"Yes'um," assented Maggie, almost in a whisper. Then she nodded her
head jerkily, cast another furtive glance at the three persons who were
regarding her so strangely, and slipped quickly through the door.
Having crossed the room and stealthily closed the door, Aggie returned
to Jimmy, who was watching her with the furtive expression of a trapped
animal.
"It's Providence," she declared, with a grave countenance.
Jimmy looked up at Aggie with affected innocence, then rolled his round
eyes away from her. He was confronted by Zoie, who had approached from
the opposite side of the room.
"It's Fate," declared Zoie, in awe-struck tones.
Jimmy was beginning to wriggle, but he kept up a last desperate presence
of not understanding them.
"You needn't tell me I'm going to take the wash to the old lady," he
said, "for I'm not going to do it."
"It isn't the WASH," said Aggie, and her tone warned him that she
expected no nonsense from him.
"You know what we are thinking about just as well as we do," said Zoie.
"I'll write that washerwoman a note and tell her we must have one of
those babies right now." And with that she turned toward her desk and
began rummaging amongst her papers for a pencil and pad. "The luck of
these poor," she murmured.
"The luck of US," corrected Aggie, whose spirits were now soaring. Then
she turned to Jimmy with growing enthusiasm. "Just think of it, dear,"
she said, "Fate has sent us a baby to our very door."
"Well," declared Jimmy, again beginning to show signs of fight, "if
Fate has sent a baby to the door, you don't need me," and with that he
snatched his coat from the crib.
"Wait, Jimmy," again commanded Aggie, and she took his coat gently but
firmly from him.
"Now, see here," argued Jimmy, trying to get free from his strong-minded
spouse, "you know perfectly well that that washerwoman isn't going to
let us have that baby."
"Nonsense," called Zoie over her shoulder, while she scribbled a hurried
note to the washerwoman. "If she won't let us have it 'for keeps,' I'll
just 'rent it.'"
"Good Lord!" exclaimed Jimmy in genuine horror. "Warm, fresh,
palpitating babies rented as you would rent a gas stove!"
"That's all a pose," declared Aggie, in a matter-of-fact tone. "You
think babies 'little red worms,' you've said so."