Baby Mine | Page 4

and buoyant, brought the
bundle of fluff to a full stop before him.
"Sorry to be late, old chap," said Alfred. "I have brought my excuse
with me. I want you to know Miss Merton." Then turning to the small
creature, whose head peeped just above his elbow, Alfred explained to
her graciously that Jimmy Jinks was his very best friend, present
company excepted, of course, and added that she and Jimmy would no
doubt "see a great deal of each other in the future."
In his embarrassment, Jimmy's eyes went straight to the young lady's
shoes. It was possible that there might be more expensive shoes in this
world, but Jimmy had certainly never seen daintier.

"I hope we didn't disturb you," a small voice was chirping; and
innocent and conventional as the remark surely was, Jimmy was certain
of an undercurrent of mischief in it. He glanced up to protest, but two
baby-blue eyes fixed upon him in apparent wonderment, made him
certain that anything he could say would seem rude or ridiculous; so, as
usual when in a plight, he looked to Alfred for the answer.
Slapping Jimmy upon the shoulder in a condescending spirit, Alfred
suggested that they all sit down and have a chat.
"Oh, how nice," chirped the small person.
Jimmy felt an irresistible desire to run, but the picture of himself, in his
very stout person, streaking across the campus to the giggled delight of
Miss Fluff, soon brought him submissively to the seat, where he sat
twiddling his straw hat between his fingers, and glancing uncertainly at
Alfred, who was thoughtful enough to sit next him.
"Goodness, one could almost dance out here, couldn't one?" said the
small person, named Zoie, as her eyes roved over the bit of level green
before them.
"Would you like to try?" asked Alfred, apparently agreeable to her
every caprice.
"I'd love it!" cried Zoie. "Come along." She sprang up and held out her
hands to him.
"I'm going to be unselfish," answered Alfred, "and let Jimmy have that
fun."
By this time, Jimmy had been seized with an intuitive feeling that his
friend was in immediate danger.
"Was this the young woman who was to sit opposite the fireside five
nights a week and systematise Alfred's life?"
Jimmy stared at the intruder blankly. For answer, two small hands were

thrust out toward him and an impatient little voice was commanding
him to "Come, dance." He heard Alfred's laughter. He had no intention
of accommodating the small person in this or any other matter, yet,
before he realised quite how it had happened, he was two-stepping up
and down the grass to her piping little voice; nor did she release him
until the perspiration came rolling from his forehead; and, horror of
horrors, his one-time friend, Alfred, seemed to find this amusing, and
laughed louder and louder when Jimmy sank by his side exhausted.
When Jimmy was again able to think consecutively, he concluded that
considerable conversation must have taken place between Alfred and
the small one, while he was recovering his breath and re-adjusting his
wilted neckwear. He was now thrown into a fresh panic by an
exclamation from the excitable Zoie.
"You must both meet my friend, Aggie Darling," she was saying. "I am
bringing her with me to the hop to-night. She is not at all like me. You
will like her dreadfully." She smiled at Jimmy as though she were
conferring a great favour upon him.
"Like her dreadfully," commented Jimmy to himself. "It was just the
kind of expression one might expect from a mind in such disorder as
hers. 'Systematise Alfred's life,' indeed!"
There was more nonsensical chatter, or so it seemed to Jimmy, then
Zoie and Alfred rose to go, and Jimmy was told by both of them that he
was to put in an appearance at the Fraternity "hop" that night.
"I'll see you at dinner," called Alfred gaily over his shoulder and Jimmy
was left to grapple with his first disappointment at his friend's lack of
discrimination.
"It's her fault," concluded Jimmy, as he lifted himself heavily off the
bench and started down the campus, resolved to console himself with
food.
CHAPTER II

Now Jimmy had no intention of going to the "hop." He had tried to tell
Alfred so a dozen times during dinner, but each time he had been
interrupted by one of Alfred's enthusiastic rhapsodies about Zoie.
"Most marvellous girl I have ever met!" exclaimed Alfred over his soup.
"So sensible; so modest. And did you see how simply she dresses?" he
asked. Jimmy recalled his first vision of billowy fluff; but before he
could answer, Alfred had continued excitedly:
"I'll tell you what first attracted me toward her." He looked at Jimmy as
though he expected