Wondering what new terrors awaited her, Zoie glanced uncertainly from
door to door. 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. Zoie gazed at him
with grave apprehension.
"Jimmy!" she exclaimed. "You haven't killed her?"
Jimmy shook his head and continued to peer cautiously out of the window.
"What did you do with her?" called the now exasperated Zoie.
"What did I do with her?" repeated Jimmy, a flash of his old
resentment returning. "What did SHE do with ME?"
For the first time, Zoie became fully conscious of Jimmy's ludicrous
appearance. Her overstrained nerves gave way and she began to laugh
hysterically.
"Say," shouted Jimmy, towering over the bed and devoutly wishing that
she were his wife so that he might strike her with impunity. "Don't you
sic any more lunatics onto me."
It is doubtful whether Zoie's continued laughter might not have provoked
Jimmy to desperate measures, had not the 'phone at that moment directed
their thoughts toward worse possibilities. After the instrument had
continued to ring persistently for what seemed to Zoie an age, she
motioned to Jimmy to answer it. He responded by retreating to the other
side of the room.