The Argosy — page 165: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

150 Valentina. Just then a boy, passing along with a basket, stopped to call Valentina a hot-brick and a salamander, and other refreshing names. “A young devil, a young devil, a young devil!” promptly re- sponded Valentina, and set on to screech and scream and shake her scarlet tuft. Miss Miranda shut the window with a vigorous hand. ‘Tf she is not particular about her own conduct, she might at least not offend us with the ravings of that disreputable animal. I shall go over myself, Susan, as you don’t go, and tell her so.” Accordingly, when dusk came on and she had a few minutes’ leisure, Miss Miranda put on her gloves and a cape, and stepped across the road. ‘The parrot had been taken in then, and the door was shut. ‘ Walk in, walk in and take a chair,” called out that officious bird in answer to the knock. Jessy, who had already lighted her candle and was at work, rose and opened the door. “Miss Miranda, is it you?” she exclaimed, pleasantly. ‘“ Do come in; for so near a neighbour you make yourself quite a stranger.” “T have but little time for making calls,” said Miss Miranda, loftily, accepting the seat at the little round table opposite Jessy. ‘Indeed I came over to-night upon what you may think is hardly a friendly errand. It is—to begin with—about that—that—unpleasant parrot,” she continued, having hesitated to find an epithet not too strong, and she gave the bird a flick with her parasol, which she had carried over for gentility, not for use. “Meddlesome old maid! meddlesome old maid!” cried out Valentina. ‘We think, I and Susan, that you ought not to harbour the offensive animal, Jessy Moon. She was calling people devils, and such-like swearing, outside to-day. ‘To polite ears it is un- bearable.” ‘Well, I am in hopes of selling her,” said Jessy, “ but ‘Wretched old maid!” screamed out Valentina. “ But Mr. Drake—it is he who thinks he has found a customer— says his friend won’t be able to take her for a week or two.” “ Carrier Drake—oh!” commented Miss Miranda. ‘And truly I did not feel sorry to hear it; for you cannot think what company that parrot is to me,” said Jessy, who had taken up her work again. ‘The evening hours, all by myself here, are very lonely.” ‘Work is always a companion,” snapped Miss Miranda. ‘ What is that you are doing? It looks like a shirt wristband.” “Tt is one; I am stitching it,” said Jessy. ‘ It belongs to a set of shirts which I am making.” “Who are they for?” © Mr. Drake.” ert ECORNICLOOOLKS (EC) m