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 l