Why were Tilly and Delphine were watched like hawks as they entered Rodgers store?

This question relates to the novel, The River Between Us. The pair is watched like hawks out of curiosity, News had spread that Tilly's family had visitors from New Orleans.

As quick as we were in Rodgers's store, we were watched like hawks — both Rodgerses and Pegleg Snelson and all their other help, and a couple of country women turning over the goods. Word of our visitors had reached well beyond Grand Tower by now.