wer. "It's
very easy for any one to put stolen goods in my pocket; it's been done
before, and both of you know it!"

"But I saw you take the watch," said the detective, angrily. "So what's
the use of denying it any longer!"

Faith was hurrying away now as fast as she could go. She knew it was not
her place to interfere in such matters.

"A month ago I might have done so," she whispered to herself, "but now
that Mr. Denton is a Christian, he will deal mercifully with her."

When she reached the cloak-room the utmost excitement prevailed, and
the first words that Faith heard distinctly were spoken by the "head of
stock" in the jewelry department.

"I've suspected her for a long time," she said, a little viciously.
"She's a good-for-nothing, anyway, who isn't above stealing!"

"They say her father was a thief; so it runs in the family, I guess,"
said another voice; "and then, her mother was a bad character; so Lou
comes by it honestly!"

"Oh, girls! don't!" cried Faith, who could endure it no longer. "Please
don't say such cruel things! It is dreadful to bear them!"

"Well, they are true, so why shouldn't we say them?" asked one.

"She's been caught 'dead to rights,' so what's the use of mincing
matters?" said another.

"But does it do any good to bring up all these things?" asked Faith. "If
the poor girl 'comes honestly by them,' should we not be charitable even
in speaking of her?"

"There is something in that," spoke up a woman that Faith did not know,
"It's another case of the 'sins of the fathers being visited upon the
children.' If there was nothing else in the world to keep me from
believing in a God, that verse in the Bible would surely do it!"

"Well, I don't need that verse," said another voice, "for the misery and
injustice on earth are enough to prove that no God of love or mercy
could possibly have ordained it."

"But don't we make a great deal of the injustice and misery for
ourselves?" asked Faith, very soberly; "for instance, hasn't Lou just
made a lot of misery for herself? She knew she could not go on stealing
forever without being punished."

"She probably couldn't help it," was the hesitating answer. "Perhaps she
is a kleptomaniac--you know there are such people."

"Oh, but they are always rich people, who can afford to pay the judge
for letting them off easy!" said one of the girls, laughing. "When a
poor woman steals she's an out-and-out thief; but when a rich woman
steals she's a k