Conscientious Marjorie looked as if the affairs of the nation rested on her shoulders.
“Oh, dear me!” she sighed. “And this baby on my hands.” And then she explained to Jane about the police station, and what she wanted.
“Now, if the child is to stay here to-night, we must arrange about its sleeping,” she added.
“In Kenneth’s bed,” piped up Zaidie.
“I’ll see ’Liza about it,” said Marjorie, turning to the nursery. “Take her up-stairs, Eunice, do, and keep her amused till dinner.”
“I’ll tell you, Miss Marjorie,” said ’Liza in confidence, “them children have the notion of adopting that baby. Of course it’s all nonsense, but you let ’em have her in their room to-night, and they’ll get off the notion. Tell ’em I can’t have the bother of it here. ’Course I’ll sleep with one ear open, and if they get into trouble, I’ll go up.”
“Very well, ’Liza, I’ll do that,” said Marjorie, turning away.
Eunice and Cricket proclaimed themselves perfectly delighted with the arrangement. It was just what they meant to do, anyway.
“Of course, Marjorie, if we adopt the baby, we’d expect to take all the care of it, you know,” said Cricket. “’Liza has enough to do with the younger ones; ’course she’ll sleep here. Eunice, you can have her half the night, and I’ll take her the other half.”
“I may forget to wake up,” objected Eunice. “Suppose I take her to-night into my bed, Cricket, and you take her to-morrow night. There’s the dinner-bell. She can stay in the nursery with ’Liza and the twins, and get her supper, while we’re at dinner.”