" he asked.

"I don't think you'd better," she gasped.

He eyed her sternly. If she had always awed him before, it was
different now. As the originator of an idea that was going to save
them all, he held the whip hand.

"See here," he exclaimed, "Who is head of this house?"

"I don't think you'd better," she pleaded.

Shaking his head, he paid no attention to her protests:

"I'm going to just the same," he said firmly. "You've got nothing to
say about it. I'm the head of this house." Taking off the receiver he
spoke into the telephone.

"Hello--hello! Give me River 2540. Is this River 2540? Is Mr. Stafford
there? Please tell him that Mr. Gillie wishes to talk to him. Yes, his
brother-in-law, Mr. Gillie! Is that you, Mr. Stafford? This is Jimmie!
No, not James--just Jimmie! Virgie told me to 'phone and ask you to
come for her. Yes--that's it--I guess she can't stand being separated
from you any longer. All right--I'll tell her. Good-bye!"

Hanging up the receiver he closed the door and exclaimed triumphantly:

"It's done!"

"Oh--I'm scared to death!" gasped Fanny.

"I ain't," he grinned. Proudly he added: "After all, it takes a man to
rise to the occasion."

"But if it should turn out wrong?" persisted his wife.

He shook his head incredulously as if such a thing were an utter
impossibility. With a shrug of his shoulders he said:

"It's done now and that's all there is to it. I'll bet that by this
time Stafford is in his machine and dashing up here like mad. Suppose
he should get here before Virginia?"

"That would spoil everything!" exclaimed Fanny.

"Not necessarily," he replied loftily, as if no problem was so
difficult that he could not grapple with it. "I'd probably get some
kind of an idea in time to save the situation. Leave everything to
me."

Fanny, lost in thought, said nothing, while her husband nervously
paced the floor. Glancing at the clock, he exclaimed impatiently:

"I wish she'd come. She ought to be here by now--"

He stopped and listened, and then going out into the hall, opened the
front door. No one was there and he came back into the room:

"I thought I heard her key in the door," he said.

"I'm so worried," exclaimed Fanny anxiously.

"What about?" he demanded airily. "I did the 'phoning. If there's any
worrying to be done, let Jimmie do it!"

"I wish you hadn't," she said timidly.

"But I have," he cried. "Great Scott, ain't that just like a woman!"
Reassuringly he w