What these methods were it remained to be seen.  The clerks were hopeful of some reforms, but for a while they only wondered and waited.

Miss Fairbanks stopped at Faith’s counter early one morning, when the store was comparatively empty, and began talking to her in an unusually affable manner.

“There’s something going to happen here soon,” she said, confidently.  “And, in my opinion, it’s going to be pretty serious.  Either Mr. Denton has got religion, or else he’s gone crazy, for he’s giving us buyers a lot of orders nowadays that will mean the failure of the firm if we are obliged to obey them.”

“Why, what are they, Miss Fairbanks?” Faith asked in surprise.  Miss Jones came up also and listened for the answer.

“Well, in the first place, we are not to beat down the drummers any more, but are to offer them fair prices on all our orders.  Then we are to learn, if possible, who makes the goods that we buy, for Mr. Denton says he does not want to make a profit out of some poor woman’s work while she is going half clothed and perhaps sick and starving.”

“Why, the man is stark mad,” said Miss Jones, in amazement.  “As if it was any concern of his what other people work for!”

“I think he is quite right,” remarked Faith, very soberly.  “I can understand how he feels, and I think he is very brave to give such orders.”

“Then he says,” went on Miss Fairbanks, “that there are to be new arrangements for you girls.  You are to be relieved every two hours for about twenty minutes.  That means, of course, that he is going to hire a lot of new help, and I, for one, am sorry, for there’ll be blunders by the hundred.”

“Oh, perhaps not,” said Faith, brightly.  “I hope not, anyway, for your sake, Miss Fairbanks.  I know just how annoying it is for you, who have so many clerks to look after.”

Miss Fairbanks looked at her gratefully, but with a little surprise.  It was not often that one of her girls expressed any sympathy for her.

“Then, there’s to be a full hour at luncheon,” continued the buyer after a minute, “and the best of all is that we are to have a new lunch-room.  No more eating in that rat hole down in the basement.”

“Well, that is good news,” said Miss Jones delightedly.  “Really, I begin to think that the millennium is coming!”

“Or the Kingdom of God,” said Faith, very happily.  “There is no doubt in my mind but that Mr. Denton has become a Christian.”

Both women stared at her as she spoke, but, for a wonder, neither of them scoffed at her statement.

Miss Fairbanks recovered herself first and asked a very natural question.

“What do you mean by saying that he has become a Christian?  Why, Mr. Denton has been a member of the church ever since I can remember.”

“Alas!” sighed Faith sadly.  “That doesn’t always signify, Miss Fairbanks.  He may have accepted Christ but not Christ’s spirit; but it is plain now that the very essence of godliness is awakening within him.  If this is so I can predict that there will be great changes in this store and that every one will be for the comfort of its toilers.”