The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-02-03
A QUEER VALENTINE.
" Pislkin, Ilushkin, pelican gee,
We think no birds so fluffy as we;
Plishkin. plushkin, pelican gill,
Netbiuk so then we thought so :

Plishkin. plushkin, pelican gill,
- think so then we thought so still. ,
G,rnudc " inthrop look ed rather be-
wiidtrcd as 4 csc sounds issued from the
door :, ,hich thf scIvart opened for her.
"fh,yrt rum ones" whispered the
girl
Two children were hopping about
the room as ti,ey SANG the strange gih-
belish given above. One was keen,
salow faced BOY of n!re; the other
pretty, fair. haired girl OF seven. The
boy had n hat { n with bunch OF di-
lapidated cock . feathers in it, The girl
wore long ostrich plume, and various
scraps cf rcd ilauIl pinned here and
there on Ecr dress.
"Oh, Lal'o! we're pclicaus," cried
the boy, in 10 way abashed; " that's
the pelican chorus"
You're precious pickles. that's wot
you are, " sald Jane. "ltever see sich
limbs of the -"
She h,s!tat'd out of respect for the
stranger.
Geruude surveyed her charges, and they
in turn bestowed on her an unfinching
stare.
What are your pames?' sue asked,
softly; Il am going TO be with you,
and Il ach yCu, Uu know"
"GOliy!" " said The hoy. wouldn't it
be lai Ks if you never found out!-then
you CuuIont call US, you know. And
il you Cent cal us we wouldn't have
to come"
but | can easily find ont" said Ger
trude, with a laugh; 80 you had better
be gentlemarly and answer my ques-
ton"
"My names Roderick, but they cal.
me Rod. Her names Nina, but ] call
her Ninny, COS she's a nun bskull-all
girls are LUlo bskulls."
"TLis Is your room, ma'am," ex-
Claimed Jane, OLeringa door and going
in Wien Gertrude stood II her side
she turned lhe bey.
"Set you kin do this W.T. en- you want
to be Il one; ard you'll bless the min
utes you git from that pair.
I'm guin' 10 leave to-morrer
AS gIve warmer reGular-an' my life
wore cat with them two young imps-
savin' cur p1e,CnsC-wbich you'll tnu
'em out, SON enough; and ] wouldn't
prejudice y Cu agin 'trn beforehand; and
that cantank, ruus Old cat, either, down
below, h. they're sweet lot"
"Hush = SAID Gei trude. Il cannot
listen to such"
"Well, i'Ilaay good word for Master
Eric" said Jane, tuning to go; he
knows W To- treat poor girl. He's
gentleman -moie the pity he's to be
thrown away on that iIibberty gibbet
Miss Francia, as Is no better nor a"
There, there - cIied Gertrude, as
the children were pummeling at the
door, "you may.go now-thank YOU"
There were two or thrte scratched up
desks and some Lonl books. a,so globe
over which strange maps had been
smeared with ink and red paint.
"Well. Roderick," she said, turning
to her lii tie subjects, who had mos mu-
tinous faces, Whist do you studyP"
"On! when feel like study, | like
Roman history best. I'm goin' to be a
heather and worship Jupiter. built
an altar to him the other day; got one
of Francia Dormer's white boxes, and
printed Jupiter Ave Imperatore' on it,
and made pie OF sticks and matches,
and poured cologne over 1t Tor incense,
and, golly! how 1t burned Ihat was
sacrifice, you see; ana Francia says
she'll sacrifice me the next time med
die with her things. l said to her:
Francia, you've got no feeling Tor no
man history"
81 am Leathen, too" cried Nina.
"You amt; you're Christian"
a. /
most opprobrious epithet.
IL won't be n Christian all alone!'
cried Nina, with a roar.
"Hullo! WHATS the rumpusP What's |
the rowP" cried good-naturcd voice, |
and very handsome young man en-
tered rather hurrieuly, ana stopped |
short at the sight OF Gertrude
"They want to be heathens," said |
Gertrude, with an embarrassed smile.
"Well, venture to say it would be |
hard to find two greater young heathens |
in our enlightened country. Excuse me |
Cor bursting in so uncermoniously. |
wanted To quench these uugsters'
noise. My mother"
ooh, | forgot" answered Gertrude, |
she especially spoke OF her |
dislike TO noise. In lutte time shall
earn"
Eric was frgeIting everything even |
the two young savages no were swarm |
ing 10 ON him-in looking at the won
del ful beauty OF this young girls lace. |
Surely. if Mrs. Chumleigh had seen that
'a3e in anything 5nt the half darkness
in which she delighted, she would never
have brought Gertrude Winthrop into
he house.
"Well, Eric, what are you about ?"
CRIED merry voice. - Goln 10 WOllOp |
Rod Ill go in for that, Us he used up
a good bottle OF my Fran gipani in his
slat ine0ntation.
And II little dark, brilliant-lookiny
in black gAuze aud amber,
hutteled in, anG stared rather supereili-
ously at Gertrude. She reminded our
heroine somehow, of some brilliant
South American insect, there was SO
much fash and color about her.
Her only real beauty was in her eyes,
which were large, intensely black and
shining, but also, at present, little