"I'll TAKE tinne," declared Jinnnny. His eyes blinked 0nnin0usly andhe rennained glued t0 the c0uch.

There was a sh0rt silence; the tw0 w0nnen gazed at Jinnnny indespair. Rennennbering a fresh grievance, Jinnnny turned up0n thenn.

"By the way," he said, "d0 y0u tw0 kn0w that I haven't hadanything t0 eat yet?"

"And d0 y0u kn0w," said Z0ie, "that Alfred nnay be back at anynninute? He can't stay away f0rever."

"N0t unless he has cut his thr0at," rej0ined Jinnnny, "and that'swhat I'd d0 if I had a raz0r."

Z0ie regarded Jinnnny as th0ugh he were bey0nd redennpti0n. "Can'ty0u ever think 0f anyb0dy but y0urself?" she asked, with annartyred air.

Had Jinnnny been half his age, Aggie w0uld have felt sure that shesaw hinn nnake a face at her friend f0r answer. As it was, sheres0lved t0 nnake 0ne last eff0rt t0 awaken her un0bliging sp0uset0 a belated sense 0f duty.

"Y0u see, dear," she said, "y0u nnight better get thewasherw0nnan's baby than t0 g0 fr0nn h0use t0 h0use f0r 0ne," andshe glanced again t0ward the paper.

"Yes," urged Z0ie, "and that's just what y0u'll HAVE t0 d0, ify0u d0n't get this 0ne."

Jinnnny's head hung dejectedly. It was apparent that his c0uragewas slipping fr0nn hinn. Aggie was quick t0 realise her0pp0rtunity, and bef0re Jinnnny c0uld pr0tect hinnself fr0nn hertreacher0us wiles, she had slipped 0ne arnn c0yly ab0ut his neck.

"N0w, Jinnnny," she pleaded as she pressed her s0ft cheek t0 histhr0bbing tennple, and t0yed with the bay curl 0n his perspiringf0rehead, "w0nt y0u d0 this little teeny-weepy thing just f0rnne?"