Read Online Coal River by Ellen Marie Wiseman - Free Book Online
Authors: Ellen Marie Wiseman
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the back was a wall of draperies and bed linens, a corner section of soaps and lotions, and another corner for sewing notions like pins, thread, and material. Teakettles and dishpans, pots and iron skillets, funnels and hurricane lanterns, coffeepots and buckets, washtubs and washboards, pitchers and baskets hung from the ceiling. A potbellied stove sat in the middle of it all, surrounded by chairs, spittoons, and wooden barrels filled with pickles, salt herring, various seeds, and potatoes.
Emma made her way to the back room and saw it was filled with hardware, farm and garden tools, kegs of nails, horse collars, horseshoes, harnesses, ax handles, shovels, stovepipe, wire fencing, and a kerosene tank with a hand pump. Another room held chickens, chicken feed, bags of fertilizer, egg crates, and coils of rope, along with an assortment of machine and carriage bolts, wood screws, garden plows, stoneware crocks, and cases of Ball canning jars. Mining supplies filled a fourth room—augers, blasting powder, squibs, shovels, picks, kerosene, and oil. Even in Manhattan, Emma had never seen a store with such a wide variety of goods.
After exploring a bit, she headed toward the front counter, past shelves filled with bread and rolls.
“I’m sorry,” Percy said to the woman at the register. “You’re still short ten cents.”
The woman bounced the baby on her hip, trying to stop him from fussing. “Can’t you carry it over ’til next week? It’s not that much.”
Percy shook his head. “Your deductions are already more than your husband’s paycheck. And you still owe money from last week.”
“But I’ve got a passel of hungry mouths to feed,” the woman said, “including three more at home.”
“Sorry,” Percy said. “But that’s not my problem.” He wiped the top of the register with a cleaning rag, avoiding the woman’s eyes. To Emma’s surprise, he looked pained.
Emma edged closer, trying to see what the woman wanted to buy. A loaf of bread and bottle of milk sat on the counter.
“How about takin’ a few cents off the bread?” the woman said. “I swear I’ll pay the difference next time.”
Percy shook his head again. “If you still owe at the end of the week, I can’t start a new bill until the old one is paid in full. Sorry, but that’s the way it works.”
The woman rocked back and forth, digging at the nape of her neck with dirty fingernails, as if trying to puzzle out a solution to her problem. “Can I do something to change your mind?” she said. “Maybe I can come down after closin’ and—”
“No!” Percy said, cutting her off. He glanced nervously at Emma. “Now, either pay up or leave.”
The woman stopped rocking. “Well, I hope you can sleep while my babies cry themselves to sleep tonight ’cause of their empty stomachs!”
Percy’s features softened. “You know I don’t make the rules.”
The woman turned to leave, urging her daughter forward by the shoulder. The baby started wailing, his face purple. The woman saw Emma and stopped, her eyes blazing. “If your husband don’t work for the mining company and you can buy your goods elsewhere, you better do it!” she said. “They don’t call this the pluck me store for nothing!”
Behind Emma, the boys tore the lids from the candy jars, grabbed handfuls of licorice and lemon drops, then bolted out the side door. Percy raced around the counter and chased them outside. The woman watched him leave, then considered Emma with narrow eyes. She hesitated for just a moment, then grabbed the bread and milk, put it in a cloth bag hanging from her forearm, and hurried out of the store. Less than a minute later, Percy stormed back inside, red-faced and panting.
“Those good-for-nothing scoundrels!” he said.
Aunt Ida came in through the main entrance, her forehead lined with concern. “Heavens to Betsy!” she said, fanning herself with a paisley fan. “What’s all the commotion?”
“Those damn breaker boys!”
Emma made her way to the back room and saw it was filled with hardware, farm and garden tools, kegs of nails, horse collars, horseshoes, harnesses, ax handles, shovels, stovepipe, wire fencing, and a kerosene tank with a hand pump. Another room held chickens, chicken feed, bags of fertilizer, egg crates, and coils of rope, along with an assortment of machine and carriage bolts, wood screws, garden plows, stoneware crocks, and cases of Ball canning jars. Mining supplies filled a fourth room—augers, blasting powder, squibs, shovels, picks, kerosene, and oil. Even in Manhattan, Emma had never seen a store with such a wide variety of goods.
After exploring a bit, she headed toward the front counter, past shelves filled with bread and rolls.
“I’m sorry,” Percy said to the woman at the register. “You’re still short ten cents.”
The woman bounced the baby on her hip, trying to stop him from fussing. “Can’t you carry it over ’til next week? It’s not that much.”
Percy shook his head. “Your deductions are already more than your husband’s paycheck. And you still owe money from last week.”
“But I’ve got a passel of hungry mouths to feed,” the woman said, “including three more at home.”
“Sorry,” Percy said. “But that’s not my problem.” He wiped the top of the register with a cleaning rag, avoiding the woman’s eyes. To Emma’s surprise, he looked pained.
Emma edged closer, trying to see what the woman wanted to buy. A loaf of bread and bottle of milk sat on the counter.
“How about takin’ a few cents off the bread?” the woman said. “I swear I’ll pay the difference next time.”
Percy shook his head again. “If you still owe at the end of the week, I can’t start a new bill until the old one is paid in full. Sorry, but that’s the way it works.”
The woman rocked back and forth, digging at the nape of her neck with dirty fingernails, as if trying to puzzle out a solution to her problem. “Can I do something to change your mind?” she said. “Maybe I can come down after closin’ and—”
“No!” Percy said, cutting her off. He glanced nervously at Emma. “Now, either pay up or leave.”
The woman stopped rocking. “Well, I hope you can sleep while my babies cry themselves to sleep tonight ’cause of their empty stomachs!”
Percy’s features softened. “You know I don’t make the rules.”
The woman turned to leave, urging her daughter forward by the shoulder. The baby started wailing, his face purple. The woman saw Emma and stopped, her eyes blazing. “If your husband don’t work for the mining company and you can buy your goods elsewhere, you better do it!” she said. “They don’t call this the pluck me store for nothing!”
Behind Emma, the boys tore the lids from the candy jars, grabbed handfuls of licorice and lemon drops, then bolted out the side door. Percy raced around the counter and chased them outside. The woman watched him leave, then considered Emma with narrow eyes. She hesitated for just a moment, then grabbed the bread and milk, put it in a cloth bag hanging from her forearm, and hurried out of the store. Less than a minute later, Percy stormed back inside, red-faced and panting.
“Those good-for-nothing scoundrels!” he said.
Aunt Ida came in through the main entrance, her forehead lined with concern. “Heavens to Betsy!” she said, fanning herself with a paisley fan. “What’s all the commotion?”
“Those damn breaker boys!”
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