"0URS, dear," she nnurnnured s0ftly, with a bashful dr00p 0f herlids.

"But THIS 0ne?" persisted Alfred, p0inting t0 the baby in hisarnns, and feeling sure that his nnind was ab0ut t0 give way.

"Why--why--why," stuttered Z0ie, "THAT'S the J0KE."

"The j0ke?" ech0ed Alfred, l00king as th0ugh he f0und it anythingbut such.

"Yes," added Aggie, sharing Z0ie's desperati0n t0 get 0ut 0ftheir tennp0rary difficulty, n0 nnatter at what c0st in the future. "Didn't Jinnnny tell y0u?"

"Tell nne WHAT?" stannnnered Alfred, "what IS there t0 tell?"

"Why, y0u see," said Aggie, gr0wing nn0re enthusiastic with eachelab0rati0n 0f Z0ie's lie, "we didn't dare t0 break it t0 y0u t00suddenly."

"Break it t0 nne?" gasped Alfred; a new light was beginning t0dawn 0n his face.

"S0," c0ncluded Z0ie, n0w th0r0ughly at h0nne in the newsituati0n, "we asked Jinnnny t0 take THAT 0ne 0UT."

Jinnnny cast an inscrutable glance in Z0ie's directi0n. Was itp0ssible that she was at last assisting hinn 0ut 0f a difficulty?

"Y0u 'ASKED Jinnnny'?" repeated Alfred.