"See,
dear," he persisted, "see for yourself, look at his forehead."
"I'd rather look at you," pouted Zoie, peeping from beneath the
coverlet, "if you would only put that thing down for a minute."
"Thing?" exclaimed Alfred, as though doubting his own ears. But
before he could remonstrate further, Zoie's arms were about his
neck and she was pleading jealously for his attention.
"Please, Alfred," she begged, "I have scarcely had a look at you,
yet."
Alfred shook his head and turned to baby with an indulgent smile.
It was pleasant to have two such delightful creatures bidding for
his entire attention.
"Dear me," he said to baby. "Dear me, tink of mudder wanting to
look at a big u'gy t'ing like fadder, when she could look at a
'itty witty t'ing like dis," and he rose and crossed to the crib
where he deposited the small creature with yet more gurgling and
endearing.
Zoie's dreams of rapture at Alfred's home coming had not included
such divided attention as he was now showing her and she was
growing more and more desperate at the turn affairs had taken.
She resolved to put a stop to his nonsense and to make him
realise that she and no one else was the lode star of his
existence. She beckoned to Aggie to get out of the room and to
leave her a clear field and as soon as her friend had gone
quietly into the next room, she called impatiently to Alfred who
was still cooing rapturously over the young stranger.
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