The departure of Jimmy and the crazed mother was the occasion for a
general relaxing among the remaining occupants of the room. Exhausted
by what had passed Zoie had ceased to interest herself in the future. It
was enough for the present that she could sink back upon her pillows and
draw a long breath without an evil face bending over her, and without
the air being rent by screams.
As for Aggie, she fell back upon the window seat and closed her eyes.
The horrors into which Jimmy might be rushing had not yet presented
themselves to her imagination.
Of the three, Alfred was the only one who had apparently received
exhilaration from the encounter. He was strutting about the room with
the babe in his arms, undoubtedly enjoying the sensations of a hero.
When he could sufficiently control his feeling of elation, he looked
down at the small person with an air of condescension and again lent
himself to the garbled sort of language with which defenceless infants
are inevitably persecuted.
"Tink of dat horrid old woman wanting to steal our own little oppsie,
woppsie, toppsie babykins," he said. Then he turned to Zoie with an
air of great decision. "That woman ought to be locked up," he declared,
"she's dangerous," and with that he crossed to Aggie and hurriedly
placed the infant in her unsuspecting arms. "Here, Aggie," he said, "you
take Alfred and get him into bed."
Glad of an excuse to escape to the next room and recover her self
control, Aggie quickly disappeared with the child.
For some moments Alfred continued to pace up and down the room; then he
came to a full stop before Zoie.
"I'll have to have something done to that woman," he declared
emphatically.
"Jimmy will do enough to her," sighed Zoie, weakly.
"She's no business to be at large," continued Alfred; then, with a
business-like air, he started toward the telephone.
"Where are you going?" asked Zoie.
Alfred did not answer. He was now calling into the 'phone, "Give me
information."
"What on earth are you doing?" demanded Zoie, more and more disturbed by
his mysterious manner.
"One can't be too careful," retorted Alfred in his most paternal
fashion; "there's an awful lot of kidnapping going on these days."
"Well, you don't suspect information, do you?" asked Zoie.
Again Alfred ignored her; he was intent upon things of more importance.
"Hello," he called into the 'phone, "is this information?" Apparently it
was for he continued, with a satisfied air, "Well, give me the Fullerton
Street Police Station."