Part 20 (1/2)
Jimmy positively blushed. As for Zoie, she was growing more and more impatient for a little attention to herself.
”Rock-a-bye, Baby,” sang Alfred in strident tones and he swung the child high in his arms.
Jimmy and Aggie gazed at Alfred as though hypnotised. They kept time to his lullaby out of sheer nervousness. Suddenly Alfred stopped, held the child from him and gazed at it in horror. ”Good heavens!” he exclaimed.
The others waited breathlessly. ”Look at that baby's face,” commanded Alfred.
Zoie and Aggie exchanged alarmed glances, then Zoie asked in trepidation, ”What's the matter with his face?”
”He's got a fever,” declared Alfred. And he started toward the bed to show the child to its mother.
”Go away!” shrieked Zoie, waving Alfred off in wild alarm.
”What?” asked Alfred, backing from her in surprise.
Aggie crossed quickly to Alfred's side and looked over his shoulder at the boy. ”I don't see anything wrong with its face,” she said.
”It's scarlet!” persisted Alfred.
”Oh,” said Jimmy with a superior air, ”they're always like that.”
”Nothing of the sort,” snorted Alfred, and he glared at Jimmy threateningly. ”You've frozen the child parading him around the streets.”
”Let me have him, Alfred,” begged Aggie sweetly; ”I'll put him in his crib and keep him warm.”
Reluctantly Alfred released the boy. His eyes followed him to the crib with anxiety. ”Where's his nurse?” he asked, as he glanced first from one to the other.
Zoie and Jimmy stared about the room as though expecting the desired person to drop from the ceiling. Then Zoie turned upon her unwary accomplice.
”Jimmy,” she called in a threatening tone, ”where IS his nurse?”
”Does Jimmy take the nurse out, too?” demanded Alfred, more and more annoyed by the privileges Jimmy had apparently been usurping in his absence.
”Never mind about the nurse,” interposed Aggie. ”Baby likes me better anyway. I'll tuck him in,” and she bent fondly over the crib, but Alfred was not to be so easily pacified.
”Do you mean to tell me,” he exclaimed excitedly, ”that my boy hasn't any nurse?”
”We HAD a nurse,” corrected Zoie, ”but--but I had to discharge her.”
Alfred glanced from one to the other for an explanation.
”Discharge her?” he repeated, ”for what?”
”She was crazy,” stammered Zoie.
Alfred's eyes sought Aggie's for confirmation. She nodded. He directed his steady gaze toward Jimmy. The latter jerked his head up and down in nervous a.s.sent.
”Well,” said Alfred, amazed at their apparent lack of resource, ”why didn't you get ANOTHER nurse?”
”Aggie is going to stay and take care of baby to-night,” declared Zoie, and then she beamed upon Aggie as only she knew how. ”Aren't you, dear?”
she asked sweetly.