The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-11-09
Captain Calvin Tabor

ing low, yet, as | said before. with as
sured eyes.
Il have the honor to salute you, mis-
tress." He spoke with a grace some
what beyond his calling. He was a
young man, as fair as Dutchman and
a giant in stature. He bore himself
also curiously for one of his calling,
bowling as steadily as a cavalier, with
no trembling of the knees when he re-
covered and carrying his right arm as
if it would grasp sword rather than
| cutlass if the need arose.
God be praised l see that you have
| brought the Golden Horn safely to
port said Mistress Mary. with a
| stately sweetness that covered to me,
who knew her voice and its every note
so we'll, an exultant ring.
YES, praised be God, Mistress Caven-
| DISH" answered Captain Tabor, land
with fine winds to swell the sails and
no pirates"
"And is my new scarlet cloak safe:''
cried Mistress Mary. land my tabby
petticoats, and my blue brocade bodice,
and my stockings, and my satin shoes
/ and laces:"
| l wondered somewhat at the length
| of the list. as not only Mistress Mary's
wardrobe, but those of her grandmoth-
! er and sister and many Of the house
! hold supplies had TO be purchased with
! the proceeds of the tobacco, and that
brought but scanty returns owing to
/ the navigation act, and scrupled not to
say so, being secure in the new world,
where disloyalty against kings could
| flourish without so much danger of the
daring tongue being silenced at Ty-
burn.
| 1t had been hard task for many
planters to purchase the necessaries of
life with the profits of their tobacco
crop, since the trade with the Neither
! lands was prohibited by his most gra-
cious majesty, King Charles IL, for
the supply. being limited to the English
| market had SO exceeded the demand
| that it brought but beggarly price per
pound.
Therefore / wondered. knowing that
many of those articles of women's
attire mentioned by Mistress Mary
were of great value and brought great
sums in London, and knowing, too.
that the maid, though innocently fond
of such things, to which she had, more
over, the natural right of youth and
beauty such as hers, which should
have all the silks and jewels of earth,
and no questioning, for its adjoining,
was not given to selfish appropriation
for her own needs, but rather consider
ed those of others first.
However, Mistress Mary had some
property in her own right she being
the daughter of a second wife who had
died possessed of a small plantation
called Laurel Creek, which was a mile
distant from Drake Hill, farther in
land, having no ship dock and employ
ing this. Mistress Mary might have
sent some of her own tobacco crop to
England wherewith to purchase finery
for herself
Still l wondered. and 1 wondered
still more when Mistress Mary, albeit
the Lords day and the penalty for
such labor being even for them of
high degree not light. should propose
as she did that the goods be then and
there unladen Then I yentured to
address her. riding close to her side,
that the captain and the sailors should
not hear and think that I held her in
slight respect and treated her like
child, since l presumed to call her to
account for aught she chose to do.
Madam" said 1 as low as might
be. do you remember the day."
And wherefore should l not?'' asked
she, with toss of her gold locks and
n pout of her red lips which was child
ishness and willfulness itself; but there
went along with it glance of her eyes
which puzzled me, for suddenly a
sterner and older spirit of resolve seem
ed to look out of them into mine.
''Think you am in my dotage, Master
Wingfield, that l remember not the
day:' she said. and think you that
/ am going deaf that / hear not the
church bells:'
If we miss the service for the I'M
lading of the goods, and it be discover
ed, it may go amiss with u.s. said l.
Are you then afraid. Master Wing |
zelda" asked she, with glance of |
scorn and a blush of shame at her |
own words, for she knew that they |
were false.
felt the blood rush to my face, and |
refined back my horse and said no |
more.
4 pray you have the goods that you /
know of unladen at once. Captain Ia t
bor," said she, and she made a motion |
that would have been stamp had she |
stood.
Calvin Tabor laughed and cast a
glance of merry malice at me and bow
ed low as he replied:
1.-THE goods shall be unladen within
the hour Mistress said he, land If
you and the gentleman would rather
not tarry to see them for fear of dis
covery'-
"We shall remain said Mistress
Mary. Il pray you order the goods IN
laden at once, Captain Tabor" Then
the captain laughed again in his dare
devil fashion as he turned to the sailors
and shouted out the order, and straight
way the sailors so swarmed hither and
thither upon the deck that they SEEM
ed five times as many as before, and
then we heard the matches flung back
with claps like guns.
We sat there and waited, and the bell
over in jamestown rang and the long |
6icI nch 4