Page:Frank Stockton - Rudder Grange.djvu/241

Rh more impression on me. I felt that he had, in a measure, reason for it.

The other idea was one which grew and developed in my mind until I afterwards formed a plan upon it. I determined, however, before I carried out my plan, to again try to reason with Euphemia.

"If it was our own baby," I said, "or even the child of one of us by a former marriage, it would be a different thing; but to give yourself up so entirely to Pomona's baby seems, to me, unreasonable. Indeed, I never heard of any case exactly like it. It is reversing all the usages of society for the mistress to take care of the servant's baby."

"The usages of society are not worth much sometimes," said Euphemia, "and you must remember that Pomona is a very different kind of a person from an ordinary servant. She is much more like a member of the family—I can't exactly explain what kind of a member, but I understand it myself. She has very much improved since she has been married, and you know yourself how quiet and—and nice she is; and as for the baby, it's just as good and pretty as any baby, and it may grow up to be better than any of us. Some of our presidents have sprung from lowly parents."

"But this one is a girl," I said.

"Well, then," replied Euphemia, "she may be a president's wife."

"Another thing," I remarked. "I don't believe Jonas and Pomona like your keeping their baby so much to yourself." "Nonsense!" said Euphemia, "a girl in Pomona's position couldn't help being glad to have a lady take an interest in her baby, and help bring it up. And as for Jonas, he would be a cruel man if he wasn't pleased