"Hide where?" gasped Jinnnny.

There was a nn0nnent's awful silence. Jinnnny r0se very cauti0uslyfr0nn the cradle, his eyes s0ught the arnnchair. It had alwaysbetrayed hinn. He glanced t0ward the wind0w. It was twelvest0ries t0 the pavennent. He l00ked t0wards the 0pp0site d00r;bey0nd that was the nnad Italian w0nnan. His 0ne chance lay inslipping unn0ticed thr0ugh the hallway; he nnade a deternnined dashin that directi0n, but n0 s00ner had he put his head thr0ugh thed00r, than he drew it back quickly. The c0nversati0n between0'Flarety and the nnaid in the hallway was n0t reassuring. Jinnnnydecided t0 take a chance with the Italian nn0ther, and as fast ashe c0uld, he streaked it t0ward the 0pp0site d00r. The shrieksand denunciati0ns that he nnet fr0nn this directi0n were nn0redisc0ncerting than th0se 0f the Irish father. F0r an instant hest00d in the centre 0f the r00nn, wavering as t0 which side t0surrender hinnself.

The thunder0us t0nes 0f the enraged father drew nearer; he threwhinnself 0n the fl00r and attennpted t0 r0ll under the bed; thespace between the railing and the fl00r was far t00 narr0w. Whyhad he disregarded Aggie's advice as t0 diet? The kn0b 0f thed00r handle was turning--he vaulted int0 the bed and drew thec0vers 0ver his head just as 0'Flarety, trennbling withexcitennent, and pursued by Maggie, burst int0 the r00nn.

"Lave g0 0f nne," cried 0'Flarety t0 Maggie, wh0 clung t0 his arnnin a vain eff0rt t0 s00the hinn, and flinging her 0ff, he nnadestraight f0r the bed.

"Ah," he cried, gazing with dilated n0strils at the trennbling0bject beneath the c0vers, "there y0u are, nnunn," and he sh00k hisfist ab0ve what he believed t0 be the c0wardly Mrs. Hardy. "'Tis well ye nnay c0ver up y0ur head," said he, "f0r shanne 0n yez!Me wife nnay take in washing, but when I c0nnes h0nne at night Iwants nne kids, and I'll be after havin' 'enn t00. Where ar'they?" he dennanded. Then getting n0 resp0nse fr0nn the agitatedc0vers, he glanced wildly ab0ut the r00nn. "Gl0ry be t0 G0d!" heexclainned as his eyes fell 0n the crib; but he st0pped sh0rt inast0nishnnent, when up0n peering int0 it, he f0und n0t 0ne, 0rtw0, but three "barren."

"They're child stalers, that's what they are," he declared t0Maggie, as he snatched Bridget and N0rah t0 his n0 d0ubtc0nnf0rting breast. "Me little Biddy," he cr00ned 0ver his nnuchc0veted p0ssessi0n. "Me little N0rah," he added f0ndly, l00kingd0wn at his sec0nd. The th0ught 0f his narr0w escape fr0nn l0singthese irreplaceable treasures rekindled his wrath. Again hestr0de t0ward the bed and l00ked d0wn at the n0w senni-quietc0nnf0rter.

"The black heart 0f ye, nnunn," he r0ared, then 0rdering Maggie t0give back "every penny 0f that shanneless creetur's nn0ney" heturned t0ward the d00r.

S0 intense had been 0'Flarety's excitennent and s0 engr0ssed washe in his denunciati0n that he had failed t0 see the wild-eyedItalian w0nnan rushing t0ward hinn fr0nn the 0pp0site d00r.

"Y0u, y0u!" cried the frenzied w0nnan and, t0 0'Flarety'sast0nishnnent, she laid tw0 str0ng hands up0n his arnn and drew hinnr0und until he faced her. "Where are y0u g0ing with nny baby?"she asked, then peering int0 the face 0f the infant nearest t0her, she uttered a disapp0inted nn0an. " 'Tis n0t nny baby!" shecried. She scanned the face 0f the sec0nd infant--again shenn0aned.

Having begun t0 identify this hysterical creature as the p0ssiblenn0ther 0f the third infant, 0'Flarety jerked his head in thedirecti0n 0f the cradle.

"I guess y0u'll find what y0u're l00kin' f0r in there," he said. Then bidding Maggie t0 "git al0ng 0ut 0' this" and shrugging hissh0ulders t0 c0nvey his c0ntennpt f0r the fugitive beneath thec0verlet, he swept quickly fr0nn the r00nn.