arate
shanties, of course. The presence of the women and children took away
much of that feeling of impermanence associated with most pioneer
activities. As without exception these women kept house, the company
"van" speedily expanded to a company store. Where the "van" kept merely
rough clothing, tobacco and patent medicines, the store soon answered
demands for all sorts of household luxuries and necessities. Provisions,
of course, were always in request. These one of the company's
bookkeepers doled out.

"Mr. Poole," the purchaser would often say to this man, "next time a
wagon comes up from Sycamore Flats would you just as soon have them
bring me up a few things? I want a washboard, and some shoes for Jimmy,
and a double boiler; and there ought to be an express package for me
from my sister."

"Sure! I'll see to it," said Poole.

This meant a great deal of trouble, first and last, what with the
charges and all. Finally, Welton tired of it.

"We've got to keep a store," he told Bob finally.

With characteristic despatch he put the carpenters to work, and sent for
lists of all that had been ordered from Sycamore Flats. A study of
these, followed by a trip to White Oaks, resulted in the equipment of a
store under charge of a man experienced in that sort of thing. As time
went on, and the needs of such a community made themselves more evident,
the store grew in importance. Its shelves accumulated dress goods, dry
goods, clothing, hardware; its rafters dangled with tinware and kettles,
with rope, harness, webbing; its bins overflowed with various
food-stuffs unknown to the purveyor of a lumber camp's commissary, but
in demand by the housewife; its one glass case shone temptingly with
fancy stationery, dollar watches, and even cheap jewelry. There was
candy for the children, gum for the bashful maiden, soda pop for the
frivolous young. In short, there sprang to being in an astonishingly
brief space of time a very creditable specimen of the country store. It
was a business in itself, requiring all the services of a competent man
for the buying, the selling, and the transportation. At the end of the
year it showed a fair return on the investment.

"Though we'd have to have it even at a dead loss," Welton pointed out,
"to hold our community together. All we need is a few tufts of chin
whiskers and some politics to be full-fledged gosh-darn mossbacks."

The storekeeper, a very deliberate person, Merker by name, was muc