For Love or Gold? The Story of a Great Department Store — page 138: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

CHAPTER XXVIII. THE POISONED CANDY. ~ But Faith had only read a part of the letter when she she was mistaken. _ made her statement, for, on a closer perusal, she found If the writer had ever dreamed of tempting her with the lure of proffered luxury he ad- mitted his change of opinion in terms of honest candor. “Dear Child,” the letter read, “since our meeting the other evening I have been thinking constantly how I best could win your esteem and affection. That I should _ desire the friendship of a pure, young girl would sound strange to the ears of many worldly people, but to you, who are as distant from worldliness as are the angels m heaven, the suggestion can bring ofly bewildering sen- sations. To say that [ am ashamed does not half ex- press my feelings. To say that I wish to make imme- _ diate amends does not convey to you the half of my eagerness in that direction. ~ “Will you allow me to call upon you at your home? This is the request of a man who was once a gentle- man, but who, through the bitterness of disappointment, had lost faith in all things holy.” The letter was signed “Cornelius C. Deering.” Faith read it over and over—the signature was in a measure familiar, but just at that time she could not place it. As she tucked the letter in her pocket, Mr. Gunning approached the counter. He was twirling his mustache with his coarse, blunt fingers, and there was a supercil- iousness in his manner that was almost disgusting. “Perhaps you are not aware, Number 411, that we don’t allow that sort of thing here,” he said in a loud tone. “If you must have such improper notes from men, please see that they are not delivered during busi- I can’t have you wasting time in reading ness hours. letters!” €O (E boo SHAE