"You imagined it, Zoie," she declared, "look for yourself."

Zoie's small face peeped cautiously around the edge of the doorway.

"Well, perhaps I did," she admitted; then she slipped gingerly into the room, "my nerves are jumping like fizzy water."

They were soon to "jump" more, for at this instant, Alfred, burning with anger at the indignity of having been locked in the bathroom, entered the room, demanding to know the whereabouts of the lunatic mother, who had dared to make him a captive in his own house.

"Where is she?" he called to Zoie and Aggie, and his eye roved wildly about the room. Then his mind reverted with anxiety to his newly acquired offspring. "My boys!" he cried, and he rushed toward the crib.

"They're gone!" he declared tragically.

"Gone?" echoed Aggie.

"Not ALL of them," said Zoie.

"All," insisted Alfred, and his hands went distractedly toward his head.

"She's taken them all."

Zoie and Aggie looked at each other in a dazed way. They had a hazy recollection of having seen one babe disappear with the Italian woman, but what had become of the other two?

"Where did they go?" asked Aggie.

"I don't know," said Zoie, with the first truth she had spoken that night, "I left them with Jimmy."

"Jimmy!" shrieked Alfred, and a diabolical light lit his features.

"Jimmy!" he snorted, with sudden comprehension, "then he's at it again.

He's crazy as she is. This is inhuman. This joke has got to stop!" And with that decision he started toward the outer door.

"But Allie!" protested Zoie, really alarmed by the look that she saw on his face.

Alfred turned to his trembling wife with suppressed excitement, and patted her shoulder condescendingly.

"Control yourself, my dear," he said. "Control yourself; I'll get your babies for you--trust me, I'll get them. And then," he added with parting emphasis from the doorway, "I'll SETTLE WITH JIMMY!"

By uncovering one eye, Jimmy could now perceive that Zoie and Aggie were engaged in a heated argument at the opposite side of the room. By uncovering one ear he learned that they were arranging a line of action for him immediately upon his reappearance. He determined not to wait for the details.

Fixing himself cautiously on all fours, and making sure that he was well covered by the pink comforter, he began to crawl slowly toward the bedroom door.

Turning away from Aggie with an impatient exclamation, Zoie suddenly beheld what seemed to her a large pink monster with protruding claws wriggling its way hurriedly toward the inner room.

"Look!" she screamed, and pointing in horror toward the dreadful creature now dragging itself across the threshold, she sank fainting into Aggie's outstretched arms.

CHAPTER x.x.x

Having dragged the limp form of her friend to the near-by couch, Aggie was bending over her to apply the necessary restoratives, when Alfred returned in triumph. He was followed by the officer in whose arms were three infants, and behind whom was the irate O'Flarety, the hysterical Italian woman, and last of all, Maggie.

"Bring them all in here, officer," called Alfred over his shoulder.

"I'll soon prove to you whose babies those are." Then turning to Aggie, who stood between him and the fainting Zoie he cried triumphantly, "I've got them Aggie, I've got them." He glanced toward the empty bed.

"Where's Zoie?" he asked.

"She's fainted," said Aggie, and stepping from in front of the young wife, she pointed toward the couch.

"Oh, my darling!" cried Alfred, with deep concern as he rushed to Zoie and began frantically patting her hands. "My poor frightened darling!"

Then he turned to the officer, his sense of injury welling high within him, "You see what these people have done to my wife? She's fainted."

Ignoring the uncomplimentary remarks of O'Flarety, he again bent over Zoie.

"Rouse yourself, my dear," he begged of her. "Look at me," he pleaded.

"Your babies are safe."

"HER babies!" snorted O'Flarety, unable longer to control his pent up indignation.

"I'll let you know when I want to hear from you," snarled the officer to O'Flarety.

"But they're NOT her babies," protested the Italian woman desperately.

"Cut it," shouted the officer, and with low mutterings, the outraged parents were obliged to bide their time.

Lifting Zoie to a sitting posture Alfred fanned her gently until she regained her senses. "Your babies are all right," he a.s.sured her. "I've brought them all back to you."

"All?" gasped Zoie weakly, and she wondered what curious fate had been intervening to a.s.sist Alfred in such a prodigious undertaking.

"Yes, dear," said Alfred, "every one," and he pointed toward the three infants in the officer's arms. "See, dear, see."

Zoie turned her eyes upon what SEEMED to her numberless red faces. "Oh!"

she moaned and again she swooned.

"I told you she'd be afraid to face us," shouted the now triumphant O'Flarety.

"You brute!" retorted the still credulous Alfred, "how dare you persecute this poor demented mother?"

Alfred's persistent solicitude for Zoie was too much for the resentful Italian woman.

"She didn't persecute me, oh no!" she exclaimed sarcastically.

"Keep still, you!" commanded the officer.

Again Zoie was reviving and again Alfred lifted her in his arms and begged her to a.s.sure the officer that the babies in question were hers.

"Let's hear her SAY it," demanded O'Flarety.

"You SHALL hear her," answered Alfred, with confidence. Then he beckoned to the officer to approach, explaining that Zoie was very weak.

"Sure," said the officer; then planting himself directly in front of Zoie's half closed eyes, he thrust the babies upon her attention.

"Look, Zoie!" pleaded Alfred. "Look!"

Zoie opened her eyes to see three small red faces immediately opposite her own.