"He did," said Miss Jones, promptly, "and Mag just blesses you for it." If Faith had felt one misgiving over that particular action, it vanished now like a bit of vapor. Mag "blessed" her for the words that had hurt her so to speak. Surely there was balm for all wounds, even those which burned the deepest. Faith's morning was the happiest she had ever known in the store and at the luncheon hour, as she went to the cloak-room, she had but one wish in her heart, and that was for the conversion of wicked Lou Willis. CHAPTER XXXVIII. LOU IS CAUGHT AT LAST. As Faith passed Mr. Denton's office on the way to the cloak-room she heard a woman's voice raised to a very high pitch, and immediately recognized it as belonging to Miss Willis. She had hardly had time to wonder what had occurred, when the door flew open and she had a good look right straight into the office. Ben Tyler, the detective, was standing with his hand on the door and a very ugly expression on his face, while a few feet further back stood Mr. Denton, apparently trying to reason with the infuriated woman. One glance was enough to tell Faith what had happened. Lou had been stealing again, and the detective had caught her. For a moment the young girl hardly knew what to do, and in that momentary hesitation she heard what Lou was saying. "He's a sneak and a liar!" she screamed, pointing at the detective. "He can't prove that I stole anything! I defy him to do it!" "But the goods were found in your pocket," said Mr. Denton, firmly. "Oh, that doesn't prove anything," was the girl's quick answer. "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?"