[CHAPTER IV]
THE TELEGRAM
A flood of light and warmth assailed Joe as he hung up his hat and coat in the hall and burst into the living room.
“Hello, Momsey!” he cried buoyantly as he crossed the room and kissed his mother. “Hello, Sis!” as he turned to greet in a similar fashion his sister Clara. “How are you, Dad?” and he smiled affectionately at his father, who was sitting by the fire pretending to read his paper, but in reality swelling with pride in this stalwart son who was the apple of his eye.
“Oh, Joe!” exclaimed his mother, happy tears welling up in her eyes as she looked upon him fondly. “I’m so proud of you that I don’t know what to do or say.”
“Why, what have I been doing now?” asked Joe in pretended ignorance of what she meant.
“Isn’t the dear boy innocent?” laughed Clara, a pretty, winsome girl, as she slipped her arm about her brother. “Of course, he doesn’t know what we mean. He hasn’t set the whole town talking. He didn’t save a baby from a madman. He never knew that there was anything unusual going on in town this afternoon at all,” she mocked.
“Oh,” said Joe, “you mean the matter of the Bilkins baby.”
“Yes,” mimicked Clara, “we mean the matter of the Bilkins baby.”