The rumor proved all too bitterly true：Park's Hardware, a downtown institution of Orono for over 100 years，would be closing. Locals cross­examined，and begged Lin，the owner of the store，but in vain. Running a small，local，family­owned hardware business was no longer profit­making. The town's affection for Park's Hardware was just not enough to allow it to compete against the giant warehouse stores.

I was one member of the excited masses that began to walk through Park's as，day by day，the lettering on the front window changed from "20% OFF EVERYTHING" to "30%"，"40%"，and on and on，until the only things left were the light sockets (插座) and doorknobs.

Compared with giant warehouses，a hardware store is special. I recall the time I was exploring in one giant warehouse for a wireless doorbell that Park's didn't carry. I found the thing，but didn't understand the following note on the package: "Red light indicates condition of the battery." "Excuse me，"I said to a clerk，holding the item out，"I can't seem to find the red light." The man examined it, and said, "Neither can I．"I contrasted this experience with one I routinely had at Park's. "Lin，"I'd beg. "Can you...please...I don't know...do you think...？"And quicker than one could say，"little red light，"Lin would spring into action and together we'd sit down to find the solution.

I could buy a single screw (螺丝钉) at Park's. At a warehouse I have no choice but to buy a box of a hundred screws. But I don't want a box of a