oon to arrange for their
supplies.

I dusted the shelves, polished the scales, put the sacks of potatoes
where they belonged, mopped up some molasses that had escaped to the
floor from a leaky can and swept out the store; then I waited in
blissful anticipation for my new customers.

I caught a glimpse of Jake in the distance. In some strange,
wireless-telepathic manner, he must have got wind of what had occurred
during the night, for I noticed that he had been suddenly attacked by
the same fever for cleanliness and smartness as I had been. He had
turned his neckcloth, and the clean side of it was now trying to delude
the innocent outside world that it (the neckcloth) had been freshly
washed. Mike,--bad luck to his drunken carcass,--looked sick and
appeared to be slowly recovering from the evil effects of a bath.

As the morning wore on I saw an elderly, rotund lady come out to the
veranda and take the baggage inside. That was the only bit of
excitement that happened, after all my preparations.

Later, a launch called from Camp No. 1, with an order for a thousand
and one different commodities, and all required right away. That put
idle, inquisitive thoughts out of my head for the remainder of the
forenoon.

I got out of my best clothes, donned a half-dirty shirt, a suit of
overalls and a pair of old boots, then got busy selecting, sorting and
packing until my brow was moist and my hair was awry.

I had just got rid of the men and was standing surveying my topsy-turvy
store, with everything lying around in tremendous confusion and all
requiring to be set to rights again before I would know where to lay my
hands on a single article; when a melodious, but rather measured,
feminine voice, in the vicinity of my left shoulder, startled me into
consternation.

A young lady, almost of a height with me, was standing by my side,
while a stout, elderly lady,--the same lady I had seen on the veranda
over the way,--was filling the doorway.

I was messy all over with flour dust, brown earth from the potato
sacks, grease and grime. I had slipped at the water edge while
assisting the loggers to load their goods, and this did not contribute
to the improvement of my personal appearance. I wiped my hands on my
damp overalls, and my hands came out of the contact worse than before.

"I wish to see the manager," demanded the melodious voice, its owner
raising her skirts and displaying,--ah, well!--and stepping over some
exc