debated, with Mr. Swan, William, and Red Charley all campaigning for that office. Red Charley had begun going around town handing out free whiskey to encourage votes. Mr. Frink was running for representative to the legislature, as was Mr. Dodd. M’Carty was the lone candidate running forconstable, and everyone agreed he was a shoo-in because he was the best shot in the entire territory. Not to mention, no one else wanted the job.
Mrs. Biddle, who seemed personally offended by the wet weather, sat in the parlor complaining. She complained that the shouts of the men returning from drinking in the bowling alley kept her from falling asleep. The air did not agree with her and made her feel weak. The food we served at the hotel was not seasoned properly, and furthermore, the amenities in the rooms were not up to her usual standard. Her chief complaint, however, was the lack of amusements available in Shoalwater Bay.
“There is simply nothing to do here!” Mrs. Biddle declared, flouncing into the parlor in a rather unladylike way.
Finally, after many soggy days, the sun broke out, bathing the bay in glorious light. At the first chance, I fled Mrs. Biddle and the confines of the hotel and headed to the beach to breathe in the warm salty air blowing off the bay. Gulls swooped low, kissing the surface of the water. In the distance the oystermen readied their boats to head out. Farther down the beach Sootie and Katy were looking for treasures that might have washed up on shore from the storms.
Beachcombing was popular here, as many ships had the misfortune to wreck along this treacherous coast. They would become stranded along the bar and smash to bits in the ensuing storms. Sometimes we could see the doomed ships far out at sea, flickers of light in the pounding rain and darkness. The next morning the beach would be littered with wreckage and, sometimes, bodies.
Jehu, as the bay’s pilot, had been designated wreckmaster by the locals. It was his responsibility to decide what to do with cargo washed up on the beach, which was how I had come by my gold silk dress. A bolt of gold silk had been packed in a camphor wood chest that had floated in with the tide. All manner of goods washed up on shore. Candles, casks of wine, sidesaddles, sacks of raisins, and even a piano, which did not, admittedly, play very well after being adrift in the salty water. Several months earlier Mr. Swan had salvaged a cask of whiskey that had drifted to the shore unharmed. It was promptly drunk by the men.
“Boston Jane.” Sootie waved her hand. “Look what we found.”
I knelt down to inspect her treasure. It was a strange whitish lump.
“Do you know what it is?” Katy asked.
“It’s beeswax,” Jehu said.
I whirled around to see Jehu standing over us, blocking the sun, a grin on his tanned face.
“Beeswax?”
He squinted slightly, inspecting the object. “I’ve seen it on ships from the Orient before.”
“Papa says the Orient is very far away,” Katy said with authority. “He’s sailed there.”
Jehu knelt down and smiled at the little girl. “I’ve sailed to the Orient, too, and it is very far away.” There was a soft note of longing in his voice.
“But how did it get here?” Sootie asked curiously.
“Could be a ship went down, somewhere out at sea. Itprobably floated out in the ocean for a long time. And then I reckon it heard about you lovely ladies, so it decided that this was a good place to come ashore,” he teased them.
Katy and Sootie giggled.
“What do we do with it?” Katy asked.
“Maybe we can trade it with Mr. Staroselsky,” Sootie said. “And get more fabric for dresses.”
“Why don’t we give it to Willard?” Katy suggested.
Sootie gave an indelicate snort. “Willard? Why would we give it to Willard?”
Jehu chuckled at this.
“Speaking of lovely ladies,” Jehu said, straightening, “I’ve been looking for a certain redheaded one. I have something to show you.”
He swung my hand in
Mrs. Biddle, who seemed personally offended by the wet weather, sat in the parlor complaining. She complained that the shouts of the men returning from drinking in the bowling alley kept her from falling asleep. The air did not agree with her and made her feel weak. The food we served at the hotel was not seasoned properly, and furthermore, the amenities in the rooms were not up to her usual standard. Her chief complaint, however, was the lack of amusements available in Shoalwater Bay.
“There is simply nothing to do here!” Mrs. Biddle declared, flouncing into the parlor in a rather unladylike way.
Finally, after many soggy days, the sun broke out, bathing the bay in glorious light. At the first chance, I fled Mrs. Biddle and the confines of the hotel and headed to the beach to breathe in the warm salty air blowing off the bay. Gulls swooped low, kissing the surface of the water. In the distance the oystermen readied their boats to head out. Farther down the beach Sootie and Katy were looking for treasures that might have washed up on shore from the storms.
Beachcombing was popular here, as many ships had the misfortune to wreck along this treacherous coast. They would become stranded along the bar and smash to bits in the ensuing storms. Sometimes we could see the doomed ships far out at sea, flickers of light in the pounding rain and darkness. The next morning the beach would be littered with wreckage and, sometimes, bodies.
Jehu, as the bay’s pilot, had been designated wreckmaster by the locals. It was his responsibility to decide what to do with cargo washed up on the beach, which was how I had come by my gold silk dress. A bolt of gold silk had been packed in a camphor wood chest that had floated in with the tide. All manner of goods washed up on shore. Candles, casks of wine, sidesaddles, sacks of raisins, and even a piano, which did not, admittedly, play very well after being adrift in the salty water. Several months earlier Mr. Swan had salvaged a cask of whiskey that had drifted to the shore unharmed. It was promptly drunk by the men.
“Boston Jane.” Sootie waved her hand. “Look what we found.”
I knelt down to inspect her treasure. It was a strange whitish lump.
“Do you know what it is?” Katy asked.
“It’s beeswax,” Jehu said.
I whirled around to see Jehu standing over us, blocking the sun, a grin on his tanned face.
“Beeswax?”
He squinted slightly, inspecting the object. “I’ve seen it on ships from the Orient before.”
“Papa says the Orient is very far away,” Katy said with authority. “He’s sailed there.”
Jehu knelt down and smiled at the little girl. “I’ve sailed to the Orient, too, and it is very far away.” There was a soft note of longing in his voice.
“But how did it get here?” Sootie asked curiously.
“Could be a ship went down, somewhere out at sea. Itprobably floated out in the ocean for a long time. And then I reckon it heard about you lovely ladies, so it decided that this was a good place to come ashore,” he teased them.
Katy and Sootie giggled.
“What do we do with it?” Katy asked.
“Maybe we can trade it with Mr. Staroselsky,” Sootie said. “And get more fabric for dresses.”
“Why don’t we give it to Willard?” Katy suggested.
Sootie gave an indelicate snort. “Willard? Why would we give it to Willard?”
Jehu chuckled at this.
“Speaking of lovely ladies,” Jehu said, straightening, “I’ve been looking for a certain redheaded one. I have something to show you.”
He swung my hand in
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