hy, happy smiles.

"And how about the--the----" I starts to ask.

She glances towards the corner where the nurse is bendin' over a pink
and white basket. "He's splendid," she whispers.

"He?" says I. "Then--then it's a boy?"

She gives my hand a little squeeze.

And ten minutes later, when I'm shooed out, I'm feelin' so chesty and
happy that I'm tingly all over.

Down in the livin'-room Leon is waitin' for me, wearin' a broad grin. He
greets me with his hand out. And then, somehow, because he's so
different, I expect, I remembers Barnes. I was wonderin' if Leon was
just puttin' on.

"Well," says I, "how about it?"

"Ah, Monsieur!" says he, givin' me the hearty grip. "I make to you my
best congratulations."

"Then you don't feel," says I, "that bein' a parent is kind of a sad and
solemn business?"

"Sad!" says he. "_Non, non!_ It is the grand joy of life. It is when you
have the best right to be proud and glad, for to you has come _la bonne
chance_. Yes, _la bonne chance!_"

And say, there's no mistakin' that Leon means every word of it, French
and all.

"Thanks, Leon," says I. "You ought to know. You've been through it
yourself. I'll bet you wouldn't even feel bad at being a grandfather.
No? Well, I guess I'll follow through on that line. Maybe I don't
deserve so much luck, but I'm takin' it just as though I did. And say,
Leon, let's us go out in the back yard and give three cheers for the son
and heir of the house of Torchy."

CHAPTER XVI

TORCHY GETS THE THUMB GRIP

I expect a lot of people thought it about me; but the one who really
registered the idea was Auntie. Trust her. For of course, with an event
of this kind staged in the house we couldn't expect to dodge a visit
from the old girl. She came clear up from Miami--although, with so much
trouble about through sleepers and everything, I kept tellin' Vee I was
afraid she wouldn't think it worth while makin' the trip.

"How absurd, Torchy!" says Vee. "Not want to see baby? To be sure, she
will."

You see, Vee had the right hunch from the very first--about the
importance of this new member of the fam'ly, I mean. She took it as a
matter of course that everybody who'd ever known or heard of us would be
anxious to rush in and gaze awe-struck and reverent at this remarkable
addition we'd made to the population of Long Island. Something like
that. She don't have to work up to it. Seems to come natural. Why, say,
she'd sit by and listen with