For Gold or Soul? by Lurana W. Sheldon

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FOR GOLD OR SOUL?

_THE STORY OF A GREAT DEPARTMENT STORE_

By LURANA W. SHELDON

1900

FOR GOLD OR SOUL

CHAPTER I.

IN THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE.

The monster department store of Messrs. Denton, Day & Co. was thronged
with shoppers, although the morning was still young.

Scores of pale-faced women and narrow-chested men stood behind the
counters, while "cash girls," with waxen cheeks and scrawny figures,
darted here and there on their ceaseless errands. On the fifth floor of
the building, where the firm's offices were quartered, a score or more
of anxious girls and women waited eagerly for an opportunity to enter
their applications for service.

At last a private door was opened by an elfish-looking boy, and the
earliest applicant was allowed to enter, the boy warning her, as she did
so, to "be quick about it."

"So you are looking for work? Well, what can you do? Got any references?
Talk fast, for I have no time to waste on applicants."

The speaker was Mr. Duncan Forbes, junior partner, as well as business
superintendent of the establishment, and the person spoken to was a
beautiful girl, about seventeen years of age, who had called to apply
for a position as saleswoman.

"I have never worked before, sir," said the young girl, trying to obey
and talk as rapidly as possible, "but I am sure I could learn in a very
short time, if only you will give me a trial as saleswoman. Do please
give me a trial!"

The keen-eyed superintendent looked over her scrutinizingly.

He at once saw that she was a girl unaccustomed to drudgery, and that
her clothes were of fine materials, although they were fast growing
shabby.

Her cheeks were rosy from plenty of exercise in the sun and air, her
figure was rounded, and her carriage graceful.

She did not resemble in the least the sallow-faced specimens of
womanhood who swarmed over Denton, Day & Co.'s various departments, but
these very differences seemed to influence him against her. He wanted
girls with experience, and experience, in their line of business, meant
haggard expressions and sallow faces.

His answer was as heartless as crisp words could make it.

"Can't do it! The thing would be ridiculous! We have no time nor
inclination to break in green hands, besides, we've got help enough at
present; it's almost our dull season."

"But I would be a cash girl, anything!" the girl urged, eagerly. "Oh, I
need work so badly, and I've been all over the city!"

The tears had risen to her eyes and were trembling on her lashes. She
clasped her hands entreatingly as the superintendent rudely turned his
back upon her.

"Can't do it, I tell you, so there's no use taking up any more of my
time! Well, what is it, Watkins?"

The question was addressed to an employee, a pale, slim young man, who
had just entered the office.

"Excuse me, Mr. Forbes, but there's three clerks absent to-day. They
have sent word that they are sick. Mr. Gibson told me to tell you."

"Who are they, do you know?"

Mr. Forbes spoke sharply, his face flushing with anger.

"Miss Jennings and Miss Brown--" began the young man, but his superior
stopped him before he could finish.

"That Miss Jennings is faking! She is no more sick than I am! This is
the third time this month that she has staid away because of sickness!
It's probably an excuse to go on some picnic or other. Tell Mr. Gibson
that I say to fine her double the regular amount. We must put a stop to
this sham sickness among the women clerks; it's getting too frequent!"

"But I am sure Miss Jennings is sick," began Mr. Watkins, impetuously.
"You should hear her cough! And I know her mother died of consumption."

"You know too much for your own good, Watkins," broke in the
superintendent, sharply. "Just keep your knowledge to yourself if you
wish to hold your position in this establishment!"

A flush rose quickly to the young man's brow. He bit his lips and locked
his fingers together nervously.

It was plain that another word would have meant his immediate discharge,
and there was an invalid mother depending upon him. He was obliged to
hold his peace, though the words almost choked him. "Then I am to tell
Mr. Gibson to double Miss Jennings' fine."

The superintendent broke in upon him again in his snappiest manner.

He had suddenly turned and caught sight of the timid young applicant,
who was standing almost motionless in the centre of the office.

"No!" he roared out, angrily. "Tell him to discharge Miss Jennings at
once! Here is a girl he can take on in her place. She's green, but Miss
Fairbanks, the buyer, can train her."

"Oh! no, sir! Not for the world!"

It was a cry of almost horror that issued from the young girl's lips.
Even Mr. Forbes looked startled, and he was not usually startled at
anything.

The applicant was standing before him now, with her head held high and
her blue eyes flashed like diamonds over his shameful proposition.

"Oh, no, sir! I beg that you will not dream of doing such a thing. I
would starve before I would deprive that poor girl of her position. If
you have no place for me, I will go at once. If I were to take her place
it would be a cruel injustice!"

She looked him fearlessly in the face as she spoke the words. Her whole
manner had changed. She was timid no longer.

Mr. Forbes stared at her curiously for half a minute. He saw that there
was a spirit in her that would make her valuable in business.

In an instant his manner changed to a studied indifference. He rubbed
his hands together gently, toying with a fine ring upon his finger.

"But I shall discharge Miss Jennings any way, so if you do not accept
the position I will give it to some one else," he said. "You can take it
or leave it. Decide quick; which is it?"

For the space of a second the applicant wavered, but in that second she
read something in Mr. Watkins' expression. His look was unmistakable. He
was waiting to see if she faltered in her decision.

She raised her head and looked Mr. Forbes squarely in the eyes.

"I thank you, sir, for your offer," she said, as calmly as she could,
"but I would rather die than do anything I considered wrong, and this
act of yours is both wicked and unjust! God will punish you for your
cruelty to that poor Miss Jennings!"

She turned and walked toward the door, leaving Mr. Forbes and Mr.
Watkins both staring after her.

CHAPTER II.

A HUMBLE BEGINNING.

It was the second time that the young girl had succeeded in startling
the superintendent, but this time she had accomplished far more than she
knew, for her few words fell upon the brain of the business man with a
significance that for a moment almost overcame him. Under favorable
conditions far less thrilling words than these have taken root and
yielded a bountiful harvest, but the time for this man's awakening was
at hand. His only son, a youth of nineteen, was lying critically ill at
home, and, while Mr. Forbes was worldly, he was also unusually
superstitious, and her words, "God will punish you," rang in his ears
like a blast from a trumpet.

Almost involuntarily he took a step forward. He could not explain so
unusual an action.

"Wait!" he said, peremptorily.

The young girl paused, with her hand on the door.

"I am not so cruel as you think, miss," he said, trying to speak as
sternly as ever, "so your speech just now was entirely uncalled for. If
you are really in desperate need of work, I can give you a position as
packer at three dollars a week. This is the best I can offer. Do you
care to accept it?"

"I will take any position where I am not defrauding any one else, sir,"
the girl answered, quickly. "But I could not accept what belongs to
another. I think that money so earned would prove a curse instead of a
blessing."

The superintendent stared at her with a puzzled look.

"What is your name?" he asked, after this second scrutiny of her
features.

"Faith Marvin, sir," replied the applicant, promptly.

Mr. Forbes repeated the name a little absently.

Miss Marvin watched him eagerly. Her face had flushed a little.

"I've heard that name somewhere, but I can't think where," remarked Mr.
Forbes, with a glance toward Mr. Watkins, "but it don't matter about the
name. Come to-morrow morning at seven-thirty, sharp, and I'll set you to
work. Well, what is it, Jackson?"

Another employee had entered hurriedly.

As he stood directly in her way, Miss Marvin could not leave the office
at once, so she was forced to hear the conversation that followed.

"There's one of them Government Inspectors on the first floor, sir,"
reported the newcomer, "and she's a sharp one, I can tell you! Mr.
Gibson wants to know if you'll come down and see her. It's the
lavatories, sir; she's determined to see 'em."

The change that came over the superintendent's face at this announcement
was astonishing. His naturally florid features grew as red as a blaze,
and he actually increased in size as he swelled with indignation.

"Another of those prying, inquisitive people, hey!" he cried furiously.
"Another spy to look over the store and report to the Board of Health
that our plumbing is out of order! Tell Mr. Gibson I'll come down at
once, and see here, Jackson, tell him to keep her on the first floor.
I'll send the porter to the basement to open the windows. They shall not
get ahead of me, the impudent creatures. The firm of Denton, Day & Co.
is not going to waste money on new-fangled sanitary improvements just to
please a lot of cranks with sensitive noses!"

Mr. Jackson hurried away at once to report to the manager, Mr. Gibson,
leaving his employer still fuming and growing angrier every minute.

He was so terrible in his anger that Miss Marvin was glad when she was
able to slip through the door at last and pick her way through the group
of applicants, who were still patiently waiting.

Mr. Forbes took no notice of her departure, as he was pushing back the
papers on his desk, preparatory to closing it.

Suddenly he uttered an exclamation that made Mr. Watkins jump. He had
been looking over a file of letters, but turned quickly to see what was
the matter.

"Quick, Watkins, stop her! Stop her!" cried the superintendent,
sharply. "There were five hundred dollars on my desk ten minutes ago!
It's gone, every cent of it. Quick, I tell you. Stop her!"

"Stop who?"

Mr. Watkins was over to the door before he asked the question.

"Faith Marvin, that girl that was looking for a job. The money was on
the desk while she was here in the office. She's stolen it and gone, and
to think, I offered her a position!"

Mr. Forbes ran his hands through his hair and glared at Mr. Watkins.

"Well, why don't you go?" he thundered, as the young man stood stock
still, staring at him like a dummy.

Mr. Watkins hurried from the office on his disagreeable errand. He would
have staked his all that the girl had not touched the money.

Mr. Forbes made a hurried search through his desk while the young man
was gone. He was so upset about his loss that he had forgotten the
Government Inspector completely.

The five hundred dollars was not to be found and Mr. Forbes was allowing
his temper full vent--through the usual medium of blasphemous profanity.

He was so positive that the girl would be caught at once that he almost
gasped when Mr. Watkins came back without her.

"She's gone, sir," said the young man, shortly. "The detective here saw
her go out. She went down the elevator and out the side entrance. Bob's
description of her is all right. I am sure it was Miss Marvin."

Bob Hardy, a store detective, came in while Mr. Watkins was speaking.

"I'm right, sir; couldn't be mistaken. She was out like an arrow," he
said, respectfully.

"And to think that I was stupid enough not to take her address, but
probably she would have lied about it. Those creatures are always
tricky," snarled the superintendent.

The detective took a step forward and removed his hat.

"There'll be no trouble in finding her, sir," he said; "I know who she
is. I've seen her a dozen times before, and I'm not apt to be mistaken."

The superintendent looked at him questioningly, so the officer went on:

"She's the daughter of Douglass Marvin, who used to keep a bookstore in
this block. Denton, Day & Co. put him out of business when they opened
their book department. He committed suicide soon after he failed. He
left a wife and this daughter, and not a penny."

"Then the deed was deliberate!" cried Mr. Forbes, almost choking with
anger. "The girl is trying to square accounts for what we did to her
father!"

"Nonsense!"

Mr. Watkins uttered the word with extraordinary daring.

"She came here to look for a job, and you have offered her one, Mr.
Forbes! Mark my words, she'll be on hand to-morrow morning at half-past
seven!"

"And the money?"

The superintendent turned upon the speaker with a perfect thundercloud
darkening his face.

"Perhaps, as you know so much, Watkins, you can explain about the
money!"

Before any one could answer the door opened and Mr. Jackson came in
again.

"Please, Mr. Forbes, the manager says come down quick, sir!" he cried,
with a grin. "He can't keep that Government woman out of the basement
much longer."

CHAPTER III.

A GLIMPSE OF THE DARKNESS.

When Faith Marvin reached the employees' entrance of Denton, Day & Co.'s
department store the next morning at half-past seven, she was shown into
a room that was a sort of cloak-room, lunch-room and lavatory combined,
in the basement of the building.

The place was poorly lighted and badly ventilated, and there were fully
two hundred women and girls crowding and jostling each other while they
hung up their wraps and put on false sleeves and black aprons.

For a while the din was confusing, but Faith soon began to see and hear
distinctly.

She was amazed and then horrified at the snatches of conversation she
heard. Even a little cash girl used language that was almost profanity,
and others made remarks of a most heartless nature.

Here and there Faith saw a face that looked different from the rest.
They were mostly pale, pinched faces, bearing deep lines of care, but
they all looked stolid, hardened and indifferent.

"I suppose it's the hard work and worry," whispered Faith,
involuntarily. Just then she felt some one tapping her smartly on the
shoulder.

She turned quickly and confronted a woman about her own height, who had
the sharpest pair of eyes that Faith ever remembered seeing.

"Is this Faith Marvin?"

The woman spoke softly, but her voice was cold and metallic.

"It is," answered Faith. "I was told to come this morning. Can you give
me any information as to where I am to go? I see the others are all
hurrying upstairs, but there is no one to direct me."

The woman had not taken her eyes from Faith's face while the young girl
was talking. She seemed to be scanning her features with more than
ordinary curiosity.

"Where do you live?"

The question was asked by the woman in a business-like manner, but as
Faith hesitated before answering the sharp eyes twinkled a little.

"Am I obliged to give my address?" asked Faith very slowly.

"Certainly--it's the rule of the house."

The woman frowned as she answered.

Faith gave her address in a faltering voice. She had hoped to be able to
keep that a secret.

The woman wrote down the address on a piece of paper.

"A mother and father?" was the next brief question.

Faith's face was scarlet now, but she answered promptly.

"A mother, yes; but my father is dead. He was Douglass Marvin. He owned
a bookstore in this block. When Denton, Day & Co. opened their book
department my father was ruined."

The woman looked at her enviously as she asked the next question.

"How did you happen to come to this store to look for work? Don't you
resent the injury that was done to your father?"

In a second Faith Marvin's eyes filled with tears.

"Oh, no!" she cried hastily. "I bear no resentment! I know it is always
the weak who must suffer! I came here because I was desperately in need
of work. My mother's health is failing and we are penniless."

"Well, it's lucky you're so forgiving," said the woman with a peculiar
stare; "but come, you must report to Miss Fairbanks, the buyer in the
ribbon department! She's on the first floor. I'll take you to her."

Miss Fairbanks looked Faith over almost as sharply as the other woman
had done.

She was short-handed that morning, so there was no time for
preliminaries.

"Ever work in a store before?" was her first business-like question.

"No, madam," said Faith timidly; "I have had no experience at all, but
I am sure I shall learn quickly if you will be so kind as to teach me."

She was beginning to tremble a little for fear the woman would not try
her.

"Oh, I guess you'll do if you are not too stuck up," said the buyer
carelessly. "Girls who have never worked in a store always think they
know it all, and that sort of thing doesn't go, not in my department!"

She led Faith up to one of the gates at the ribbon counter and showed
her how to crawl up to the packer's desk above the shelves, where the
stock was kept.

"Now, when one of the saleswomen hands you up a check and some ribbon
you must measure the ribbon carefully to see that the firm is not being
cheated," she explained in a shrill voice, "and if one of the girls
makes a mistake report it to me immediately."

Faith was up by this time and trying to accommodate herself to the
awkward position, while she listened intently to all the buyer's
instructions.

The packer's desk was so low that it cramped her limbs even in sitting,
and Faith soon saw that she was older and larger than any other girl in
that position on the floor.

This fact alone made her feel awkward and uncomfortable, and when she
saw one of the clerks looking up at her and tittering she blushed and
nearly cried through sheer embarrassment. To add to her nervousness she
soon noticed that two men, who were standing in one of the aisles, were
watching her every movement for some reason or other. She was thankful
when the checks and goods began to come up. It was a relief to keep her
eyes on the different packages.

Faith had never had much experience in doing up parcels, but she managed
very nicely after her hands stopped trembling.

Long before noon she was aching in every muscle. The dust that rose from
the floor was irritating her throat and the store was so hot that her
head was aching.

She looked down at the clerks, who had been on their feet steadily since
eight o'clock, and began to understand the callousness of their
expressions. A great throb of pity for them, rather than for herself,
dimmed her eyes for an instant so that she could not see her packages.

During that first few hours Faith could not help noticing how often
Number 89 sent up goods to be wrapped. There were double as many sales
to her credit as to any of the others at the counter, and at a leisure
moment she leaned over and looked down at her.

Just as she did so Number 89 was seized with a fit of coughing. It was
over in a minute, but was extremely severe while it lasted.

In spite of herself Faith could not resist glancing at her often, and
once when she caught her eye she smiled at her pleasantly.

The effect was magical.

Number 89 soon handed up a check and three yards of ribbon, and as their
hands met over the goods she caught and squeezed the "packer's" little
finger.

"I'm sorry you have such a cough!"

Faith whispered the words quickly.

Number 89 was about to reply when Miss Fairbanks, the buyer, passed the
counter.

"No loitering, Miss Jennings! Don't you see there are customers waiting?
Forward at once! And you, packer, attend to business! I see you have
goods in your hands. Wrap them up this minute!"

CHAPTER IV.

SOME UNPLEASANT INFORMATION.

Faith's face turned scarlet, but she obeyed at once. The next instant
the buyer was forgotten. She was thinking of Miss Jennings.

So the superintendent had not carried out his threat after all. He could
not have forgotten it, his anger had been too genuine.

Faith was thankful enough that the poor girl was still at work, although
she looked sick enough to be in bed in the care of a doctor.

As Faith looked at her she could see plainly the stamp of death upon her
brow. Her cheeks were bloodless and her eyes were sunken.

After eleven o'clock the girls took turns in going to their luncheons.
Some repaired to the basement lunch room, while others who could afford
it patronized the nearby restaurants.

It was a pleasant surprise to Faith when Miss Jennings joined her in the
lunch room. She had a paper bag in her hand, while Faith carried a small
basket.

Almost instinctively the two girls drew away from the others. There was
a bond of sympathy between them that they could not account for.

"Do tell me your name," whispered Miss Jennings at once. "It does sound
so 'shoppy' to be always saying 'packer.'"

She had opened her bag and taken out a cracker. It was evident that
there was no time to be wasted in lunching.

"Call me Faith, if you will. I should like to have you so much! I think
it will make me feel a little less strange," was the impulsive answer.

"I will if you'll call me Mary," replied Miss Jennings. "I've just been
longing to talk to you all the morning, but there's no dodging Miss
Fairbanks' eye; it's always upon you."

"Are we not supposed to speak at all?" asked Faith, who was forgetting
to eat her luncheon.

"Oh, yes, we can speak, but not if there are customers waiting. But,
tell me, how do you happen to be a packer? You are too old for that kind
of work, and quite too clever, I'm sure," said Miss Jennings kindly.

Faith told her how difficult it had been to get any position at all, but
she did not dream of telling her how closely her name and work had been
connected with the matter.

When she spoke of Mr. Forbes, Miss Jennings fairly shuddered.

"He's a terrible brute," she said in a nervous whisper. "And what do you
think, Faith; he's a Sunday-school teacher!"

"Oh no, it can't be!"

Faith caught her breath with a shiver.

"I mean, it doesn't seem possible," she added after a minute.

"Yes, he is," reiterated Miss Jennings soberly.

"I used to go to the same church. Now I don't go to any--I have no use
for religion!"

She started coughing, and this gave Faith an opportunity to recover from
the shock. When the spasm was over she put her arms affectionately over
Miss Jennings' shoulder.

"What has turned you against religion, dear?" she asked very softly. "Is
it such men as Mr. Forbes, or just the bitterness from misfortune?"

"Both," said Miss Jennings stubbornly and with a little frown on her
face.

"If God is good, why is there so much misery? If He is just, why are we
subjected to such terrible oppression, and if He is merciful, why
doesn't He hear us when we pray to Him to help us bear our burdens?"

There was a ring of defiance in Miss Jennings' tones. As Faith looked at
the pinched features her frame became almost convulsed with anguish.

"Oh, I wish I could answer all your questions, dear!" she cried softly,
"and I can, I am sure, if you will just lay aside your bitterness! You
are holding black glasses to your own eyes, you poor child, but the
light will come; you must keep on praying for it!"

"There is no use, Faith. I've prayed until I'm tired. But don't mind me,
dear. I'm what they call a pessimist. I look on the dark side of
everything, I suppose; but listen, do you hear what that cash girl is
saying?"

Faith shook her head. She had heard nothing but her companion's words.

"Jack Forbes is dying! I saw it in the paper. That's why the old bear
isn't here to-day, I suppose! It will just serve him right! I'm not a
bit sorry!"

Cash girl Number 9 laughed shrilly as she finished her announcement, and
in the remarks that followed Faith learned who Jack Forbes was, and that
he was a really fine fellow in spite of his gold-loving father.

In a second she understood also why Miss Jennings was still working. No
doubt she would be discharged as soon as Mr. Forbes came back to
business.

She moved nearer to her companion as this thought flashed through her
mind.

Just then a man stuck his head in the lunch room and looked around. When
he saw Faith he stared a minute, and then disappeared very suddenly.

"Hello! Wonder who Hardy is after?" cried one of the girls.

"Who was he?" asked Faith in a whisper of Miss Jennings. "I've seen him
watching me several times this morning."

Miss Jennings straightened up and looked at her a minute.

"He's one of the house detectives," she said slowly, "and you happen to
be a new girl. Don't bother about him, Faith. They are always watching
some one."

"Couldn't hold their jobs if they didn't," chimed in a clerk who had
overheard her.

"They have to arrest some one regularly about once in so often. I hope
some day they'll arrest the wrong person. It would cost old Denton a
pretty penny!"

Just then another clerk from the ribbon counter came up and joined them.

"Did you hear about that inspector coming here yesterday, girls? Well,
it didn't do any good, for old Forbes fooled her completely! She didn't
get a peep at this room or a sniff at these odors. He means to poison us
all to death with sewer gas before he's done with us, but perhaps it
will be just as pleasant a death as any other."

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