she wasn't any nearer sleep
than I was she might think up half a dozen substitutes for Ethelbert
before mornin'. Would she insist on springin' each one on me as they hit
her?

Maybe she was gettin' ready to call me again now. Should I pretend not
to hear and let her ring, or would it be better to answer and let on
that this was Police Headquarters?

Honest, I got so fidgety waitin' for that buzzer to go off that I could
almost hear the night operator pluggin' in on our wire.

And then a thought struck me that wouldn't let go. So, slippin' out easy
and throwin' on a bath-robe, I sneaked downstairs to the back hall
'phone, turned on the light, and hunted up Miss Leroy's number in the
book.

"Give her a good strong ring, please," says I to Exchange, "and keep it
up until you rouse somebody."

"Leave it to me," says the operator. And in a minute or so I gets this
throaty "Hello!"

"Miss Leroy?" says I.

"Yes," says she. "Who is calling?"

"Ballard," says I. "I'm the fond parent of the nameless baby. And say,
do you still stick to Ethelbert?"

"Why," says she, "I--er----"

"I just wanted to tell you," I goes on, "that this guessin' contest
closes at 3 A.M., and if you want to make any more entries you got only
forty minutes to get 'em in. Nighty-night."

And I rings off just as she begins sputterin' indignant.

That seems to help a lot, and inside of five minutes I'm snoozin'
peaceful.

It was next mornin' at breakfast that Vee observes offhand, as though
the subject hadn't been mentioned before:

"About naming the baby, now."

"Ye-e-es?" says I, smotherin' a groan.

"Why couldn't we call him after you?" she asks.

"Not--not Richard Junior?" says I.

"Well, after both of us, then," says she. "Richard Hemmingway. It--it is
what I've wanted to name him all along."

"You have?" says I. "Well, for the love of----"

"You didn't ask me, that's why," says she.

"Why--why, so I didn't," says I. "And say, Vee, I don't know who's got a
better right. As for my part of the name, I've used it so little it's
almost as good as new. Richard Hemmingway Ballard it shall be."

"Oh, I'm so glad," says she. "Of course, I did want you to be the one to
pick it out; but if you're satisfied with----"

"Satisfied!" says I. "Why, I'm tickled to pieces. And here you had that
up your sleeve all the while!"

Vee smiles and nods.

"We must have the christening very soon," says she, "so everyone will
know."

"You bet!"