ke 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