For Love or Gold? The Story of a Great Department Store — page 55: what you’re looking at

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

A . Startling Sees Le 5r 5 ~ mings’ purse told Faith a story as plain as words could ~ have done. The two were lovers, she was positive of it. — she began to wonder if Mr. Watkins knew of his sweet- heart’s condition. “Move faster there, packer!” called Miss Fairbanks crossly. “Can’t you see the lady is waiting for her parcel while you are loitering ?” “Oh, I am in no hurry at all, madam,” said a calm, lady-liké voice. “Do not hurry the poor girl, please. She is probably tired.” “She has no right to be tired at this time in the morn- ing’—Miss Fairbanks was trying to be polite, but her voice was still snappy. “Are you never tired at this hour?” asked“the lady, calmly. “I frequently wake tired, and from no especial reason. In this case I should think it surprising if she ever felt rested.” “Oh, they get used to it—we all do,” said Miss Fair- banks, stammtering. “Or, at least, we must do our work just the same. We are not supposed to have feelings.” “Pray, tell me who are your judges, madam?” The lady spoke more sharply. ‘Who dares to say that human beings who earn their living have no feelings?” “W ell, if they don’t say so out loud that is what they think,” replied the buyer. “‘Why, we'd be discharged be- fore night if we were to complain of too much work. They want machines in these stores, and we are the near- est substitutes.” | “Well, why don’t you all rebel and force your employers to think differently? Mind, I don't tell you to doit. I am just asking for information.” “It would do no good ; we would simply lose our places, and for each one ot us there would be ten applicants to-_ morrow.’ | Miss Pbanke spoke the truth, and she spoke it sadly. For the second time Faith was inclined to think that | the woman was not bad-hearted.. - “The law should step in and regulate such matters,” said the lady. ‘So much authority should not be al- lowed to a few human beings. A few arrests for man- _ Slaughter would not be amiss, I have just seen one Gomichooks:. co