"So," concluded Zoie, now thoroughly at home in the new
situation, "we asked Jimmy to take THAT one OUT."
Jimmy cast an inscrutable glance in Zoie's direction. Was it
possible that she was at last assisting him out of a difficulty?
"You 'ASKED Jimmy'?" repeated Alfred.
"Yes," confirmed Aggie, with easy confidence, "we wanted you to
get used to the idea gradually."
"The idea," echoed Alfred. He was afraid to allow his mind to
accept too suddenly the whole significance of their disclosure,
lest his joy over- power him. "You--you--do--don't mean----" he
stuttered.
"Yes, dear," sighed Zoie, with the face of an angel, and then
with a languid sigh, she sank back contentedly on her pillows.
"My boys! My boys!" cried Alfred, now delirious with delight.
"Give them to me," he called to Aggie, and he snatched the
surprised infants savagely from her arms. "Give me ALL of them,
ALL of them." He clasped the three babes to his breast, then
dashed to the bedside of the unsuspecting Zoie and covered her
small face with rapturous kisses.
Feeling the red faces of the little strangers in such close
proximity to hers, Zoie drew away from them with abhorrence, but
unconscious of her unmotherly action, Alfred continued his mad
career about the room, his heart overflowing with gratitude
toward Zoie in particular and mankind in general.
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