So strong had become her habit of taking
refuge in the bed, that unconsciously she backed toward it now.
Barely had she reached the centre of the room when a terrific
crash of breaking glass from the adjoining room sent her
shrieking in terror over the footboard, and head first under the
covers. Here she would doubtless have remained until suffocated,
had not Jimmy in his backward flight from one of the inner rooms
overturned a large rocker. This additional shock to Zoie's
overstrung nerves forced a wild scream from her lips, and an
answering exclamation from the nerve-racked Jimmy made her sit
bolt upright. She gazed at him in astonishment. His tie was
awry, one end of his collar had taken leave of its anchorage
beneath his stout chin, and was now just tickling the edge of his
red, perspiring brow. His hair was on end and his feelings were
undeniably ruffled. As usual Zoie's greeting did not tend to
conciliate him.
"How did YOU get here?" she asked with an air of reproach.
"The fire-escape," panted Jimmy and he nodded mysteriously toward
the inner rooms of the apartment.
"Fire-escape?" echoed Zoie. There was only one and that led
through the bathroom window.
Jimmy explained no further. He was now peeping cautiously out of
the window toward the pavement below.
"Where's the mother?" demanded Zoie.
Jimmy jerked his thumb in the direction of the street.
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