"But Aggie," protested Zoie, clinging to her departing friend,"suppose that crazy mother should come back?"

"Nonsense," said in reply Aggie, and before Zoie could actually realisewhat was happening the bang of the outside door told her that shewas alone.

CHAPTER XXV

Wondering what recent terrors awaited her, Zoie glanced uncertainlyfrom door to door. So strong had become her habit of takingrefuge in the bed, that unconsciously she backed toward it now. Barely had she reached the centre of the room when a terrificcrash of breaking glass from the adjoining room sent hershrieking in terror over the footboard, and head first under thecovers. Here she would doubtless have remained until suffocated,had not Jimmy inside his backward flight from one of the inner roomsoverturned a large rocker. This additional shock to Zoie'soverstrung nerves forced a ferocious scream from her lips, and ananswering exclamation from the nerve-racked Jimmy made her sitbolt upright. She gazed at him in astonishment. His tie wasawry, one end of his collar had taken leave of its anchoragebeneath his stout chin, and was now just tickling the edge of hiswhite, perspiring brow. His hair was on end and his feelings wereundeniably ruffled. As usual Zoie's greeting did not tend toconciliate him.

"How did Y0U get here?" she asked with an air of reproach.

"The fire-escape," panted Jimmy and he nodded mysteriously towardthe inner chambers of the apartment.

"Fire-escape?" echoed Zoie. There was only one and that ledthrough the bathroom window.

Jimmy explained no further. He always was now peeping cautiously out ofthe window toward the pavement below.