Part 17 (2/2)
CHAPTER XVI
When Alfred entered Zoie's bedroom he glanced about him in bewilderment.
It appeared that he was in an enchanted chamber. Through the dim rose light he could barely perceive his young wife. She was lying white and apparently lifeless on her pillows. He moved cautiously toward the bed, but Aggie raised a warning finger. Afraid to speak, he grasped Aggie's hand and searched her face for rea.s.surance; she nodded toward Zoie, whose eyes were closed. He tiptoed to the bedside, sank on his knees and reverently kissed the small hand that hung limply across the side of the bed.
To Alfred's intense surprise, his lips had barely touched Zoie's fingertips when he felt his head seized in a frantic embrace. ”Alfred, Alfred!” cried Zoie in delight; then she smothered his face with kisses.
As she lifted her head to survey her astonished husband, she caught the reproving eye of Aggie. With a weak little sigh, she relaxed her tenacious hold of Alfred, breathed his name very faintly, and sank back, apparently exhausted, upon her pillows.
”It's been too much for her,” said the terrified young husband, and he glanced toward Aggie in anxiety.
Aggie nodded a.s.sent.
”How pale she looks,” added Alfred, as he surveyed the white face on the pillows.
”She's so weak, poor dear,” sympathised Aggie, almost in a whisper.
Alfred nodded his understanding to Aggie. It was then that his attention was for the first time attracted toward the crib.
”My boy!” he exclaimed. And again Zoie forgot Aggie's warning and sat straight up in bed. But Alfred did not see her. He was making determinedly for the crib, his heart beating high with the pride of possession.
Throwing back the coverlets of the ba.s.sinette, Alfred stared at the empty bed in silence, then he quickly turned to the two anxious women.
”Where is he?” he asked, his eyes wide with terror.
Zoie's lips opened to answer, but no words came.
Alfred's eyes turned to Aggie. The look on her face increased his worst fears. ”Don't tell me he's----” he could not bring himself to utter the word. He continued to look helplessly from one woman to the other.
In vain Zoie again tried to answer. Aggie also made an unsuccessful attempt to speak. Then, driven to desperation by the strain of the situation, Zoie declared boldly: ”He's out.”
”Out?” echoed Alfred in consternation.
”With Jimmy,” explained Aggie, coming to Zoie's rescue as well as she knew how.
”Jimmy!” repeated Alfred in great astonishment.
”Just for a breath of air,” explained Zoie sweetly She had now entirely regained her self-possession.
”Isn't he very young to be out at night?” asked Alfred with a puzzled frown.
”We told Jimmy that,” answered Aggie, amazed at the promptness with which each succeeding lie presented itself. ”But you see,” she continued, ”Jimmy is so crazy about the child that we can't do anything with him.”
”Jimmy crazy about my baby?” exclaimed Alfred incredulously. ”He always said babies were 'little red worms.'”
”Not this one,” answered Zoie sweetly.
”No, indeed,” chimed in Aggie. ”He acts as though he owned it.”
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