Alfred with
a slur on the "dear." Then he turned toward the door of his study. "Pray
excuse me--I'M TOO BUSY," and with that he strode out of the room and
banged the study door behind him.

"Goodness gracious!" gasped Aggie. She looked after Alfred, then at
Jimmy. She was the picture of consternation. "What's the matter with
him?" she asked.

"Just another little family tiff," answered Jimmy, trying to assume a
nonchalant manner.

"Not about YOU!" gasped Aggie.

"Me!" cried Jimmy, his equilibrium again upset. "Certainly not!" he
declared. "What an idea!"

"Yes, wasn't it?" answered Aggie. "That just shows how silly one can
be. I almost thought Alfred was going to say that Zoie had lunched with
you."

"Me?" again echoed Jimmy, and he wondered if everybody in the world had
conspired to make him the target of their attention. He caught Aggie's
eye and tried to laugh carelessly. "That would have been funny, wouldn't
it?" he said.

"Yes, wouldn't it," repeated Aggie, and he thought he detected a slight
uneasiness in her voice.

"Speaking of lunch," added Jimmy quickly, "I think, dearie, that I'll
come home for lunch in the future."

"What?" exclaimed Aggie in great amazement.

"Those downtown places upset my digestion," explained Jimmy quickly.

"Isn't this very SUDDEN," she asked, and again Jimmy fancied that there
was a shade of suspicion in her tone.

His face assumed a martyred expression. "Of course, dear," he said, "if
you insist upon my eating downtown, I'll do it; but I thought you'd be
glad to have me at home."

Aggie turned to him with real concern. "Why, Jimmy," she said, "what's
the matter with you?" She took a step toward him and anxiously studied
his face. "I never heard you talk like that before. I don't think you're
well."

"That's just what I'm telling you," insisted Jimmy vehemently, excited
beyond all reason by receiving even this small bit of sympathy. "I'm
ill," he declared. No sooner had he made the declaration than he began
to believe in it. His doleful countenance increased Aggie's alarm.

"My angel-face," she purred, and she took his chubby cheeks in her
hands and looked down at him fondly. "You know I ALWAYS want you to come
home." She stooped and kissed Jimmy's pouting lips. He held up his face
for more. She smoothed the hair from his worried brow and endeavoured
to cheer him. "I'll run right home now," she said, "and tell cook to get
something nice and tempting for you! I can