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 conditions far less thrilling words than these have taken root and yielded a bountiful harvest, but the time for this man's awakening was at hand. His only son, a youth of nineteen, was lying critically ill at home, and, while Mr. Forbes was worldly, he was also unusually superstitious, and her words, "God will punish you," rang in his ears like a blast from a trumpet.
Almost involuntarily he took a step forward. He could not explain so unusual an action.
"Wait!" he said, peremptorily.
The young girl paused, with her hand on the door.
"I am not so cruel as you think, miss," he said, trying to speak as sternly as ever, "so your speech just now was entirely uncalled for. If you are really in desperate need of work, I can give you a position as packer at three dollars a week. This is the best I can offer. Do you care to accept it?"
"I will take any position where I am not defrauding any one else, sir," the girl answered, quickly. "But I could not accept what belongs to another. I think that money so earned would prove a curse instead of a blessing."
The superintendent stared at her with a puzzled look.
"What is your name?" he asked, after this second scrutiny of her features.
"Faith Marvin, sir," replied the applicant, promptly.
Mr. Forbes repeated the name a little absently.
Miss Marvin watched him eagerly. Her face had flushed a little.
"I've heard that name somewhere, but I can't think where," remarked Mr. Forbes, with a glance toward Mr. Watkins, "but it don't matter about the name. Come to-morrow morning at seven-thirty, sharp, and I'll set you to work. Well, what is it, Jackson?"
Another employee had entered hurriedly.
As he stood directly in her way, Miss Marvin could not leave the office at once, so she was forced to hear the conversation that followed.
"There's one of them Government Inspectors on the first floor, sir," reported the newcomer, "and she's a sharp one, I can tell you! Mr. Gibson wants to know if you'll come down and see her. It's the lavatories, sir; she's determined to see 'em."
The change that came over the superintendent's face at this announcement was astonishing. His naturally florid features grew as red as a blaze, and he actually increased in size as he swelled with indignation.
"Another of those prying, inquisitive people, hey!" he cried furiously. "Another spy to look over the store and report to the Board of Health that our plumbing is out of order! Tell Mr. Gibson I'll come down at once, and see here, Jackson, tell him to keep her on the first floor. I'll send the porter to the basement to open the windows. They shall not get ahead of me, the impudent creatures. The firm of Denton, Day & Co. is not going to waste money on new-fangled sanitary improvements just to please a lot of cranks with sensitive noses!"
Mr. Jackson hurried away at once to report to the manager, Mr. Gibson, leaving his employer still fuming and growing angrier every minute.
He was so terrible in his anger that Miss Marvin was glad when she was able to slip through the door at last and pick her way through the group of applicants, who were still patiently waiting.
Mr. Forbes took no notice of her departure, as he was pushing back the papers on his desk, preparatory to closing it.
Suddenly he uttered an exclamation that made Mr. Watkins jump. He had been looking over a file of letters, but turned quickly to see what was the matter.
"Quick, Watkins, stop her! Stop her!" cried the superintendent, sharply. "There were five hundred dollars on my desk ten minutes ago! It's gone, every cent of it. Quick, I tell you. Stop her!"
"Stop who?"
Mr. Watkins was over to the door before he asked the question.
"Faith Marvin, that girl that was looking for a job. The money was on the desk while she was here in the office. She's stolen it and gone, and to think, I offered her a position!"
Mr. Forbes ran his hands through his hair and glared at Mr. Watkins.
"Well, why don't you go?" he thundered, as the young man stood stock still, staring at him like a dummy.
Mr. Watkins hurried from the office on his disagreeable errand. He would have staked his all that the girl had not touched the money.
Mr. Forbes made a hurried search through his desk while the young man was gone. He was so upset about his loss that he had forgotten the Government Inspector completely.
The five hundred dollars was not to be found and Mr. Forbes was allowing his temper full vent—through the usual medium of blasphemous profanity.
He was so positive that the girl would be caught at once that he almost gasped when Mr. Watkins came back without her.
"She's gone, sir," said the young man, shortly. "The detective here saw her go out. She went down the elevator and out the side entrance. Bob's description of her is all right. I am sure it was Miss Marvin."
Bob Hardy, a store detective, came in while Mr. Watkins was speaking.
"I'm right, sir; couldn't be mistaken. She was out like an arrow," he said, respectfully.
"And to think that I was stupid enough not to take her address, but probably she would have lied about it. Those creatures are always tricky," snarled the superintendent.
The detective took a step forward and removed his hat.
"There'll be no trouble in finding her, sir," he said; "I know who she is. I've seen her a dozen times before, and I'm not apt to be mistaken."
The superintendent looked at him questioningly, so the officer went on:
"She's the daughter of Douglass Marvin, who used to keep a bookstore in this block. Denton, Day & Co. put him out of business when they opened their book department. He committed suicide soon after he failed. He left a wife and this daughter, and not a penny."
"Then the deed was deliberate!" cried Mr. Forbes, almost choking with anger. "The girl is trying to square accounts for what we did to her father!"
"Nonsense!"
Mr. Watkins uttered the word with extraordinary daring.
"She came here to look for a job, and you have offered her one, Mr. Forbes! Mark my words, she'll be on hand to-morrow morning at half-past seven!"
"And the money?"
The superintendent turned upon the speaker with a perfect thundercloud darkening his face.
"Perhaps, as you know so much, Watkins, you can explain about the money!"
Before any one could answer the door opened and Mr. Jackson came in again.
"Please, Mr. Forbes, the manager says come down quick, sir!" he cried, with a grin. "He can't keep that Government woman out of the basement much longer."