For Gold or Soul? The Story of a Great Department StoreSheldon, Lurana
General
For Gold or Soul? The Story of a Great Department Store
Sheldon, Lurana
Department stores -- Employees -- Fiction; Dime novels; Love stories; Young women -- Conduct of life -- Fiction
"Then I appoint you as general inspector of my store," said Mr. Denton,
promptly, "and your duties are to consist of daily talks with the clerks
and daily hints to me how I can improve their conditions."
"Oh, that will be delightful!" cried Faith, excitedly, "only I will not
promise to be a very wise inspector, for I am so young that I am sadly
in need of experience."
"'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.' I do not tremble for
the results," said Mr. Denton, smiling.
Faith went back to the department and told Miss Fairbanks of the new
arrangement, and in less than an hour every clerk in the store knew it.
"Just think, she has money and yet she will stay here," said one, "and
she is to look after our interests, which is the strangest thing about
it!"
"Everything is strange here nowadays," was the thoughtful reply. "Why,
I'm sure this is the only store in the world that is run on a Christian
basis!"
The next remark was made in a lower tone, as if the speaker was doubtful
of her own statements in the matter.
"And do you know," she said, slowly, "the business of the store is
actually increasing! I got it straight from the head bookkeeper that Mr.
Denton is holding his own splendidly in spite of the fact that every one
predicted a sure failure."
"Well, I hope I shall never have to work anywhere else," was the answer.
"It would kill 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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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