For Love or Gold? The Story of a Great Department Store — page 96: what you’re looking at

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

92 Faith Tecomes an L Obje ect of Teabary * sharp-looking wotnan came up. She began asking to see ribbons of various widths and colors, Faith tried to wait upon her as rapidly as possible, but as she was not familiar with the stock, she got sadly muddled. “How long have you been here?” asked the woman sud- denly. | “Only about two hours at this counter,” said Faith, oe sadly. “I am very sorry, but I am afraid I have not waited on you properly.” “Do you mean that you are a new girl altogether | ” asked the woman. Faith glanced up innocently, and saw both Miss Fair- banks and the floorwalker scowling at her. As quick as their eyes met Miss Fairbanks made a sig- nal. It was as plain as day. Faith was to answer no questions. _ The woman was looking at her with her shrewd, sharp eyes. Te why don’t you answer?’ she asked, half smil- Td ae “T was a packer for two days,” said Faith very softly. She could see no reason why she should not answer be question. As the woman moved away from the counter every oe 93 in the department followed her, and Faith noticed how alert all the girls were to wait upon her. As.soon as she disappeared Miss Fairbanks rushed up to Faith. “What did she ask you?” she questioned breathlessly ; “and what did you tell her?” Faith. repeated the conversation in open-eyed wonder. _ When she had finished Miss Fairbanks breathed a sigh of _ relief, but her face was still clouded. “I guess they won’t blame me for putting in a green girl,” she said slowly. “Anyway, there was no one else. I’m awfully short- handed as it is.’ “We ain’t to blame if they don’t give us help enough, é remarked Mr. Gunning, savagely. ‘This firm is too stingy to keep a full force of clerks. Still, if one of them is sick or dies, there’s always a row about changes.” “Well, if she feels like it, she'll report, and that: will COMiEbeoks com.