Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1917-11-28
pegs WHITE Wings
BY SILVER TURNER.

When the captain answered, "Aye
aye, SIR" to the last orders aloft, Peg
gle was left alone with the sail shop
on her hands. 1t stood down on South
Water street, over ship chandler's
a good, airy, sunlit loft, filled with the
captains belongings and all the i'm
plements and paraphernalia Of his
trade. He had lived there for eight
| teen years ever since his retirement
from the West Indies trade, ever since
Peggie had been a baby.
And she loved the old loft. It had
been her shelter and playground fol
years. She knew everything it con-
tanned, and all the captains custom
ers. So it was quite natural, after the
captains death, for her to keep his
name outside, and his trade within.
There was old Ben to act as first mate,
so to speak, and Mrs. MACEDONIAN to
look after the sewing Of the sails.
Peggy was in charge Of customers and
accounts.
Mrs. MACEDONIAN had kept house for
the captain for years in the snug lit
tie fiat over the sail shop, so naturally,
after he had gone away, she stayed on,
looking after Peggy. And with Ben
and his three assistants they remained
contented household until the COM
ing of the Rowing Lou.
One morning after Ben had opened
the old-fashioned wooden shutters out
side the windows, and Mrs. MacGOw-
an had started the whir Of her sewing
machine briskly, Peggy, from her point
Of vantage on the stool, looked out and
beheld strange craft anchored in the
slip where usually the sober-looking
James B. Gale lay, lumber boat from
Providence. .r1.
This one was three-master, with
high deck lines, and her PROV sticking
inquisitively up in the air. She was
ocean-going, too, and weather beaten,
and she needed sails badly, Peggie's
business glance discovered at once.
Her general tone was gray, with
touches Of red and black on the cabin
and deck trimmings, and over her
rails there leaned one lone sailor.
'Looks like a Portugee, don't hep
said Ben.
Peggie could not have told why, but
the stranger had a fascination for her.
She had grown to know the names of
nearly all the customary callers along
that water front, and this bird Of pas
sage puzzled her. And then the door
opened, and the master Of the Rowing
Lou came into the shop.
Hewas tall and young, and no Por-
tuguese. II want some sails for her."
he nodded vaguely toward the Rowing
Lou out Of the window. "How long
will it take to get them?"
Ben got out his pencil, and figured
in his leisurely way, while the strange
captain looked boldly and fixedly at
the slender figure on the high stool.
He came often in the next few days.
Ben liked him and so did Mrs. Mac
Gowan. He would sit up on one of the
long wooden tables and tell stories of
the cruises Of the Rowing Lou that de-
lighted them. She had sailed the
seven seas, now with one cargo, now
with another, as 1t suited her master.
Perhaps he talked too much around
the little back rooms behind the chan
der shops and the eating places. Ben
said so. Anyway, there came night
when Peggie was wakened by shouts
and running feet. Then came shots,
and when she looked out of her WIN
dow she saw that they came from the
little dark slip where the Rowing Lou
lay at anchor. Ben was already down
the narrow stairs and on the street,
pulling into a coat.
Peggie laid her head on the window
sill and Mrs. MacGowan, big and moth
erly in her white nightgown, fondled
her wisely.
'That was never his cry" she said.
"Don't you fret, dearie. He's fine
lad, and Ben1l look out for him for
you"
But Ben stayed over in the slip long,
until the first amber light showed in
the East and the street lamps went
out. When he did come, the strange
captain was with him, and he was hat
less, with a bandage around his head.
Peggie went down to meet them, pale
and eager-eyed.
II thought it was river pirates" he
told her. 1.-TWO of them got me in my
berth, and when shot they hit me
with a blackjack. The Portuguese
woke up, and we found two more in
the cabin. It's all right now. They
didn't believe 7 was after new sails"
He grinned happily. 1.-TWO went over
board, and two got away with the
marks Of the Portuguese on them"
"What did they think you had
there?" asked Peggie, anxiously.
"Rifes and shells, dlibustering for
the Gulf I don't deal in contraband,
told them-nothing more risky than |
pearls" He drew out little leather
sack from his inner pocket and opened
it fiat on his palm. Inside lay three
unset pearls, tender and beautiful as
the dawn that was breaking.
1--WE carried those for three years."
be said.
"They've waited for the bride. Like
them, Peggie?"
Peggie nodded. And she liked him
more than ever because his first kiss
was on her hair, on the little curls that
lay close to her forehead, as her arm
ctoIa around his nocIS and Ren called |