Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1917-05-05
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 chambers,
Il good, airy sunlit loft, filled with the
captains belongings and all the i'm
PIGMENTS and paraphernalia of his
trade. lie had lived there for eight
teen years ever since his retirement
from the West Indies trade, ever since
Peggie had been baby.
And she loved the old loft. It had
been her shelter and playground for
years. She knew everything 1t con-
tanned, and all the captains custom
crs. SO 1t 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 i'm 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
Il contcnted household until the COM
ing of the Rowing Lou.
One morning after Ben had opened
the old-fashoncd wooden shutters out
side the windows, and Mrs. MacGow-
an had started the whir of her sewing
machine brislily. 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 Il. Gale lay, lumber boat from
Providence.
This one was three-master. with
high deck lines. and her prov sticking
inquisitively up in the mir. 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 Portugee, don't he?"
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 camse4nto the shop.
IA He was tall and young, and no Por.
,uguese. ~ want some sails for her
he nodded vaguely toward the Rowing
Lou out Of the window. "How long
will II take to get them?"
Ben got out his pencil, and figured
In his leisurely way, while the strange
captain looked boldly and fxedly nj
the slender figure on the high stool.
He came often I'm 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 II suited her master
Perhaps he talked too much around
the little back rooms behind the chan
dler shops and the eating places. Der
said so. Anyway, there came night
when Peggle 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 ut anchor. Ben was already down
the narrow stairs and on the street
pulling into coat.
Peggie laid her head on the window,
sill and Mrs. MACEDONIAN. big and moth
erly In her white nightgown, fondlet
her wisely.
"Thnt was never his cry" she said
Don't you fret, dearle. He's flint
lad, and Benll look out for him fol-
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 bandage around his head
Peggie went down to meet them, pale
and eager-eyed.
II thought 1t was river pirates" he
told her. 1.-TWO of them got me In my
berth, and when l shot they hit mt
with blackjack. The Portuguese
woke up, and we found two more In
the cabin. It's all right now. They
didn't believe / was after new sails.
He grinned happily. 1.-TWO went over
board, and two got away with thu
marks of the Portuguese on Them"
"What did they think you hat
there" asked Peggie, anXiOusly.
"Rifles and shells, filibustering fol
the Gulf. don't deal in cOntraband,
told them--nOthlng more risky thar
pearls" He drew out little leather
sack from his inner pocket and opened
IL fiat on his palm. Inside lay three
unset pearls, tender and beautiful n.
the dawn that was breaking.
"Ive carried those for three years,
he said.
"Thcy've waited for the bride. Like
them, Peggie?'
Peggie nodded. And she liked hin
more than ever because his first kiss
was on her hair, on the little curls thai
lay close to her forehead, rs her arm
stole around his neck, and Ben called
down the stairs that the coffee was
ready.
Copyright, 1917, by the Mcclure Newspa
per Syndicate