The Wilmington morning star., 1941-02-19
CHAPTER

mis-. Sdlu SHARPLY IuILleu 1IOI1
her, went to the window and stood
looking out at the gray-blue tum-
bling waves. No one spoke. l
couldn't understand what tn e
could be in Hayes asking if Mr..
CARL wanted to cut some of the
old captains timber to make his
wife act like that. Mrs. Andrews
voice broke the silence; there was
a decided quaver in her tone.
miss Kaye" she said, you
mustn't mind Bertha. She's Jest so
relieved she can't speak. Roberts
a good husband; it amt his fault
that the fish don't bite much and
don't fetch nothin' when they do.
We've been jest about Twin on
what you give us an'-it's jest that
she can't talk" the cid voice fin
ished bravely.
Good heavens!" exclaimed
Kaye. why didn't some of you
tell us? This is the sixth house
I've been in today, and no n
has told me a thing except that
hey were getting along all right"
Mrs. CARL swung around from
the window.
We've got some PRIDE" she
cried ~fiercely. "You do enough for
us without u asking for any
more. We're not worse off than
the others. Will there be trees
enough to cut so the rest of the
men can work, too?"
Pm sure that there will be.
Granddad expected he would have
10 hire men from Wetuxet village,
but I know he'd rather have the
men here do the work if they want
to-. You speak to them about it,
and granddad'u send someone
down in a day or two to make
arrangements"
The thanks of the two women
we're rather overwhelming, and
Kaye and 1 escaped as soon as
possible. Johnny again fell into
place behind us. There were only
a few things left in the basket.
They should have been left at the
cottage nearest Purple Beeches,
but no one was there when we
came by. On our way home, we
stopped there again, but they we're
still absent, so Kaye scrubbed a
note which. with the packages, she
left on the back doorstep.
We can cary the empty basket
home, Johnny" she said. You
needn't ONE all the way back to
Purple Beeches for that"
I'D just as soon, really I would,
Miss Kaye" Johnny's eyes were
wistful. 1 thought he much pre-
ferred returning with us.
Don't you think-under the cir
cumstances-it might be better if
you didn't" she asked, m%eaningly.
Il guess perhaps you're right"
His sigh was pathetic. Shall 1
come up at the same time tomor-
row."
The same time" she answered,
and Johnny passed me the basket
and left us.
I looked at her inquiringly. Was
she going to give me an explana-
ton of the battling things 1 had
heard? 1t did not seem so at first.
ITO think" she shuddered as she
spoke, that those poor folks have
been going hungry"
They had the food you've been
taking down." I consoled her.
THAT must have helped"
1T wouldn't more than keep
them alive! There's a big family
In every one of those cottages but
Wings. There are five grown-ups
and the baby at CarlIs. Mrs.
Carll's two brothers, Jim and Bert,
live with them. The three men
were out fishing today.
II don't know what to do about
Johnny" she went on, frowningly.
"His father has always been a
heavy drinker but I never thought
he would sell Johnny's suit to buy
liquor"
"Tell me about them," I suggest
ed. Johnny appears to be such
a nice boy"
He is. There seems to be a mys-
terry about his father or, if there
isn't, the folks down there try to
make one. He used to go on Cary's
fathers ship. You heard Mrs. An
drews say that"
WAS that the Gay Lady she
mentioned?"
Eyes. She was wrecked the year
before Uncle Cary took his family
to England to see his wife's people.
He was waiting for another ship,
and it seemed a good time to take
her home for a visit. I've heard
granddad and mother talk about
it.
Uncle Cary's ship used to an
Choir down there in the cove. There
was a good wharf there then; it's
nearly all rotted away now. The
folks in the fishing village knew
Bill Wing as they new the rest
of the crew, and not one of them
liked him. For years after the
Gay Lady was lost no one saw or
heard from him; then, one day he
turned up in the village.
"At that time mother had a
maid, Marie Avery. She was pretty
as a picture, with red hair and
great brown eyes. We were all
very fond of her, and when she
began to 60 around with Bill Wing
mother tried to stop her. She
might as well have saved h r
breath, for Marie was determined
to marry him, and she did. The