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nails, feeling the sharpness of their points against his flesh. He marveled for a moment. As a young boy he had helped his father make nails in the forge behind their house. Now the large foundries in Boston and New York churned them out by the thousands.
    “Good morning. Mr. Steed, isn’t it?”
    Startled, and with a quick stab of disappointment, Joshua turned around. A short, balding man in a leather apron was peering at him. “Good morning, Mr. McBride. Yes, I’m Joshua Steed.”
    “What can I do for you?”
    “Well…” Joshua’s mind was racing, trying to find a way to stall. “I’ve got a list of things, but I need to look over some of your tools first.”
    McBride nodded. “Help yourself. Tools are on the back wall. When you’re ready, let me know.”
    As he started to turn, Joshua thought of something. “Oh, Mr. McBride.”
    “Yes.”
    “Do you happen to know the Smiths that live down on Stafford Road?”
    Josiah McBride turned back around very slowly, peering over the top of his glasses at Joshua. “Why do you ask?”
    Joshua fumbled a little, surprised at the sudden coldness in the storekeeper’s voice. “I…uh, my father has hired two of the sons, Hyrum and Joseph. I’m supposed to meet them across the street at ten o’clock. I’ve never met them before…” His voice trailed off, stopped by the look in McBride’s eyes.
    “Your family’s new here.” It was not a question, just a blunt declaration.
    “Yes.” Joshua was wary now.
    “That would explain it.”
    “Explain what?”
    But just then the bell tinkled as a woman entered the store. McBride suddenly became all business. “It’s none of my affair, but you may want to tell your pa to think about that.” With that he spun on his heel and went to greet the woman.
    Joshua stood there, bewildered and a little bit angry. What had brought that on? Finally he shrugged it off, moving to the back of the store. He studied the rows of tools hanging from wooden pegs hammered into the wall, moving slowly, taking his time. He felt foolish and awkward, noting the curious looks McBride kept shooting his way from time to time.
    Just as he was ready to give it up and bolt for the door, the bell on the door rang softly again. A woman and a young girl entered and exchanged greetings with McBride. The storekeeper turned and called up the stairs. “Mother! Lydia! I need some help down here.”
    Joshua felt his hopes leap. There was the sound of two sets of footsteps coming down the stairs from the living quarters above the store. The first was heavier, measured and determined, followed almost immediately by a lighter, happier set. He fought the temptation to turn around, feeling a surge of excitement. He took a finely honed ax down and began to examine it closely, hoping against hope.
    A woman’s voice floated back to him. “Hello, Mrs. Carlton. Hello, Miss Amy. What can I help you with?” Joshua felt his heart beat faster. McBride’s wife had taken the new customers.
    Joshua ran his finger along the edge of the ax blade, keenly aware of the sound of Lydia’s footsteps coming up behind him, then of the soft fragrance of her perfume. Still he didn’t turn.
    “Why, Mr. Steed.”
    He set the ax back in its place and turned slowly, unable to suppress the smile of pleasure at seeing her. “Hello, Miss Lydia.”
    She was considerably shorter than Joshua, and this difference was heightened now because her head was cocked slightly to one side, the dark brown eyes sparkling up at him mischievously. She was dressed in a white and blue pinafore dress with puffy sleeves and a shiny black belt which drew the eye to her waist—-a waist Joshua could easily surround with his hands and touch fingertip to fingertip. Her ebony hair was pulled back away from her face and fell softly across her shoulders. Her skin glowed like translucent porcelain in the filtered sunlight coming through the store window. People said Lydia McBride was the prettiest girl in the