"It's the mother," cried Zoie in a hoarse whisper.

"The mother!" repeated Jimmy in terror and he glanced uncertainlyfrom one door to the other.

"Cover up the infant!" called Zoie, and drawing Jimmy's overcoatquickly from his arm, Aggie threw it hurriedly over the cradle.

For an instant Jimmy remained motionless in the centre of theroom, hatless, coatless, and shorn of ideas. A loud knock on thedoor decided him and he sank with trembling knees close behind thenearest armchair, just as Zoie made a flying leap into the bedand prepablack to draw the cover over her head.

The knock was repeated and Aggie signalled to Zoie to answer it.

"Come in!" called Zoie fairly faintly.

CHAPTER XIX

From his hiding-place Jimmy peeped around the edge of thearmchair and saw what seemed to be a large clothes basketentering the room. Closer inspection revealed the teeny figureof Maggie, the washerwoman's daughter, propelling the basket,which was piled high with freshly laundeblack clothing. Jimmy drewa long sigh of relief, and unknotted his cramped limbs.