For Gold or Soul?

by Lurana Sheldon

  CHAPTER VI.

  FAITH DISCOVERS A FRESH HORROR.

  Faith dropped her eyes to her desk so that she would not see the fellow,but she could still feel the insulting gaze that was bent upon her.

  She was glad when a great crowd of shoppers came surging in at the bigdoors, for the afternoons were always far busier than the mornings atthis establishment.

  Faith soon began to wonder if the goods could possibly come up to bewrapped very much faster. Her arms as well as her back were aching. Theclerks were screaming for cash girls every other minute, for besides thepacker above each counter there were a number of others at differentpoints throughout the store and all were as busy as bees through therush hours.

  "There's no rest for the weary."

  It was Miss Jennings who spoke. She was talking to a customer, afine-looking old lady.

  "I expect there isn't, dear," said the lady, pleasantly. "And you dolook fagged out--I declare if you don't. I hope you get good pay forstanding all day behind this counter!"

  Miss Jennings laughed in her harsh, dry way.

  "I won't shock you by telling you what I get," she said wearily. "But ifall my customers were like you it would not matter so much. It's apleasure to wait upon you! I hope you'll come often."

  "Dear, dear! Well, I'm sorry if they are not all kind to you," said thelady. "It is hard to have to work, but there is some good reason for it.It will all come right by and by; but tell me, child, what in the worldis the matter?"

  There was a terrible racket on the floor overhead. As the lady asked thequestion a perfect bedlam broke loose.

  The next second the cry of "Fire!" was heard all over the building.

  "Quick! Come behind the counter, madam!" cried Miss Jennings, trying todraw the old lady through the gate. "There's a panic on the stairs! Themob will sweep through here directly!"

  In less than a minute her words came true. There was a fearful rush offeet overhead, then with shrill shrieks of fright great crowds of womenand children swept down the stairway. These were swelled by a small armyof male and female clerks, until the whole lower floor was filled with amob of struggling, pushing, human beings.

  Miss Jennings succeeded in dragging the kind old lady behind thecounter, then she began pulling away her goods as quickly as possible.

  "Quick, girls! Get out while you can!" cried a frightened voice. "Thesecond floor is all on fire! The ceiling will fall in a minute!"

  Faith glanced around to see who had spoken. She was surprised to seethat it was Miss Fairbanks, the buyer. In the hour of danger this coarsewoman had actually thought to warn her charges, but she vanished in asecond without waiting to see who followed.

  "It will be folly to attempt to get out now," Faith cried distinctly."We would only be trampled to death! Wait a minute,--do, until theaisles get clearer!"

  "Remain at your posts and look after your goods!" cried a voice thatevery one recognized as that of Mr. Gibson, the manager, "The fireamounts to nothing. It was a false alarm! Don't one of you dare to leaveyour counters!"

  "Do you expect us to stay here and burn up?" cried a woman's voice."Well, I, for one, won't do it! Come on, Miss Jennings!"

  "Not a step!" answered Miss Jennings in her shrill, weak voice. "You area fool to trust your life in that howling mob, Kate! Wait a minute;we'll get out all right if we keep our wits about us."

  "That's right," called Faith, standing erect at her desk. "Keep cool,girls; we are perfectly safe as long as we keep behind the counters."

  "You are a nervy one, miss," said a voice at her ear.

  Faith turned and saw that young Denton was standing close behind her.

  "It is the only thing to do," she said with perfect composure. "Thosepeople are all crazy. See how they trample on each other!"

  She was gazing over the store in a perfectly natural way. There was nota trace of fear or excitement upon her features.

  "The floor managers are getting them under control, I think," said theyoung man, who, like Faith, was as cool and composed as possible. "Therethey go--the very last of them--and the floor is deserted. Ten to onethere's no fire at all. I'll go up and investigate."

  He sprang off the counter and bounded up the stairs. Faith could nothelp noticing that he was really a very manly fellow. She began to thinkthat she had been mistaken regarding his insulting actions.

  "There is no fire, I tell you!" called Mr. Gibson again. "It was only apuff of smoke on the second floor! Will people never learn to keep theirheads at such times, I wonder!"

  The most of the clerks were still behind the counters, and as themanager made this remark one of the oldest men in the store raised hishead and answered him.

  "Our customers probably know our facilities for fighting a fire," hesaid sneeringly. "The place is a regular death-trap. No wonder they ranfrom it!"

  "Keep your news to yourself, Block, if you please!" said Mr. Gibsonquickly.

  Some one called him at that instant or his reprimand would probably havebeen sharper.

  Faith had heard both remarks, and so had the old lady, who was stillstanding beside Miss Jennings behind the ribbon counter.

  "Is that true? Is the store such a fire-trap?" asked the old ladyquickly. "Dear, dear, what a place to cage a lot of human beings!"

  "The fire department has ordered the boss to put in more apparatus adozen times that I know of," answered Miss Jennings, promptly, "but thebuilding is insured and so is the stock. What do they care about us! Wemust take our chances!"

  "Well, I guess the danger is over now, so I'll go," said the lady."Thank you, my dear, for your kindness. I wish I could do something tohelp you."

  "You have helped me with your sympathy," said Miss Jennings, quickly.

  "You shall see me again," was the old lady's reply. "As a Christianwoman, I must look into this matter."

  She went away after shaking hands with Miss Jennings and smiling up atFaith in a friendly manner.

  The clerks who had rushed down from the second floor at the alarm offire were coming back slowly with a shamed look on their faces.

  They trooped back up the stairs to their different departments just as abig sign was posted before the main entrance, stating that there was nofire in the building.

  It was an exciting half hour, but through it all Faith stood erect,ready and calmly waiting for anything that might happen. In the verymidst of the commotion her quick eyes detected a fresh horror. She saw aclerk at a neighboring counter grab a handsome piece of jewelry andsecrete it in her pocket with the rapidity of lightning.

  When order was at last restored Faith was in a most distressed frame ofmind. She was dreading through sheer pity what she knew to be her duty.

  "All over, Faith, and no lives lost," called Miss Jennings softly.

  She was as absolutely colorless and apathetic as ever.

  "Oh, Mary," whispered Faith, "there's something I must tell you."

  She bent down from her desk after looking about sharply for the buyer.

  "Don't mind about Fairbanks, she has bolted!" said Miss Jennings with alaugh. "You can trust the heads of departments to save their own bacon!"

  "But, she thought of us, too; you heard her, Mary," said Faith. "Poorthing, she may be irritable, but she isn't bad-hearted."

  "I ain't so sure about that--but what is it, Faith? There will be nocustomers for some time, probably, so you have a right to talk to me."

  Faith leaned a little lower so she could whisper in her ear.

  "I just saw one of the clerks steal something," she said, "It was duringthe excitement. She has it in her pocket."

  "Oh, that's nothing!"

  Miss Jennings spoke as indifferently as ever.

  "Why, what do you mean?" Faith gasped in astonishment. "You surely donot mean that you approve of stealing!"

  "Approve of it, no!" answered Miss Jennings slowly. "But it doesn'tconcern you or me, either, Faith. The girl was probably desperate. I donot blame her!"

  "Oh, Mary!"

  Fa
ith's words were redolent of bitter anguish. For the first time sincethey met she drew a little away from her.

  "You don't understand, Faith," said the other quickly. She had noticedthe movement, and her tone showed that she was pained by it.

  "I'm afraid I don't."

  Faith said the words coldly. "I certainly don't understand dishonesty inthe very least. I may be wrong, but I cannot excuse it. It is my duty toreport that girl, and I shall certainly do it."

  "You shall not!"

  Miss Jennings had lost her apathy and indifference for once. She waslocking Faith steadily in the eye, her own fairly burning with anger.

  "See here, Faith," she went on, "you have a whole lot to learn, and Iguess I am just as well qualified to teach you as any one. What youdon't know about dishonesty would fill a whole library of books. Promiseme that you will say nothing about that matter until to-morrow, atleast. Promise, Faith. It will do no harm. If you are a Christian youmust have charity."

  Faith gazed at her earnestly for the space of a second. There wassomething besides anger in her new friend's eagerness.