One Bright Morning by Duncan Alice

Author:Duncan, Alice
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: texas, historical romance, new mexico territory, alice duncan
Publisher: Alice Duncan

Chapter Twelve

“We’re going to stop at Garza’s and get some supplies,” Jubal told Maggie. “Then I have a couple other stops to make.”

“What’s Garza’s?” Maggie wanted to know.

“Big mercantile. They have dry goods and food supplies. I want to stop by the seed store after we stock up with flour and beans and such.”

Maggie nodded. She guessed Jubal would know what they needed on his ranch.

Her astonishment nearly overwhelmed her when she stepped into Garza’s Dry Goods Emporium. She’d never been in such a big store in her entire life. Even the mercantile in Indiana, while tidier and more civilized-looking than this place, was tiny by comparison.

Jubal noticed her reaction and grinned to himself. He and Maggie were becoming easier around each other, now that a day or so had passed since their mutual indiscretion.

“Big place, isn’t it?”

Maggie looked at him blankly. “Big?” she said. “It’s huge. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

She stood in the entrance of Garza’s and tried to adjust her eyes to the bounty arrayed before her. She held Annie tightly. Annie, too, seemed amazed. The little girl’s big brown eyes were wide and she stuffed her fist into her mouth. That’s what she did whenever she was surprised.

Immediately in front of them was a long aisle that ended in the biggest, shiniest plank counter Maggie had ever seen in her life. The shelves that lined the aisle were stacked with jars full of spices and patent medicines. There were spices Maggie had never heard of before in her life. She picked up a jar of allspice and wondered if it contained a combination of other spices. She put it back again and felt foolish.

She noticed three different brands of cod liver oil. There were bitters, pain killers, magnesia tablets, tonics, seltzers, syrups, salves, and balms. She wondered what Appolinaris Water was good for. She liked the name. If she dared, she would have spent a few of her carefully saved pennies and bought Annie a bottle of cherry seltzer. But she felt intimidated in this new place and merely looked with awe at the vast array of goods neatly stacked before her.

It took her quite a while to walk down that one center aisle, she was so fascinated by everything. Once past that first intriguing lane, though, she gasped with pleasure.

“Oh, my, Annie, will you look at that,” Maggie breathed.

“Look dat,” said Annie. She pulled her fist out of her mouth and pointed a moist finger toward where her mother was staring, agape.

It seemed to Maggie as if she were looking at a mile’s worth of fabric and notions, at the very least. Bolts and bolts of bright calicos and ginghams tempted shoppers. Heavy denims, gabardines, and muslins lined a wall. There were wools for cloaks and coats, percales for sheets, and gauze for diapers. There were even satins, frilly laces, and tulles for wedding dresses and veils. A shelf laden with cotton batting, threads, cords, and braids took up an entire wall behind the cloth.

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