Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1917-07-05
PEGS WHITE WINGS
By SILVER TURNER.

good, airy, sunlit loft, filed with the
captains belongings and all the inn
plements and paraphernalIn 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. IL had
been her shelter and playground for
years. She knew everything 1t con-
tained, and all the captains custom
ers. SO 1t was quite natural, after the
captains death, for her to keep his
name outside, ard his trade within.
There was old Ben to act as first mate,
80 to speak, and Mrs. MacGowen to
look after the sewing Of the sails.
Peggy was in charge of customers and
accounts. t.f
Mrs. MacGowan had kept house for
the captain for years in the snug lit
tie fiat over the sail shop, so naturally,
after he had gone eway, 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. a lumber boat from
Providence.
This one was a 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 he?"
said Ben.
Peggie could not have told why, but
the stranger had 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.
He was tall and young, and no Por-
tuguese. 81 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 it suited her master
=, Perhaps he talked too much around
the little back roems behind the chan. !
dler shops and the eating places. Ben
said so. Anyway, there came a 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 a fine
lad, and Benn 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 bandage around his head. |
Peggie went down tp 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 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 / 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
thereT asked Peggie. anxiously.
"Rifies and shells. filibustering for
the Gulf. don't deal In contraband. I
told them-nothing more risky than
pearls" He drew out a little leather
sack from his inner pocket and opened
II fiat on his palm. Inside lay three
unset pearls, tender and beautiful as
the dawn that was breaking.
"Pve carried those for three years."
he said.
'"rhey've waited for the bride. Like