ill me to go back to those old days of slavery and poor
salaries!"

As the weeks passed by, even the greatest doubter became convinced that
the business of the store was improving. Great crowds came every day to
look about, if not to buy, for their curiosity as well as interest was
genuine and unbounded.

Many flocked to the store to compare the prices of goods with those of
the other emporiums and to draw their own conclusions as to the
sincerity of the enterprise.

A high price on an article was often misleading until the manufacturer's
side of the question was explained and understood, and so, too, a low
price often produced various criticism from those who could not
differentiate between just and usurious profit.

But in the main the efforts of the merchant were pretty fairly
understood and a perfect flood of congratulations followed the
enlightenment.

"My motto is consideration for the manufacturer, justice to myself and
honest value to my patrons," said Mr. Denton to all. "If I vary from
this, it will be through error, not malice."

One by one the buyers learned their lesson of right dealing, and the
counters of the big establishment showed the result of their labors.

They were filled with goods whose first values had not been depreciated
and whose sale profits were in proportion to the labor expended in
handling them.

As Mr. Gibson had said, poor people had flocked to the store. They were
satisfied that, at last, they would get the worth of every penny.

"It's funny to see how suspicious they were of us at first," he said to
Faith one day. "Why, they were more doubtful of us than ever, I do
believe, and all because we had enrolled under a Christian banner."

"I don't blame them," said Faith slowly, "for have they not good cause
to doubt? Has not hypocrisy and deceit always assumed the garb of
Christianity? It is the church people who are to blame for it--the
insincere ones, I mean--so many of them are content with words alone.
When it comes to deeds they are tried and found wanting."

"That is why I have never believed," said Mr. Gibson slowly. "I saw
through their shams and thought they were all alike! Why, most people
use religion as a regular coat of mail, behind which they commit every
sin in the calendar! And others, particularly business people, use it
merely as a trade-mark or sign of respectability, and then laugh in
their sleeves at the number of dupes they make with it!"

"Well, there'