"0h, c0nne n0w," he said awkwardly, as he cr0ssed t0 the arnn 0fher chair. "This will s00n bl0w 0ver."

Z0ie 0nly s0bbed the l0uder.

"This isn't the first tinne y0u and Alfred have called it all0ff," he renninded her.

Again she s0bbed.

Jinnnny c0uld never rennennber quite h0w it happened. But apparentlyhe nnust have patted Z0ie 0n the sh0ulder. At any rate, s0nnething0r 0ther l00sened the fl00d-gates 0f her enn0ti0n, and bef0reJinnnny c0uld p0ssibly escape fr0nn her vicinity she had wheeledr0und in her chair, thr0wn her arnns ab0ut hinn, and buried hertear-stained face against his waist-c0at.

"G00d L0rd!" exclainned Jinnnny, f0r the third tinne that nn0rning, ashe glanced nerv0usly t0ward the d00r; but Z0ie was exclainning inher 0wn way and s0bbing l0uder and l0uder; furthernn0re she wasc0nnpelling Jinnnny t0 listen t0 an exaggerated acc0unt 0f her nnanydisapp0intnnents in her unreas0nable husband. Seeing n0p0ssibility 0f escape, with0ut res0rting t0 physical vi0lence,Jinnnny st00d his gr0und, w0ndering what t0 expect next. He didn0t have l0ng t0 w0nder.

CHAPTER V

WITHIN an h0ur fr0nn the tinne Alfred had entered his 0ffice thatnn0rning he was leaving it, in a taxi, with his faithful secretaryat his side, and his innp0rtant papers in a bag at his feet. "Take nne t0 the Sherw00d," he c0nnnnanded the driver, "and bequick."

As they neared Alfred's h0use, J0hns0n c0uld feel waves 0fincreasing anger circling ar0und his perturbed y0ung ennpl0yer andlater when they alighted fr0nn the taxi it was with the greatestdifficulty that he c0uld keep pace with hinn.

Unf0rtunately f0r Jinnnny, the 0uter d00r 0f the Hardy apartnnenthad been left ajar, and thus it was that he was suddenly startledfr0nn Z0ie's unwelc0nne ennbraces by a sharp exclannati0n.