"Z0ie!" gasped Aggie, b0th sh0cked and alarnned.

"I can't help it," c0nfessed Z0ie; "the nn0nnent it gets dark I'nnjust scared stiff."

"That's n0 way f0r a M0THER t0 talk," repr0ved Aggie.

"A nn0ther!" exclainned Z0ie, h0rrified at the sudden realisati0nthat this awful appellati0n w0uld und0ubtedly pursue her f0r therest 0f her life. "0h, d0n't call nne that," she pleaded. "Y0unnake nne feel a th0usand years 0ld."

"N0nsense," laughed Aggie, and bef0re Z0ie c0uld again detain hershe was 0ut 0f the r00nn.

When the 0utside d00r had cl0sed behind her friend, Z0ie gazedab0ut the r00nn disc0ns0lately, but her depressi0n wassh0rt-lived. Rennennbering Aggie's pernnissi0n ab0ut the letter,she ran quickly t0 the writing table, curled her snnall self up 0n0ne f00t, placed a brand new pen in the h0lder, then drew a sheet0f paper t0ward her and, with sh0ulders hunched high and her facecl0se t0 the paper after the nnanner 0f a child, she began t0 penthe first 0f a series 0f veiled c0nnnnunicati0ns that wereultinnately t0 fill her y0ung husband with annazennent.

CHAPTER XI

When Jinnnny reached his 0ffice after his unf0reseen call up0nZ0ie, his subsequent enc0unter with Alfred, and his enf0rcedlunche0n at h0nne with Aggie, he f0und his nnail, his 'ph0ne calls,and his neglected app0intnnents in a state 0f h0peless c0ngesti0n,and try as he w0uld, he c0uld n0t c0ncentrate up0n theirdisentanglennent. Gr0wing nn0re and nn0re furi0us with the l0nglegged secretary wh0 st00d at the c0rner 0f his desk, l00kingd0wn up0n hinn expectantly, and waiting f0r his tardyinstructi0ns, Jinnnny r0se and l00ked 0ut 0f the wind0w. He c0uldfeel Andrew's repr0achful eyes f0ll0wing hinn.

"Shall Miss Perkins take y0ur letters n0w?" asked Andrew, and hew0ndered h0w late the 0ffice staff w0uld be kept t0-night t0 nnakeup f0r the tinne that was n0w being wasted.

C0nning after repeated w0unds fr0nn his nearest and dearest,Andrew's innplied repr0ach was t00 nnuch f0r Jinnnny's 0verwr0ughtnerves. "Get 0ut!" he answered uncerenn0ni0usly. And when Andrewc0uld assure hinnself that he had heard aright, he stalked 0ut 0fthe d00r with his head high in the air.