Baby Mine | Page 5

some especial mark of gratitude for the favour
about to be bestowed; then he explained with a serious weighing of his
words, "It was her love of children. I had barely been introduced to her
when she turned her back upon me and gave her whole attention to
Professor Peck's little boy Willie. I said to myself, 'any girl of that age
who prefers children to young chaps of my age, is the girl for me.' "
"I see," assented Jimmy lamely. It was his first remark during dinner.
"After that, I no longer hesitated. You know, Jimmy, I have decision."
"Yes, I have noticed," admitted Jimmy, without conviction.
"In fifteen minutes," said Alfred, "I had learned all about the young
lady's antecedents."
Having finished his soup, and resisted a childish impulse to tip the plate
and scrape the bottom of it, Jimmy was now looking anxiously toward
the door through which the roast ought to come.
"I'll tell you all about her," volunteered Alfred. But Jimmy's eyes were
upon Alfred's plate; his friend had not yet devoured more than two
spoonfuls of soup; at that rate, argued Jimmy, the roast would reach
them about the time that he was usually trying to make his dessert last
as long as possible.
"She is here with her aunt," continued Alfred. "They are on a short visit
to Professor Peck."

Jimmy approved of the "short."
"That's good," he murmured, hopeful that a separation from the minx
might restore his friend's reason.
"And Jimmy," exclaimed Alfred with glistening eyes, "what do you
think?"
Jimmy thought a great deal but he forebore to say it, and Alfred
continued very enthusiastically.
"She lives right in the same town with us."
"What!" ejaculated Jimmy, and he felt his appetite going.
"Within a stone's throw of my house--and yours," added Alfred
triumphantly. "Think of our never having met her before!"
"I am thinking," said Jimmy.
"Of course she has been away from home a great deal," went on Alfred.
"She's been in school in the East; but there were the summers."
"So there were," assented Jimmy, thinking of his hitherto narrow
escapes.
"Her father is old John Merton," continued Alfred. "Merton the
stationer--you know him, Jimmy. Unfortunately, he has a great deal of
money; but that hasn't spoilt her. Oh no! She is just as simple and
considerate in her behaviour as if she were some poor little struggling
school teacher. She is the one for me, Jimmy. There is no doubt about it,
and I'll tell you a secret."
Jimmy looked at him blankly.
"I am going to propose to her this very night."
"Good Lord!" groaned Jimmy, as if his friend had been suddenly struck
down in the flower of his youth.

"That's why you simply must come with me to the hop," continued
Alfred. "I want you to take care of her friend Aggie, and leave me alone
with Zoie as much as possible."
"Zoie!" sniffed Jimmy. The name to him was as flippant as its owner.
"True, strong name," commented Alfred. "So simple, so direct, so like
her. I'll have to leave you now," he said, rising. "I must send her some
flowers for the dance." He turned at the door. Suppose I add a few from
you for Aggie."
"What!" exploded Jimmy.
"Just by way of introduction," called Alfred gaily. "It's a good idea."
Before Jimmy could protest further, he found himself alone for the
second time that day. He ate his roast in gloomy silence. It seemed dry
and tasteless. Even his favourite desert of plum pudding failed to rouse
him from his dark meditations, and he rose from the table dejected and
forlorn.
A few hours later, when Alfred led Jimmy into the ballroom, the latter
was depressed, not only by his friend's impending danger, but he felt an
uneasy foreboding as to his own future. With his college course
practically finished and Alfred attaching himself to unforeseen entities,
Jimmy had come to the ball with a curious feeling of having been left
suspended in mid-air.
Before he could voice his misgivings to Alfred, the young men were
surrounded by a circle of chattering females. And then it was that
Jimmy found himself looking into a pair of level brown eyes, and felt
himself growing hot and cold by turns. When the little knot of youths
and maidens disentangled itself into pairs of dancers, it became clear to
Jimmy that he had been introduced to Aggie, and that he was expected
to dance with her.
As a matter of fact, Jimmy had danced with many girls; true, it was
usually when there was no other man left to "do duty"; but still he had

done it. Why then should he feel such distressing hesitation about
placing his arm around the waist of this