THE PENANCE FOR SIN.
Maggie Brady had been free for exactly a week, but the prison pallor had
not yet left her features.
Thanks to Mr. Denton, she had a comfortable home and her husband was
awaiting for permission to join her.
She had not seen Faith since that day in the jail when she read the
girl's carefully guarded secret, but in the few short interviews which
she had with her husband she learned that which caused her to bless the
young girl fervently.
James Denton told her honestly that he did not love her, but his manner
as he said it was gentle, even tender.
He regretted his foolish marriage, both for her sake and his own, still
he was ready now to do his whole duty by her, and it was Faith Marvin's
words that had taught him that duty.
But Maggie Brady was a greatly changed woman. There were thoughts in her
heart which she revealed to no one, but which influenced her every deed
and decision. She had gone over and over her wasted life and could find
no blame for any one individual, for, looked at from all points, it was
conditions that were her enemies, conditions made by the rich in their
greed of plunder.
If she had been stronger she might have combatted these conditions, but
the uselessness of such a struggle had been demonstrated by so many--she
did not have courage or faith in her own ability to conquer.
Like hundreds of poor girls, she had drifted from bad to worse, until
that mad marriage to Jim Denton capped the climax of her wickedness.
Now, with her newly awakened understanding she desired to do penance for
her sin. It was a part of that old religion which she had long ago
discarded.
At the confessional she told her wrongdoing and received absolution so
far as it is in the power of God's mediators to absolve one, but to
promise to live, uprightly forevermore did not satisfy her soul. She
felt the need of further self-abnegation; she must crucify body and
spirit to complete the penance.
With the calmness, even exultation, of a martyr she made her
preparations. There were wishes to be expressed and letters to be
written.
One of these letters reached Faith as she sat with her mother early one
evening; the writing so faint and uneven that she could hardly decipher
it.
"Oh, mother! mother!" she cried as she perused it. "Quick! get on your
hat and come with me! The letter is from Maggie--she is sick--or dying!"
As they hurried from the house Mr. Watkins joined them. In five minutes
they were in a carriage driving swiftly toward Maggie's address.
As Faith opened the door leading to Maggie's rooms she came upon a scene
that nearly paralyzed her senses.
Poor Maggie was half lying and half sitting upon a couch, her husband
supporting her tenderly while Miss Fairbanks stood by administering a
cordial. There was another person in the room whom Faith knew at once to
be a physician, but she had eyes nor ears for no one but Maggie.
"Oh, you poor, dear child! What has happened?" she asked quickly as she
went over and knelt by the side of the poor creature.
"I thought you would come," whispered Maggie faintly. "I wanted to see
you, oh, so much! I wanted--to--thank--you!"
She lay back on her pillow with a stifled groan while James Denton wiped
her brow--his own the color of ashes.
"You were so good," murmured poor Maggie again as Faith leaned over her.
"You taught me, to pray. May the good God bless you."
She closed her eyes and a sigh escaped her lips. In an instant the
physician took her wrist between his fingers.
"Gone," he said, softly, "the poor child is at rest. Cheer up, Mr.
Denton, your wife is in heaven."
"Thanks to her," whispered James Denton, with a look toward Faith. She
was kneeling, convulsed with sorrow, with her mother's arms about her.
No one really knew how the secret leaked out first, for the physician,
acting as he thought wise, refrained from telling it openly, but Faith
soon learned that Maggie's death was not natural--she had died by her
own hand--it was her full and complete penance.
"It is not for us to judge," whispered Mrs. Marvin when she heard it.
"God alone knew her thoughts," was Faith's tearful answer.
When the news reached the store, even Mr. Denton wept. It was the end of
a familiar but heart-rending tragedy.
And now it came time for Faith to change her plans--for reasons of her
own she felt that she must stay behind the counter no longer.
James Denton had gone abroad, so she put him out of her thoughts as
completely as possible; only a vagrant memory now and then showed her
the lurking shadow of her girlish passion.
As soon as she could she had a talk with Mr. Denton, whom she found, as
usual, busily working in his office.
"See, Miss Marvin," he said almost gayly as Faith entered the door,
"here are a dozen letters from Christian people this morning, all
congratulating me on the changes in my store! I have been getting a few
every day, but this is a splendid showing! Here is one," he added,
selecting an envelope, "who even offers to put a large sum of money at
my disposal just as soon as I have proven that Christianity is
practicable and profitable."
"And can you do this, sir?" asked Faith very eagerly.
A hopeful expression flitted across Mr. Denton's face.
"Mr. Gibson tells me that our business is increasing every day," he
answered slowly, "and that the poor people are flocking in to look at
our honest bargains, and you see here I have proof that the rich people
are watching us."
"Oh, I shall be so glad!--so thankful!" said Faith, with a bright
smile. "I was sure you would be rewarded for setting such a noble
example! But I have come to ask a favor, Mr. Denton," she added, softly.
"I want you to give me another position in your store instead of the one
I occupy at present."
Mr. Denton looked at her, and understood at once.
"In other words, you wish to enlarge your field of usefulness, do you
not, Miss Marvin? You think you can shed the light more successfully if
you have a wider scope of action."
"That is it exactly," was Faith's glad answer; "but please, Mr. Denton,
I don't wish any salary."
Mr. Denton glanced up in a little surprise. He had not yet even heard of
her change of fortune.
"Yes, I have money enough now to live comfortably," she explained, "and
I can even help others, I think, a little. It came to my mother some
time ago, a few thousands that were due her from her father's estate, so
we are in a position to be helpful without remuneration."
"And you will stay with me still?" asked Mr, Denton, smiling. "You will
sacrifice your liberty and your home life to stay here and labor, Miss
Marvin?"
"It will be no sacrifice, I can assure you!" cried Faith, brightly, "for
I am far happier here than I would be anywhere else, I fancy!"
"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.
"It's funny to see how suspicious they were of us at first," he said to
Faith one day. "Why, they were more doubtful of us than ever, I do
believe, and all because we had enrolled under a Christian banner."
"I don't blame them," said Faith slowly, "for have they not good cause
to doubt? Has not hypocrisy and deceit always assumed the garb of
Christianity? It is the church people who are to blame for it--the
insincere ones, I mean--so many of them are content with words alone.
When it comes to deeds they are tried and found wanting."
"That is why I have never believed," said Mr. Gibson slowly. "I saw
through their shams and thought they were all alike! Why, most people
use religion as a regular coat of mail, behind which they commit every
sin in the calendar! And others, particularly business people, use it
merely as a trade-mark or sign of respectability, and then laugh in
their sleeves at the number of dupes they make with it!"
"Well, there's no sham or hypocrisy in Mr. Denton's dealings," cried
Faith, brightly, "for no man could enter upon a Christian course with
greater sacrifice, both of friends and money."