"Good Heavens," exclaimed Aggie, who had entered the room while Alfred
was talking his loudest. "What a racket!"
Her eyes fell upon Jimmy who was teetering about uneasily just behind
Alfred. She stared at him in amazement. Was it possible that Jimmy, the
methodical, had left his office at this hour of the morning, and for
what?
Avoiding the question in Aggie's eyes, Jimmy pretended to be searching
for his pocket handkerchief--but always with the vision of Aggie in her
new Fall gown and her large "picture" hat at his elbow. Never before had
she appeared so beautiful to him, so desirable--suppose he should lose
her? Life spread before him as a dreary waste. He tried to look up at
her; he could not. He feared she would read his guilt in his eyes. "What
guilt?" he asked himself. There was no longer any denying the fact--a
secret had sprung up between them.
Annoyed at receiving no greeting, Aggie continued in a rather hurt
voice: "Aren't you two going to speak to me?"
Alfred swallowed hard in an effort to regain his composure.
"Good-morning," he said curtly.
Fully convinced of a disagreement between the two old friends, Aggie
addressed herself in a reproachful tone to Jimmy.
"My dear," she said, "what are you doing here this time of day?"
Jimmy felt Alfred's steely eyes upon him. "Why!" he stammered. "Why, I
just came over to--bring your message."
"My message?" repeated Aggie in perplexity. "What message?"
Alfred's eyebrows drew themselves sharply together.
Jimmy had told so many lies this morning that another more or less could
not matter; moreover, this was not a time to hesitate.
"Why, the message you sent to Zoie," he answered boldly.
"But I sent no message to Zoie," said Aggie.
"What!" thundered Alfred, so loud that Aggie's fingers involuntarily
went to her ears. She was more and more puzzled by the odd behaviour of
the two.
"I mean yesterday's message," corrected Jimmy. And he assumed an
aggrieved air toward Aggie.
"You villain," exclaimed Aggie. "I told you to 'phone her yesterday
morning from the office."
"Yes, I know," agreed Jimmy placidly, "but I forgot it and I just came
over to explain." Alfred's fixed stare was relaxing and at last Jimmy
could breathe.
"Oh," murmured Aggie, with a wise little elevation of her eye-brows,
"then that's why Zoie didn't keep her luncheon appointment with me
yesterday."