The Lantern at the Last Stop

Chapter 1 The Inventory Nora inherited her aunt's repair shop and immediately made a list of reasons to sell it. The roof leaked. The heating rattled. She already had a bookkeeping job in another town. Worst of all were the shelves: a chair without a seat, a painted toy boat, a clock missing its hands. Every object wore a paper tag. Her aunt Ruth had written names on the tags, but few prices. A man appeared at the door carrying a battered green stool. "Ruth said she'd show me how to fix this." "I'm sorry," Nora said. "She died last month." "I know. I thought perhaps somebody was carrying on." Nora looked at her inventory sheet. "I'm only clearing things out." He nodded and left. Through the window she watched him lower himself carefully onto the bus-stop bench, still holding the stool. That night, she added a new heading beneath REPAIRS and SALE VALUE. It read: PEOPLE TO CONTACT