The following version of this story was used to create this study guide: Mansfield, Katherine. “The Woman at the Store.” Katherine Mansfield – The Short Stories – Volume 3. Miniature Masterpieces, 2014, p. 60 – 68.

The story begins with the unnamed narrator and her travel companions walking through the arid, dusty wilderness of New Zealand, looking for shelter. They approached a store with a paddock, which was run by a woman and her daughter. Jo, the unnamed narrator’s travel companion, knew the owner and his wife, so they made their way to the store.

They sought shelter in the store, but the woman who greeted them was erratic and reluctant to accept them. Jo was surprised, because her husband was nowhere to be seen. Regardless, the travelers convinced the woman to let them stay the night at the store. They requested some ointment to heal some wounds on their horse. The woman gave the narrator the ointment, and they spoke about the woman’s daughter for some time, then the travelers got ready to have some tea.

The travelers gathered for the tea, and they spoke about the woman. Jo claimed that he knew the woman used to be beautiful, but the others did not believe her. After some time, the woman’s daughter approached the travelers with some food and milk, and Jim, another travel companion, started to interrogate the child, bullying her and asking her what she did all day. After this malicious exchange, the travelers finished their tea not long before the woman finished preparing dinner.

The travelers joined the woman at the dinner table indoors. Jo flirted with the woman, and they all spoke about the woman’s husband. The woman’s mood frequently fluctuated between calm and aggressive. Meanwhile, the daughter kept trying to show the travelers her drawings, but the woman was harshly rejecting her.

After dinner, the group prepared for bed. Jo and the woman agreed to sleep in the same room, while the unnamed narrator and Jim slept with the child in the storefront. The child was disturbed by the narrator and Jim laughing loudly with each other. After some time, the child showed Jim and the narrator a drawing of the woman shooting and burying her husband. The child showed this drawing to spite the woman, who had been rude to her.

The following day, Jim and the narrator left the store, and Jo said that he would remain for a while and catch up with them.