She turned and was delighted to see Miss Jennings.
"How pale you look, Mary! Did you tire yourself too much last night?"
she asked quickly. "Really dear, you should have stayed at home. You are
sick abed this very minute!"
"That would mean a dollar, my dear Faith," said Miss Jennings sharply.
"I've lost three already this month so far and as I'm liable to need a
coffin soon I must keep at work and earn it!"
"Don't, Mary!" cried Faith, in genuine distress. "Don't joke about such
things, dear. I can't bear to hear you."
"As well laugh as cry," said Miss Jennings shortly; "but I hear that
Jack Forbes is dead. I'm in hopes the firm will show proper decency by
giving us a holiday."
"Oh, they'll do that all right, if it is only for the looks of the
thing," cried one of the girls who had overheard her. "You can trust
them to keep up appearances before the public, even if they dock us a
day's pay in order to square it."
"They would never do that!" cried Faith in dismay.
"They'd do it if they dared," was the answer; "they are not above it."
"There is Mr. Gibson now," whispered another girl as the form of the
manager appeared in the doorway.
"The store will be closed to-morrow," he said, shortly, "so you girls
want to be smart and make all the sales you can to-day.
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