"You're a cute one," he continued to
Jimmy, who was edging away from the three mites with aversion.
In the absence of any answer from Jimmy, Alfred appealed to Zoie,
"Isn't he a cute one, dear?" he asked.
"Oh, yes, VERY," answered Zoie, sarcastically.
Shutting his lips tight and glancing at Zoie with a determined
effort at self restraint, Jimmy rose from the couch and started
toward the door.
"If you women are done with me," he said, "I'll clear out."
"Clear out?" exclaimed Alfred, rising quickly and placing himself
between his old friend and the door. "What a chance," and he
laughed boisterously. "You're not going to get out of my sight
this night," he declared. "I'm just beginning to appreciate all
you've done for me."
"So am I," assented Jimmy, and unconsciously his hand sought the
spot where his dinner should have been, but Alfred was not to be
resisted.
"A man needs someone around," he declared, "when he's going
through a thing like this. I need all of you, all of you," and
with his eyes he embraced the weary circle of faces about him.
"I feel as though I could go out of my head," he explained and
with that he began tucking the three small mites in the pink and
white crib designed for but one.
Zoie regarded him with a bored expression'
"You act as though you WERE out of your head," she commented, but
Alfred did not heed her.
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