The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-11-22

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k-A1M ONW'RETTY Mercy Stand
RkL1 ga I we'll drew out the end
&H Sy% Of the huge iron crane
Nm MI almost as high as her
M E%A self-and peered into
MrrLA the pot which 1t had
Se brought from the fire, shielding
va her face from the blaze with a
~ pretty, plump hand. Someone
M had to stay at home to look
VII after things, and this morning
v Mercy had insisted on the 9th
ers going to meeting and leav-
Eng her to this task and she had been
utilizing the three hours OF the long
sermon in adding to the stock OF
food. There were "a gOodly number
of home folks and guests, and no
one knew how many her father and
mother would bring from the service.
$50 no, Mistress" came a deep,
knocking voice; aye have been pre-
pairing for our coming, 1t seems.
Beshrew me, but the odors are good.
What say ye, boys" turning to line
of piratical, sailor-looking men who
were following him into the room.
Shall we sit for a while and let this
Rair wench minister to our appetites?
Twill be q difference from our black
amoors cooking, | am thinking"
A hoarse growl of assent came
from the line-from all but one, who
booked doubtful.
WIN il be safe, captain?" this one
asked.
"Safe!" the deep voice echoed
grimly. What have we with a land
word like that? Besides, 1t sounds
weak in thy big mouth, Turbell. It
SIS their Thanksgiving time here, and
Ghey word long sermons. Let us be
fhankful, too, and partake OF their
good cheer We shall then be fitted,
when they return from service, to
pick out good men and true for our
vessel. And for thy word safe, the
'soIdiery are at their gorging a mile
away from here. We can eat and be
merry, Gull our need from the praise
singers when they come back, and be
dipping across the water before Lews
of the exploit can get over the loaded
his keen, scornful eyes flashing about
and seeming to see and comprehend
everything; get all the men inside.
You fll up the table here, and | will
take charge of the one i'm the next
room. 1t will be time enough to bag
chickens and pigs and other live
stock when we are through; and per-
haps there will be a few scraps left
from our feast that we can carry back
TO the vessel. 1t will be change
from the blackamoor.
All this time Mercy had been
standing by the fireplace; and her
eyes, which at first had dilated with
terror, gradually calmed and grew
watchful and speculative. She had
thought they might be kings men, on
a raid to impress seamen. Now she
believed they were buccaneers, or
pirates; but It amounted to the same.
The one impressed in the kings
name, the other In their own. In
either case, the possibility of escape
or release were equally small; only,
with the pirates, in the event OF cap
2ure, explanations might be difficult,
and then punishment would be quick
and certain.
AS she hurried from table to table.
trying to meet the demands for hot
coffee which were hurled at her from
all sides, the lips Of the young girl
were pressed firm, her brain busy.
Something must be done. and she was
the one who must do It. In another
hour her father and brothers and
uncles and cousins, and all the men
OF the neighborhood would be COM
tng from service, and, unwarned,
would fall into the hands OF these
evil-eyed freebooters, who would pick
out the strongest among them and
bear them away to slavery that would
be worse than death.
Mercy knew what it meant. The
coast was an exposed one, and press
gangs had visited Il before. Men had
been carried away, and not one Of
them had ever returned. Occasional
Iy stories had come back of hardshlps
and cruelty and even of death, until
the word press-gang had become a
word to whiten the cheeks Of women
and clinch the fists of men. Only the
year before the son Of their nearest