The Project Gutenberg EBook of For Gold or Soul?, by Lurana W. Sheldon

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Title: For Gold or Soul?
The Story of a Great Department Store

Author: Lurana W. Sheldon

Release Date: February 19, 2004 [EBook #11166]

Language: English

Character set encoding: US-ASCII

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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.