"If only they would tear," thought Jimmy, but thanks to the
excellence of the tailor that Aggie had selected for him, they
did NOT "tear."
Not until she had anchored Jimmy safely to the centre of the rug
did the irate mother pour out the full venom of her resentment
toward him. From the mixture of English and Italian that
followed, it was apparent that she was accusing Jimmy of having
stolen her baby.
"Take me to him," she demanded tragically; "my baby--take me to
him!"
Jimmy appealed to Aggie and Zoie. Their faces were as blank as
his own. He glanced at Alfred.
"Humour her," whispered Alfred, much elated by the evidence of
his own self-control as compared to Jimmy's utter demoralisation
under the apparently same circumstances.
Still Jimmy did not budge.
Alfred was becoming vexed; he pointed first to his own forehead,
then to that of Jimmy's hysterical captor. He even illustrated
his meaning by making a rotary motion with his forefinger,
intended to remind Jimmy that the woman was a lunatic.
Still Jimmy only stared at him and all the while the woman was
becoming more and more emphatic in her declaration that Jimmy
knew where her baby was.
"Sure, Jimmy," said Alfred, out of all patience with Jimmy's
stupidity and tiring of the strain of the woman's presence. "You
know where her baby is."
"Ah!" cried the mother, and she towered over Jimmy with a wild
light in her eyes.
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