"I--it's just that I got cold, honey, sitting here waiting--the surprise and all. Run, honey, and get me a drink. Crack some ice, dearie, and then run up-stairs in the third floor back and see if there's some brandy up there. Be sure to look for--the brandy. I--I'll be all right." "My poor, darling, cold mommie!" She was off on the slim, quick feet, the screen door slamming and vibrating. Then Mrs. Goldstone sprang up. "You wouldn't dare! Such a baby--you wouldn't dare!" "Dare what?" "You can't have the child! You can't!" "What do you mean?" "What do I mean?" He advanced a step, his voice and expression lifted in incredulity. "Say, look here, Becker, are you stark, raving crazy? Is it possible you don't know that, in your place, nobody but a crazy woman would open her mouth?" "Maybe; but I don't care. Just leave her alone, Kess, please! That little baby can stand nothing but happiness." "Why, woman, you're crazy with the heat. If you want to know it, I'm nuts over that little kid. Gad! never ran across anything so full of zip in my life! I'm going to make life one joy ride after another for that joy baby. That kid's the showpiece of the world. She's got me so hipped I'm crazy, and the worst of it is I like it. You don't need to worry. As the boys say, when I settle down, I'm going to settle hard." "You ain't fit to have her!" "Say, the kind of life I've lived I ain't ashamed to tell her own father. He's a man, and I'm a man, and life's life." "You--" "Now look here, Becker. That'll be about all. If you're in your right senses, you're going to ring the joy bells louder than any one around here. What you got on your chest you can just as well cut your throat as tell; so we'll both live happy ever after. There's not one thing in my life that any jury wouldn't pass, and--" "I've seen you drunk." "Well, what of it? It took three of us to yank old I.W. out from under the table at my sister's wedding." "You--What about you and Cissie and--" The light run of feet, and almost instantly Miss Goldstone was pirouetting in between them. "Here, dearie! There wasn't anything like brandy up in the third floor. I found some cordial in the pantry. Drink it down, dearie; it'll warm you." They hovered together, Miss Goldstone trembling between solicitude and her state of intensity. "Kessie darling, you've got to go now. I want to get mommie up-stairs to bed. You got to go, darling, until to-morrow. Oh, why isn't it tomorrow? I want everybody to know. Don't let on, Mamma Hat. I'll pop it on popsie at breakfast while I'm opening his eggs for him. You come for breakfast, Leon. You're in the family now." He lifted her bodily from her feet, pressing a necklace of kisses round her throat. "Good night, Twinkle-pinkle, till to-morrow." "Good night, darling. I won't sleep a wink, waiting for you." "Me, neither." "One more, darling--a French one." "Two for good measure." "Sleep tight, beautiful! Good night!" "Good night, beautifulest!"