"AS BLUE AS THE BONNIE BLUE FLAG!"

        Outside the room which led to Scarlett's bedroom, Rhett paced impatiently with Mammy by his side. "That's ridiculous! Why can't I go in? I'm entitled to at least see what my own child looks like."

"You control yo'seff, Mist' Rhett-you'll be seein' it fer a long time," said Mammy. Then she continued, "Ah'd lak to 'pologize, Mist' Rhett, 'bout it's not being a boy."

Rhett grumbled about how useless boys were and then asked Mammy, "Mammy, she is beautiful, isn't she?"

"She sho' is," Mammy replied gulping down some more brandy. Rhett poured her another drink and then said, "What's that rustling noise I hear?"

"Lawsy, Mist' Rhett, dat ain' nothin' but mah red silk petticoat," she giggled.

Mammy and her petticoat

"You sure took a long enough time about wearing it," he grumbled.

Melanie appeared at the door and said, "Dr. Meade says you may go in now, Captain Butler."

Rhett fled from the room and Mammy said, "Dis sho' is a happy day ter me. I done diapered three ginrations of dis fambly's girls, and it sho' is a happy day."

"Oh, yes, Mammy,. The happiest days are when babies come. I wish...." she saw Mammy looking at her keenly and cut off. "Oh, Mammy, she's beautiful! What do you suppose they'll name her?"

"Miss Scarlett done tol' me effen it wuz a girl she wuz goin' to name it Eugenia Victoria!!!"     

In Scarlett's room, Rhett cooed over the baby saying, "Do you know that this is your birthday? That you're a week old today? Yes,. I'm gonna buy her a pony the likes of which this town has never seen.

Yes, I'm gonna send her to the best school is Charleston."

"You're certainly are making a fool of yourself," said Scarlett irritabley.

"Why shouldn't I? She's the first person who's ever completely belonged to me," replied Rhett.

"Great balls of fire! I had the baby, didn't I?" exclaimed Scarlett.

Melanie entered the room as Rhett said, "Look at my daughter's beautiful blue eyes."

Laughing, Melanie said, "But, Captain Butler, most babies have blue eyes when they're born."

"Nevertheless, her eyes are blue and they're going to stay blue," said Rhett.

"As blue as the Bonnie Blue Flag," laughed Melanie.

"That's it! That's what we'll call her! Bonnie Blue Butler!" he exclaimed, and a look of disgust crossed Scarlett's face.

About six weeks later, Scarlett was being laced up in her room by Mammy. When Mammy was finished she said, "Twenty inches."

Scarlett's jaw dropped and she exclaimed, "I've grown as big as Aunt Pitty! You've simply got to make it eighteen and a half again!

Shaking her head, Mammy said, "You done had a baby, Miss Scarlett, an' you ain' never goin' to be no eighteen an' a half inches again - never. An' dar ain' nothin' to do 'bout it."

While Scarlett contemplated the meaning of this,there was silence. Then she replied," There is something to do about it! I'm not going to get fat and old before my time! I just won't have any more babies!

Mammy said, "I heerd Mist' Rhett say that he'll be wantin' a son next year."

"Tell Captain Butler I've decided not to go out after all," Scarlett said.She picked up a wrapper from a nearby chair and sliped it on. "I'll have my supper in my room."

Scarlett and Mammy

Scarlett crosed the room and sat at her dressing table, taking out a picture of Ashley Wilkes and stared at it so intently that she did not notice Rhett coming up behind her. She concealed the daguerreotype in her lap and heard him say and said, "I got your message. I'll have them bring my supper up here, too."

Scarlett shuddered when he kissed her and he said curiously, "No objections to that, I hope?"

"No. Yes. I-I mean, I don't care where you have your supper. Rhett....You see-well-I've decided-well-I hope I don't have any  more children," she said as she strode toward the window.

As Rhett came toward her, he stepped on the picture of Ashley Wilkes. When he spoke again, his voice was cold. "My pet, as I told you before Bonnie was born, it is immaterial to me whether you have one child or twenty."

"No-but you know what I-Do you know what I mean?" she said embarassed.

"I do...And do you know that I can divorce you for this?"

"You're just low enough to think of something like that! If you had any chivalry in you-or-or would be nice like-well, look at Ashley Wilkes! Melanie can't have anymore children and he-he..." she stopped, for she was unable to explain any further, but Rhett read right through her act.

"You know, I'm sorry for you Scarlett," he said.

"Sorry-for me?" she asked with a sneer.

"Yes, sorry for you-because you're throwing away happiness with both hands-and reaching out for something that will never make you happy. If you were free, and Miss Melly dead and you had your precious, honorable Ashley, do you think you'd be happy with him? You'd never know him, never even understand his mind-any more than you understand anything except money. You may keep your sanctity, Scarlett. The world is full of many things and many people...and I shan't be lonely," he replied.

Rhett talking with Scarlett

"That's fine! But I warn you, just in case you change your mind, that I intend to lock my door!" she said.

"Why bother?" he said as he walked toward the door. "If I wanted to come in, no lock could keep me out." With a savage kick he broke the hardware out of the splintered jamb. He strode into the next room and poured himslef some brandy, when he noticed the picture of Scarlett on the wall. With a huge heave he threw the glass with the liquor at it, and Scarlett cringed when she heard this.

From his house, Rhett went to Belle's and complained long and hard about Scarlett. "I always knew
most women were cheats...hypocritical and hard...but this one!"

"You're poisoned with her...I don't care what she's done to you...you're still in love with her. You've
got to think of the child. The child's worth ten of the mother," she said moodily.

"You're a shrewd woman, Belle, and a very nice one, and...I was just thinking of the difference between
you and...You're both hardheaded business women and you're both successful but-you've got a heart,"

he said sincerely.

"Good-bye, Rhett," she said and as he left the room there were tears in her eyes, showing her love
for him.

   After that, Rhett did his best to regain some honor and dignity, crawling on his hands and knees to every respected citizen of Atlanta

. As he and Scarlett took a walk down Peachtree Street, Rhett bowed to Mrs. Merriwether, Mrs. Whiting, and Mrs. Meade with a most sincere voice while Scarlett said, "Just why we have to wheel the baby when we have a house full of servants...making fools of ourselves in front of those old buffaloes."

When Bonnie turned two, Rhett took her riding and met up with Mrs. Merriwether, flattering her and asking for her advice about Bonnie sucking her thumb. As he rode away, Mrs. Meade came up and said, "Good morning, Dolly...Wasn't that Captan Butler."

"Good morning, Caroling...I was just thinking-there must be a great deal of good in any man who can love a child so much," she replied.

When Bonnie turned four, Rhett bought her a pony and Mammy had great criticizm about her riding, "Wid her dress flyin' up!"

"Oh, now Mammy, be reasonable," argued Rhett.

"Well..I don't think it's fittin', but...it ain't fittin'. It jus' ain' fittin'. It ain' fittin," she repeated behind his back.

Mammy's famous line

Onward...