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."

Faith Marvin looked up at the speaker with an expression of horror in
her eyes.

"Do you mean to say that this place is really unhealthy, and that the
firm refuses to comply with the law on such matters?"

"I mean to say that Denton, Day & Co. comply with no law whatever except
their own sweet will, and that is to overwork, underpay and bulldoze
their employees and then kick them out at a minute's notice."

The girl spoke the words with apparent indifference. Only a long-drawn
sigh at their conclusion showed the inmost feeling on the subject.

Faith sprang to her feet with flashing eyes.

"Then that accounts for the haggard faces of the girls whom I have seen
this morning! Oh, we must do something at once to alter these
conditions! Our employers are but men; they must have hearts in their
bosoms!"

"You don't know them, Faith."

It was Miss Jennings who spoke. She was trying her best to c