For Love or Gold? The Story of a Great Department Store — page 168: what you’re looking at

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

_ “as eye * 164 Another Talk With the Inspector. Marvin? Why, from all accounts the girl intended to kill you!” ee “Nevertheless, I love her—in a way,” said Faith. _ can't iorget entirely that she is only an erring sister.” “Well, you are a good girl, if ever there lived one,’ said Miss Fairbanks. “ You are teaching me a whole ms about practical Christianity.” - “Goodness,*that which is not practical—is poor stuff,” seid Faith, bitterly. “I wouldn’t be a hypocrite for all the ~ world, and that is exactly what sham goodness amounts to; still, I don’t mean to say, Miss Fairbanks, that I’ve always lived up to what I knew was my duty! I’ve made lots of mistakes, but I was always sorry!” She sighed a little as she turned away, but her sad-. ness soon changed to smiles as she saw Miss Dean stand- ing beside her counter. "How do you do, Miss Marvin?” asked the lady in- spector, cordially. “T am delighted to see you again, for I was afraid I was never going to! Business is so very brisk,” she said, laughingly, as she saw Faith’s question- ing ns aa oes “Why, I’m up to my ears in modern improvements! I’m a carpenter, an engineer and a full- fledged plumber!” “Do you have to know a lot about all such things?” asked Faith. “Well, not a lot, exactly, but just enough. We have to know when stores are lacking in either of the things men- - tioned.” “There have been many changes since you were here,” said Faith, slyly. ‘‘We have a new cloak-room now; you ~ just ought to see it!” “Oh, I have seen it, you can be sure!” said the lady, dryly. “l’ve been up there sniffing around and inspect- ing every corner, and I’m glad to say ayy I quite ap- prove of it.” They both laughed heartily, but Faith was not quite satisfied. “Can you see any changes that you did not suggest, Miss Dean?” she asked, a little timidly. “‘Are there no improvements that look to you like radical reforms, sug- gested by the divine spirit of love fore humanity ?” Comicbooks.com —