For Gold or Soul?

by Lurana Sheldon

  CHAPTER XXIV.

  MR. DENTON'S ULTIMATUM.

  When Mr. Denton left that scene of sorrow in which Faith Marvin had justplayed so sweet a role, he could not possibly have described histumultuous feelings. Not a night since that sad death in the cloak-roomhad he been able to sleep peacefully, and even by day his thoughts weresorely disturbed. It was, as his son had said, as though the spirit ofMiss Jennings was haunting him.

  He was not a bad-hearted man by any means, but, like hundreds of others,he thought only of his own interests and those of his wife and son, whowere very dear to him. Out of his own station in life he rarely looked,and the question of equal rights never presented itself to himseriously.

  Now, however, something had taken possession of him which he could notunderstand. He was beginning to meditate upon the rights of others.

  As he hurried home after those brief moments at the undertaker's, hewent over the scenes of the last few days, trying to determine thecauses which led to his perturbation of spirit.

  First and foremost in his mind was the conversation with the GovernmentInspector just before the death of Miss Jennings. She had taken himseriously to task about the condition of the store, and her words hadstung him; they were so earnest and truthful. At the very moment of hisentrance to the cloak-room he was mentally censuring himself for hisalmost criminal thoughtlessness for the consideration of others.

  Then came the dying words and the glance of those death-glazed eyes. Heshuddered even now when he recalled them so vividly.

  Since then the awakening of his conscience had come, he had seenhimself exactly as he was, a traitor to himself, to humanity, and to hisGod, and the sight filled him with remorse. He was shamed and repentant.

  What to do next, was the question of his soul. He could not undo thepast, but, thank God, there was still a present and a future!

  He paced the floor of his library long after his wife and son were inbed, but the next morning at breakfast he told them his decision.

  Mrs. Denton was a vain woman, who thought of little but the fashions,and whose time was nearly always taken up with what she termed her"social obligations."

  Her husband's serious words had the effect of frightening her badly. Shelooked at him anxiously, as though she feared he had gone crazy.

  With young Denton it was different. He was thoroughly astonished andamazed. It was the first time in his life that he had ever heard a wordfrom his father's lips that was not freighted with the so-called wisdomof worldliness.

  "I have been blind to my duties and opportunities at the store," saidMr. Denton, in conclusion. "I have been too much occupied with themaking and saving of money to bestow a thought upon the higher dutiesthat lay directly in my path--the aiding and protecting of my fellowbeings."

  "Well, you'll have your hands full, dad, if you help them all," saidyoung Denton when he had recovered a little from his surprise. "I thinkyou ought to do many things differently, of course, but you'll bankruptyourself if you shoulder all their burdens."

  His father did not answer. He was thinking seriously. An hour later hewas at the field of action, filled with the righteous determination todo his duty.

  Mr. Day sat in his office when his partner entered. He was busy with oneof the "buyers," so Mr. Denton stood still and listened.

  A large pile of "ready-made" garments lay upon a convenient table, andas the buyer talked, he held them up for examination.

  "I find I can get this grade of goods from a man named Finckelstein forten cents less per garment than I have been getting them from Goldberg.They are very well made, and the quality is satisfactory. No one willever guess that they are not exactly what we advertise. I ordered thislot for closer inspection. If they are satisfactory to you, sir, I willgive him a stock order."

  Mr. Day mused a little before he replied. Meanwhile he was fingering thegarments in a critical manner.

  "Umph! Isn't there a peculiar odor about these garments, Smith?" heasked, after a minute. "I am sure there is! Really, I wish you hadn'tbrought them in here!"

  "I will take them away immediately, sir," said the buyer,apologetically. "They were made in a 'sweatshop,' you see, so it isquite possible they are permeated with unpleasant odors, but I will havethem aired before they are put on the counters."

  "Are you sure they are not permeated with disease?" asked Mr. Denton,suddenly. "I am told that those 'sweat-shops' are disgustingly dirtyplaces."

  "Oh, the Board of Health looks after that," said the buyer quickly,"and, besides, I saw a good many of Finckelstein's hands--they weremostly clean, respectable looking women."

  "How much do they get apiece for these?" questioned Mr. Denton again, ashe picked up a garment and held it at arm's length to inspect it.

  "Oh, about forty cents, I guess; and they can make two in a day. There'sa good deal of work on them," was the buyer's answer.

  "What do they cost us?"

  The question was asked rather sharply.

  Mr. Smith consulted his notebook before he answered.

  "Fifty cents in gross lots, and sixty by the dozen. We use a great many;it will ruin Goldberg to lose us."

  "And what do we get for them?"

  Mr. Denton was reaching for the price tag now. His brow was almost blackas he asked the question.

  Mr. Smith looked at him anxiously--he could not quite comprehend him.

  "Two dollars, sir," he answered, smiling--"and they sell like hotcakes. It's the grade of goods that yields us the best profit."

  Mr. Denton dropped the garment with a look of horror in his face.

  "Take the things away," he said shortly, "and, see here, Smith, don'torder any more goods from any of those 'sweat-shops!' I won't haveanother dollar's worth of them in the building!"

  The buyer looked amazed, while Mr. Day turned almost purple.

  "We make an average of three hundred per cent on every garment, and wehave contracts with some 'sweat-shops' or other for a dozen grades ofclothing!"

  "We'll buy them off them at a good round sum; then you hear what Isay--no more 'sweat-shops,' Mr. Smith!" was the calm reply.

  The buyer bundled up his goods and hurried out of the office. Hisemployer's decision nearly took his breath away.

  "Are you crazy, Denton?" cried Mr. Day, as soon as the door was closed."Is it possible that you have lost your senses completely?"

  "On the contrary, Mr. Day," was the serious answer. "The truth is, Ihave only just come to my senses."

  He went over and put his finger on an electric button.

  "Tell Mr. Forbes to come in here," he said to the boy who answered, thenhe drew three chairs close together, and sat down in one of them.

  When Mr. Forbes entered the office it was very plain that he was angry.His features were darkened by a frown that was, to say the least,forbidding. Without even noticing his expression Mr. Denton offered hima chair and then started in to make some astonishing statements.

  "Gentlemen," he said, distinctly, "I have a confession to make. I havealready made it to my God, and to my family; it is now fitting andnecessary that I make it to my partners. To be as brief as possible, myconfession is this: While I have succeeded admirably in laying uptreasure on earth, I have woefully failed in laying up treasure inheaven. While I have done my duty from a worldly point of view, by mywife and family, I have been persistently injuring many hundreds of myfellow beings, and showing no consideration whatever for their moral orphysical welfare. I thank God that at last I have been led to see theerror of my ways, and that there is still time for me to undo in somemeasure what I have done, and to make amends for the past in the presentand future. Now, what concerns you in this confession, firstly, is this:As senior member and three-fourths owner in the firm of Denton, Day &Co., I am about to assume the responsibility of its business, and tointroduce new methods in its various systems which I have every reasonto believe will not meet with your approval. To be absolutely fair andsquare, I will tell you what a few of these changes will be. I cannottell them all
, because that would be impossible. They will develop dayby day as the necessity arises and confronts me. If it is possible Ishall run this store in future on a Christian basis, or, in other words,on the basis of physical and moral justice, and whether the experimentproves disastrous or successful, I shall follow it to the end. I shallsink or swim as the Lord permits me."

  As he finished, he looked calmly at the faces of his two partners. Therewas no excitement visible in his manner, except that he breathed alittle heavier. For a moment only blank consternation reigned, then Mr.Day drew himself up with a scornful air, while Mr. Forbes sat staring athim with his head bowed upon his bosom.

  "And suppose we do not give our consent to these changes that you speakof?" said Mr. Day, curtly. "Do you forget, Mr. Denton, that thispartnership has still several years to run? Whether we own much orlittle of the capital, we are still your partners!"

  "And as such you are at liberty to oppose my actions," answered Mr.Denton, quickly; "but in that case I shall resort to the most extrememeasures, for my mind is made up, and my decision final!"