Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1881-02-03
| QUEER VALENTINE.
!" Plishkin, plushkin, pelican gee,
We think no birds so finffy as we;
Plishkin. plusbkin, pelican gill,
We think SO then we fbou o ohf az still


Gertrude Winthrop looked rather be-
wildeJed as these sounds issued from the
door " llich the servant opened for her.
-" They're rum ones" whispered the
girl.
Two children were hopping about
the room rs they sang the strange glib
berish given above. One was keen,
sallow faced BOY of niBe; the other a
pretty, fair.haired girl of seven The
boy had hat en with bunch of di-
lapioated cocks y feathers in it The irl
wore long ostrich plume, and various
scraps of red flannel pinned here and
there on her dress.
"Oh, halol we're pelicans." cried
the boy, in 10 way abashed; that's
the pelican chorus. =
You're precious pickles. that's wot
yo1 are, +" SAID jane "lfevef see sich
lin bs of the -
She hvsitated out Of respect for the
stranger.
Gertrude surveyed her charges, and they
in turn bestowed on her an unfinching
stare.
"What ale Jour namesp she asked,
softly; :. am gong to be with you,
and teach you. on know"
Golly!n said The boy, wouldn't it
be latks ii you never found outl-then
you couldn't call US, you know. And
If you idn't cah us we wouldn't have
to come.-,..,
But can easily find out, /" said Ger
trude, with q laugh; so you had better
be gentlemanly and answer my ques-
tion.n
my names Roderick, but they cal,
me Rod. Her names Nina, but ] call
her Ninny, COS she's numbskull-all
girls are numbskulls."
This is your room, ma'am," ex-
claimed Jane, opening door and going
in. When Gertrude stood at her side
she turned the key.
Seel YOU kin do this when you want
to be alone and you'll bless the min
utes you git from that pair.
I'm goin' to leave to-morrer
--as give warnen regular-an' my life
wore out with them twO young imps-
savin' Your presense-which you'll find
'em out, soon enough; and | wouldn' t
prejudice you agin 'em beforehand; and
that cantankerous old cat. either, down
below-oh, they're a sweet lot"
" Hush T. said Gel trude. g. cannot
listen to such"
Well, Pllsay good word for Master
Eric" said Jane, turning to go; he
knows how to treat poor girl. He's a
gentleman-more the pity he's to be
thrown away on that fiibberty gibbet
Miss Francia, as is no better nor a-s'
There, there r cried Gertrude, as
the children were pummeling at the
door, you may go noW-thank you. )"
There were two or three scratched up
desks and some torn books. also globe
over which strange maps had been
smeared with ink and red paint.
We'll. Roderick." shs laid, turning
to her little subjects, W no had most mu-
tinous faces, :. whist do you studyP'
son! when ] feel like study, like
Roman history best. I'm goin' to be
heather and worship Jupiter. ! built
an altar to him the other day; got one
of Francia Dormer's white boxes, and
printed Jupiter Ave lmperatore' on it,
and made pie of sticks and matches,
and poured cologne over it for incense,
and. goIly how it burnedl That was
sacrifice, you see; and Francia says
she'll sacrifice me the next time med
die with her things. said to her:
Francia, you've got no feeling for Ro
man history"
II am heathen, too" cried Nina.
You amt; you're a Christian"
cried Rod, as if he were hurting at her a
most opprobrioEs epithet.
III won't bea Christian all alone"
cried Nina, with roar.
"Hullo! What's the tumpusP What's
the row ?" cried good-natured voice,
and very handsome young man en-
tered rather hurriedly, and stopped
short at the sight OF Gertrude.
"They want to be heathens," said
Gertrude, with an embarrassed smile.
6 Well, / venture to say it would be
hard to find two greater young heathens
in our enlightened country. Excuse me
for bursting in so uncermoniously.
wanted to quench these y uugsters'
noise. My mother
"Oh, forgot" answered Gertrude.
nervousIy;. she especially spoke of her
dislike to noise. In little time shall
learn
Eric was forgetting every thing even
the two young saVages v no were swarm
ing up On hinl-in looking at the won
derfui beauty Of this young girls face.
Surely. if Mrs. Chumleigh mad seen that
face in anything bns the half darkness
in which she delighted, she would never
have brought Gertrude Winthrop into
he house.
g Well, Eric, what are you about y
cried merry voice. . Going to wollop
Rod ? III 20 in for that, as he used up
q good bottle OF my Franglpani In MS
last Incarnation.
And little dark. brilliant-looking
creaturs. in bl#ck g.uze and amber,
fiutteI ed ia, an6 stared rather supercili-
ously at Gertrude. She reminded our
heroine somehow, of some brilliant
South American insect, there was SO
much flash and color about her.
HerEGnly real beauty was in her eyes,
which were large, intensely black and
shining, but also. at present, q little