here, we'll give you THIS one, and you can take it right back to the Home."

"And meet the other mother," concluded Jimmy with a shake of his head.

There was a distinct threat in Zoie's voice when she again addressed the stubborn Jimmy and the glitter of triumph was in her eyes.

"You'd better meet here THERE than HERE," she warned him; "you know what the Superintendent said."

"That's true," agreed Aggie with an anxious face. "Come now," she pleaded, "it will only take a minute; you can do the whole thing before you have had time to think."

"Before I have had time to think," repeated Jimmy excitedly. "That's how you get me to do everything. Well, this time I've HAD time to think and I don't think I will!" and with that he threw himself upon the couch, unmindful of the damage to the freshly laundered clothes.

"Get up," cried Zoie.

"You haven't time to sit down," said Aggie.

"I'll TAKE time," declared Jimmy. His eyes blinked ominously and he remained glued to the couch.

There was a short silence; the two women gazed at Jimmy in despair.

Remembering a fresh grievance, Jimmy turned upon them.

"By the way," he said, "do you two know that I haven't had anything to eat yet?"

"And do you know," said Zoie, "that Alfred may be back at any minute? He can't stay away forever."

"Not unless he has cut his throat," rejoined Jimmy, "and that's what I'd do if I had a razor."