The girl buried her head in the box from which she brought forth bolt after bolt of dress goods, voiles with gay colors, dainty organdies, and ginghams in pretty checks and plaids. As she rose, her eyes glowed and instinctively she straightened her shoulders. “Yes, Uncle, it is what we ordered. I sent for this!”
“You did!” The old man trembled with rage.
“But, Uncle, they're so pretty and I think—”
“You can think and think as much as you please, but those goods will never sell. They'll just lie on the shelves. You may think they're pretty, but an Injin won't buy a yard of 'em, and it's Injins we're trading with.”
“But there's no reason why the squaws shouldn't buy pretty dresses instead of ugly calico. There's more money in this, and it's a pleasure to sell such dainty stuff. Besides, we can sell to the white people. There's Mrs. Matthews—”
“I've heard all your arguments before, and I tell you, you'll never sell it.”
Old Job had never married. For many years he had lived alone in the rooms behind his store, and he had become self-centered and a bit fussy and intolerant. If he had realized how much his life was to be upset, he could never have brought himself to offer his widowed sister and her family a home; for he valued his quiet life, and, above all, he wanted to do things in his own way.
He was never at ease with the two nephews, who soon left to make their own way in the world.
But with Ellie it was different. Her affectionate ways won Job's heart. They were chums, often going together on long horseback rides to distant peaks that looked inviting. And as the girl developed, he loved to have her with him as he worked and he was delighted at her interest in everything in the little store. She even learned the prices of the goods and helped him.
Old Job had kept this store at the “summit” for thirty years, and he was sure he knew every side of the business. As long as he kept a good supply of beans and flour, that was all that was necessary. A good-sized Indian village lay down the creek about a mile, and it was from this settlement that Job Lansing got most of his trade.