and Fenway’s she had her best chance to hear of Ted. Mr. Fenway had said Ted had “packed his duds” and left, but this was not strictly true. In his hurry Ted had not packed all his duds. Hodge, who now occupied Ted’s former room over the store, had mentioned that Parks had left various objects behind him: shirts and shoes, a razor, and even—Hodge said respectfully—some books. An honest fellow, Hodge had stored all these in a box and put the box under the bed, in case Parks should come back. Kendra kept hoping he would.
Not knowing any of this, Eva agreed to Kendra’s suggestion. They all four went into Chase and Fenway’s, for Eva would never have let Kendra go in alone. She wanted it seen that her daughter was always well protected.
Mr. Fenway was roaming about with an oil can, anointing the locks and hinges. At the counter Mr. Chase was bargaining with a rancher who had brought produce to town. The packing boys were lugging boxes from the storeroom, and the fellow called Pocket sat by the stove, reading the Star. Pocket had already sent a boatload of goods up to his employer, Mr. Smith, but Smith’s partner, the Mormon leader Sam Brannan, had gone to Sutter’s Fort and had told Pocket he could stay a while in town. Pocket was more neat these days than when he first came in with his rag of gold. He now got regular shaves and kept his trousers brushed, and today he wore a new plaid shirt, though all his pockets bulged as before.
Kendra had seen so few sunny days in San Francisco that she was astonished at the difference the sun made in the store. The bare boards of the walls seemed almost to glisten. From a side window a brilliant shaft of light slanted across the front door, brightening the entrance and deepening the shadows at the side. As Kendra and the others came in, the door swung silently shut behind them, but the men in the store heard the sound of military boots, and turned.
Seeing Kendra and Eva in the beam of sun, Pocket laid down his newspaper and politely stood up. Pocket liked women, and Kendra had several times heard the packing boys say how much women liked Pocket. Mr. Fenway sauntered forward, and Eva told him she was going to leave Kendra in his care while she went with Morse and Vernon to see the Chinese decorations at the New York Store. She laughed tactfully. “You’ll forgive me for taking business to your competitor, Mr. Fenway?”
“They need some business at that store,” Mr. Fenway said with mournful satisfaction. “I hear they’re having a hard time getting rid of all that Chinese stuff.” This thought cheered him so much that he continued to look pleased for two or three seconds before returning to his usual gloom.
When Eva had gone, Hodge gave Kendra her basket and she went into the storeroom. The boys had brought out several boxes holding tobacco, matches, playing cards, and other small items for which they had constant demand, and were now arranging these on the shelves behind the counter. They grinned admiringly as she passed, and Pocket looked up to give her a shy smile.
The storeroom was dim and cheerless, for it had only two small windows and these were on the side away from the sun. Kendra chose what she wanted, but it was dull work without Ted and in a few minutes she was done. She went back to the door leading into the front room.
After the gloom of the storeroom the sun across the main entrance was almost dazzling. Kendra paused in the doorway to let her eyes get used to the light.
Mr. Chase had gone out with the rancher. At the shelves behind the counter the boys were working little and talking much, while Hodge and Mr. Fenway conferred with another customer, a dusty character addressed as Mr. Ingram. In spite of his earthy appearance Mr. Ingram seemed to be a valuable patron, for in one gnarled hand he held a paper on which was written a long list of items he wanted to buy. Pocket, back at his newspaper, was rubbing one hand over his newly shaved face as
Not knowing any of this, Eva agreed to Kendra’s suggestion. They all four went into Chase and Fenway’s, for Eva would never have let Kendra go in alone. She wanted it seen that her daughter was always well protected.
Mr. Fenway was roaming about with an oil can, anointing the locks and hinges. At the counter Mr. Chase was bargaining with a rancher who had brought produce to town. The packing boys were lugging boxes from the storeroom, and the fellow called Pocket sat by the stove, reading the Star. Pocket had already sent a boatload of goods up to his employer, Mr. Smith, but Smith’s partner, the Mormon leader Sam Brannan, had gone to Sutter’s Fort and had told Pocket he could stay a while in town. Pocket was more neat these days than when he first came in with his rag of gold. He now got regular shaves and kept his trousers brushed, and today he wore a new plaid shirt, though all his pockets bulged as before.
Kendra had seen so few sunny days in San Francisco that she was astonished at the difference the sun made in the store. The bare boards of the walls seemed almost to glisten. From a side window a brilliant shaft of light slanted across the front door, brightening the entrance and deepening the shadows at the side. As Kendra and the others came in, the door swung silently shut behind them, but the men in the store heard the sound of military boots, and turned.
Seeing Kendra and Eva in the beam of sun, Pocket laid down his newspaper and politely stood up. Pocket liked women, and Kendra had several times heard the packing boys say how much women liked Pocket. Mr. Fenway sauntered forward, and Eva told him she was going to leave Kendra in his care while she went with Morse and Vernon to see the Chinese decorations at the New York Store. She laughed tactfully. “You’ll forgive me for taking business to your competitor, Mr. Fenway?”
“They need some business at that store,” Mr. Fenway said with mournful satisfaction. “I hear they’re having a hard time getting rid of all that Chinese stuff.” This thought cheered him so much that he continued to look pleased for two or three seconds before returning to his usual gloom.
When Eva had gone, Hodge gave Kendra her basket and she went into the storeroom. The boys had brought out several boxes holding tobacco, matches, playing cards, and other small items for which they had constant demand, and were now arranging these on the shelves behind the counter. They grinned admiringly as she passed, and Pocket looked up to give her a shy smile.
The storeroom was dim and cheerless, for it had only two small windows and these were on the side away from the sun. Kendra chose what she wanted, but it was dull work without Ted and in a few minutes she was done. She went back to the door leading into the front room.
After the gloom of the storeroom the sun across the main entrance was almost dazzling. Kendra paused in the doorway to let her eyes get used to the light.
Mr. Chase had gone out with the rancher. At the shelves behind the counter the boys were working little and talking much, while Hodge and Mr. Fenway conferred with another customer, a dusty character addressed as Mr. Ingram. In spite of his earthy appearance Mr. Ingram seemed to be a valuable patron, for in one gnarled hand he held a paper on which was written a long list of items he wanted to buy. Pocket, back at his newspaper, was rubbing one hand over his newly shaved face as
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