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In her friend's ability to judge impartially about so personal a matter.

"Absolutely nothing," affirmed Zoie.And there was no doubting that she at least believed it.

"What does he SAY," questioned Aggie diplomatically.

"He SAYS I 'hurt his soul.' Whatever THAT is," answered Zoie, and her face wore an injured expression."Isn't that a nice excuse," she continued, "for leaving your lawful wedded wife?" It was apparent that she expected Aggie to rally strongly to her defence.But at present Aggie was bent upon getting facts.

"HOW did you hurt him?" she persisted.

"I ate lunch," said Zoie with the face of a cherub.

"With whom?" questioned Aggie slyly.She was beginning to scent the probable origin of the misunderstanding.

"It's of no consequence," answered Zoie carelessly; "I wouldn't have wiped my feet on the man."By this time she had entirely forgotten Aggie's proprietorship in the source of her trouble.

"But who WAS the man?" urged Aggie, and in her mind, she had already condemned him as a low, unprincipled creature.

"What does that matter?" asked Zoie impatiently."It's ANY man with Alfred--you know that--ANY man! "

Aggie sank in a chair and looked at her friend in despair."Why DO you do these things," she said wearily, "when you know how Alfred feels about them?"

"You talk as though I did nothing else," answered Zoie with an aggrieved tone."It's the first time since I've been married that I've ever eaten lunch with any man but Alfred.I thought you'd have a little sympathy with me," she whimpered, "instead of putting me on the gridiron like everyone else does."

"Everyone else?" questioned Aggie, with recurring suspicion.

"I mean Alfred," explained Zoie."HE'S 'everyone else' to me." And then with a sudden abandonment of grief, she threw herself prostrate at her friend's knees."Oh, Aggie, what can I do?" she cried.

But Aggie was not satisfied with Zoie's fragmentary account of her latest escapade."Is that the only thing that Alfred has against you?" she asked.

"That's the LATEST," sniffled Zoie, in a heap at Aggie's feet. And then she continued in a much aggrieved tone, "You know he's ALWAYS rowing because we haven't as many babies as the cook has cats."

"Well, why don't you get him a baby?" asked the practical, far-seeing Aggie.

"It's too late NOW," moaned Zoie.

"Not at all," reassured Aggie."It's the very thing that would bring him back."

"How COULD I get one?" questioned Zoie, and she looked up at Aggie with round astonished eyes.

"Adopt it," answered Aggie decisively.

Zoie regarded her friend with mingled disgust and disappointment. "No," she said with a sigh and a shake of her head, "that wouldn't do any good.Alfred's so fussy.He always wants his OWN things around."

"He needn't know," declared Aggie boldly.

"What do you mean?" whispered Zoie.

Drawing herself up with an air of great importance, and regarding the wondering young person at her knee with smiling condescension, Aggie prepared to make a most interesting disclosure.

"There was a long article in the paper only this morning," she told Zoie, "saying that three thousand husbands in this VERY CITY are fondling babies not their own."

Zoie turned her small head to one side, the better to study Aggie's face.It was apparent to the latter that she must be much more explicit.

"Babies adopted in their absence," explained Aggie, "while they were on trips around the country."

A dangerous light began to glitter in Zoie's eyes.

"Aggie!" she cried, bringing her small hands together excitedly, "do you think I COULD?"

"Why not?" asked Aggie, with a very superior air.Zoie's enthusiasm was increasing her friend's admiration of her own scheme."This same paper tells of a woman who adopted three sons while her husband was in Europe, and he thinks each one of them is his."

"Where can we get some?" cried Zoie, now thoroughly enamoured of the idea.

"You can always get TONS of them at the ren's Home," answered Aggie confidently.

"I can't endure babies," declared Zoie, "but I'd do ANYTHING to get Alfred back.Can we get one TO-DAY?" she asked.

Aggie looked at her small friend with positive pity."You don't WANT one TO-DAY," she explained.

Zoie rolled her large eyes inquiringly.

"If you were to get one to-day," continued Aggie, "Alfred would know it wasn't yours, wouldn't he?"

A light of understanding began to show on Zoie's small features.

"There was none when he left this morning," added Aggie.

"That's true," acquiesced Zoie.

"You must wait awhile," counselled Aggie, "and then get a perfectly new one."

But Zoie had never been taught to wait.

"Now Aggie----" she began.

Aggie continued without heeding her.

"After a few months," she explained, "when Alfred's temper has had time to cool, we'll get Jimmy to send him a wire that he has an heir."

"A few months!" exclaimed Zoie, as though Aggie had suggested an eternity."I've never been away from Alfred that long in all my life."

Aggie was visibly annoyed."Well, of course," she said coldly, as she rose to go, "if you can get Alfred back WITHOUT that----"

"But I can't!" cried Zoie, and she clung to her friend as to her last remaining hope.

"Then," answered Aggie, somewhat mollified by Zoie's complete submission."THIS is the only way.The President of the ren's Home is a great friend of Jimmy's," she said proudly.

It was at this point that Zoie made her first practical suggestion."Then we'll LET JIMMY GET IT," she declared.

"Of course," agreed Aggie enthusiastically, as though they would be according the poor soul a rare privilege."Jimmy gives a hundred dollars to the Home every Christmas,"--additional proof why he should be selected for this very important office.

"Good Heave.