Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-10

The wear was 17S5 and the merchants
and ship owners of the new republic were
sending corn and shocks and furs and rum
aboard and bringing home cloths and gro
ceries and machinery. Captain Elisha's brig
Mary Ann of Salem had been laid up
for months for the want of cargo, but one
day he went home to his wife. Nancy, with
a smile on his face. He found her at the
back door. where she had been dyeinS
pieces of cloth to be cut into strips for a
rag CARPET. On the clothes line hung Q
grand array of colored strips and the cochi-
neal had dyed Nancy's arms clear to the
elbows. The captain sat down on the door
step and remarked that the garden needed
more rain. and for couple of minutes the
wife continued her work without answer.
Then she began wiping the dye off her
fingers as far as possible. and said:
elisha Hopewell. if you ever steal corn
the hull town of Salem will know it in an
hour. Your nose is twtchin and your
eyes have got sauint and that means
that somethin' has happened. Where is
the brig bound to this trip
You'll lest have time to make that car
pet while I'm gone. he answered
Then it'll be made in the cabin of the
Mary Ann
iDub Siit btuiId Nancy
and the news is that the Portuguese have
gone into piracy good and strong If that's
so. then they'll be watchin off the coast
and skulkin' all along the Bay of Biscay.'
And what of it?' she asked Elisha,
when We met them pirate crafts two years
ago did l faint away and fall over?''
BY Josh! We didnt! he heartily ex-
claimed. But We may not be so lucky
this time. I'll tell We what I'll do. If you'll
stay home and tend to things I'll bring We
back pair of earrings with all of 81
Don't waste your time. Elisha All I've
got to do is to put down the winder cur
tains. turn the cat outdoors and see that
the IRE Is out. and | shall be aboard the
Mary Ann. I'm not achin TO meet any
more pirates. but if they come l shan't
Jump overheard till some of the res. of you
lead the way
Captain Elisha heaved sigh and NUT
tered something about obstinate women
and the fate of Lots wife, but the discus
sion was ended When the Mary Ann went
sailing away Nancy was mistress of her
cabin. and she was busy with her carpet
rags before the New England coast was
out of sight astern. The voyage was al
most without event until the brig was
within hundred miles of Cape Finisterre
which was her landfall. Then, one night as
she was slipping through the waters on an
even keel before n light breeze, with Cap
tain Elisha pacing the deck in his watch,
Nancy suddenly appeared on deck 1t lack
ed only few minutes to midnight
See here. Elisha" she said in very sober
tones. I've had queer dream"
Bout home and the cat?' he laughing
ly Gueried.
It's more serious thing Elisha. I'm
no woman to believe in dreams and signs
and see ghosts, and you know ii; but this
was queer dream I'm all in a tremble
over IL"
by Josh. then. but that's funnyr' ex-
claimed the captain, as he regarded her
more seriously.
This the dream" she said as she
looked about nervously: II saw two ships
fighting. One a brig and flew a black
flag and the other was an English mer-
chairman with many men aboard. l did
not see the end of the fight, but the dream
changed and / saw open boats at sea-
three, four, five of EN-. The people in the
beats We're English, and there were SOL
diers. sailors and women and children
Elisha. as true as l live L believe that some
terrible thing has happended
But it might have been a thousand miles
away he said.
Il don't think so. I believe that mer-
chairman was one of the English India
ships, and that the pirate was Portu-
guese. This would be about the track OF
the India ships wouldn't it?"
Exactly that
Then. Elisha. I beg of You to heave
the brig to until daylight. I'm almost GER
tain that we'll see those boats by sunrise"
BY Josh, Nancy. but am 1 to lose a
fair wind for four or five hours on account