mother. “I’ll wait outside. I don’t want Papa to miss us.”
Winnie found the general store to be true to its name. It sold a little bit of everything. There were stores like this in Sacramento, thought Winnie, but they were bigger and had more of a selection. Here the goods were put closer together with little attention paid to the display.
Up at the counter two miners were picking out some pots and a woman was inspecting a bolt of cloth. Winnie’s eyes, though, were drawn to two large jars on a nearby counter. One was filled with licorice; the other with peppermints.
Winnie walked up to the jars and tapped the glass. The peppermint was a sea of red swirls. The licorice was black.
“It is a hard choice, yes?”
On the other side of the jars stood a Chinese boy, a Celestial. Everyone called the Chinese Celestials because they called their home in China the Celestial Kingdom.
The boy was no bigger than she was, but she was tall for her ten years. Still, he looked older. She could tell that from his expression. He was wearing a blue cotton shirt, the kind all the Celestials wore. His black hair was long, and tied in the traditional pigtail. It was not hanging down his back, though, the way Chinese men wore it in San Francisco. It was coiled around his head.
Winnie had never seen a Celestial up this close before. She stared at his face, especially his eyes. They didn’t really slant, she thought. They just came to more of a point at both ends.
The boy was waiting for an answer.
“Um, yes,” said Winnie. “It is a hard choice. Licorice is sweet and stretchy. But peppermint tastes like winter in your mouth.”
“Winter in your mouth,” the boy repeated. He thought it over.
“Hey, boy! Aren’t you finished yet?”
The storekeeper had come around from behind the other counter. His hands sat sharply on his hips.
“Hurry up, China boy! The railroad isn’t paying you to stand around bothering my customers.”
The Celestial bowed slightly. “I need a bowl, please. Metal. This wide.” He held up his hands.
The storekeeper snorted. “You panning for gold?”
The boy shook his head. “No, no, it is for cooking.”
“Oh, right … for that foolish peanut oil.” He pointed to a far corner. “Pots and pans are over there.”
Winnie took a step back. She wondered what the boy had done earlier to make the storekeeper so mad.
The storekeeper turned to her with his best smile. “He won’t be bothering you anymore, miss. Now, how can I help you?”
“Um, just some licorice, thank you.”
She took out her money.
“Winnie, he’s coming!” her mother called from the doorway.
Winnie ran out just as Eli Tucker pulled up in a buckboard.
He turned toward the general store.
“Afternoon, ladies,” he said, tipping his hat. “I do believe I’ve found the two prettiest women in this fair city.”
He jumped down from the wagon.
“Oh, Papa,” Winnie said, giggling. She ran forwardto give him a hug. His beard had more gray in it than she remembered.
He returned her hug and looked up at her mother. “I’m sorry I’m late, Marjorie. It’s been an upside-down day.”
Winnie smiled. That was her father’s way of describing a day when nothing went right.
“The powder got wet somehow,” he went on. “We had to wait for some nitroglycerin. Then we had to make a new hole for the nitro. And then …” He smiled sheepishly. “You don’t really want to hear all this, do you?”
“I’m just glad to hear your voice,” said Marjorie. She came forward to join in the family hug.
Eli Tucker looked down at Winnie. “Your hair’s as blond as ever. And I see you’ve been eating those growing pills again.” He grinned. “So how was the train ride? How long did it take?”
“Only six hours. There was a lot to see.”
Her father laughed. “You have to look fast when you’re averaging fifteen miles an hour.” He took a deep breath and looked around. “So, what do you think of
Winnie found the general store to be true to its name. It sold a little bit of everything. There were stores like this in Sacramento, thought Winnie, but they were bigger and had more of a selection. Here the goods were put closer together with little attention paid to the display.
Up at the counter two miners were picking out some pots and a woman was inspecting a bolt of cloth. Winnie’s eyes, though, were drawn to two large jars on a nearby counter. One was filled with licorice; the other with peppermints.
Winnie walked up to the jars and tapped the glass. The peppermint was a sea of red swirls. The licorice was black.
“It is a hard choice, yes?”
On the other side of the jars stood a Chinese boy, a Celestial. Everyone called the Chinese Celestials because they called their home in China the Celestial Kingdom.
The boy was no bigger than she was, but she was tall for her ten years. Still, he looked older. She could tell that from his expression. He was wearing a blue cotton shirt, the kind all the Celestials wore. His black hair was long, and tied in the traditional pigtail. It was not hanging down his back, though, the way Chinese men wore it in San Francisco. It was coiled around his head.
Winnie had never seen a Celestial up this close before. She stared at his face, especially his eyes. They didn’t really slant, she thought. They just came to more of a point at both ends.
The boy was waiting for an answer.
“Um, yes,” said Winnie. “It is a hard choice. Licorice is sweet and stretchy. But peppermint tastes like winter in your mouth.”
“Winter in your mouth,” the boy repeated. He thought it over.
“Hey, boy! Aren’t you finished yet?”
The storekeeper had come around from behind the other counter. His hands sat sharply on his hips.
“Hurry up, China boy! The railroad isn’t paying you to stand around bothering my customers.”
The Celestial bowed slightly. “I need a bowl, please. Metal. This wide.” He held up his hands.
The storekeeper snorted. “You panning for gold?”
The boy shook his head. “No, no, it is for cooking.”
“Oh, right … for that foolish peanut oil.” He pointed to a far corner. “Pots and pans are over there.”
Winnie took a step back. She wondered what the boy had done earlier to make the storekeeper so mad.
The storekeeper turned to her with his best smile. “He won’t be bothering you anymore, miss. Now, how can I help you?”
“Um, just some licorice, thank you.”
She took out her money.
“Winnie, he’s coming!” her mother called from the doorway.
Winnie ran out just as Eli Tucker pulled up in a buckboard.
He turned toward the general store.
“Afternoon, ladies,” he said, tipping his hat. “I do believe I’ve found the two prettiest women in this fair city.”
He jumped down from the wagon.
“Oh, Papa,” Winnie said, giggling. She ran forwardto give him a hug. His beard had more gray in it than she remembered.
He returned her hug and looked up at her mother. “I’m sorry I’m late, Marjorie. It’s been an upside-down day.”
Winnie smiled. That was her father’s way of describing a day when nothing went right.
“The powder got wet somehow,” he went on. “We had to wait for some nitroglycerin. Then we had to make a new hole for the nitro. And then …” He smiled sheepishly. “You don’t really want to hear all this, do you?”
“I’m just glad to hear your voice,” said Marjorie. She came forward to join in the family hug.
Eli Tucker looked down at Winnie. “Your hair’s as blond as ever. And I see you’ve been eating those growing pills again.” He grinned. “So how was the train ride? How long did it take?”
“Only six hours. There was a lot to see.”
Her father laughed. “You have to look fast when you’re averaging fifteen miles an hour.” He took a deep breath and looked around. “So, what do you think of
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