For Love or Gold? The Story of a Great Department Store — page 97: what you’re looking at

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

eo ay ee nN _. among them.” opportunity. “Only one of Denton, Day & Co.’s spies, swer. “They are better known in the business as ‘Private Shoppers.’ ” faith looked aghast at this information. 3? Jones, coming up. “Why, every store has them; they are a part of the system.’ “Do explain!” cried Faith; “I am still in the dav Do you mean that that woman was a regular detective?” spy, | tell you, the genuine article! Her principal work ‘their ‘specials’ and prices, and get all the information pos- sible in order to keep her employers posted on what their around this store at irregular intervals, and we are not ‘supposed to know that she isn’t a legitimate customer. She asks questions and pumps and finds out all we know; then she makes us take down all our goods and put them all back, just to see 1f we are in the habit of keeping our tempers. Oh, she can make life miserable for us if she chooses! A bit of indifference on our part, and up a re- port goes, straight to the superintendent, and we get -bally- -hoo from the buyer shortly after! I tell you, we’ve party—that’s the way we square ourselves. We can't) always be angels.”’ .. “T’ve got a lot to learn,” said Faith with a sigh, “but I shall always be civil and attentive to my customers, so I — don’t think I shall have much to fear from that narHbatan © direction.” At just that moment a messenger boy came looking for some one. going forward. mean beable? ’ said Miss Fairbanks, sighing: ‘ ‘but per- haps she won 't. There are some good-hearted ones: “Who was she?” asked Faith as soon as she got the | was the an- _ “Oh, Lord, no; she wasn’t a detective at all! She’ sa. rivals are doing, and besides that she is expected to prowl | ‘got to be saints to keep our jobs in this place, but once in _ awhile, when we get the chance we let out on some safe - ae along the aisle. He had come from outside, and was “Who is it? What do you want?” asked Mr. Gunning, “Faith Seas an 2 Obj ect gs Tedgeeg: 9 3 4 “Didn't you ever hear of them before?” asked Miss ee is to trot around in other stores and learn all she can about — (e(0) Gomichooks