some one."

"Couldn't hold their jobs if they didn't," chimed in a clerk who had
overheard her.

"They have to arrest some one regularly about once in so often. I hope
some day they'll arrest the wrong person. It would cost old Denton a
pretty penny!"

Just then another clerk from the ribbon counter came up and joined them.

"Did you hear about that inspector coming here yesterday, girls? Well,
it didn't do any good, for old Forbes fooled her completely! She didn't
get a peep at this room or a sniff at these odors. He means to poison us
all to death with sewer gas before he's done with us, but perhaps it
will be just as pleasant a death as any other."

Faith Marvin looked up at the speaker with an expression of horror in
her eyes.

"Do you mean to say that this place is really unhealthy, and that the
firm refuses to comply with the law on such matters?"

"I mean to say that Denton, Day & Co. comply with no law whatever except
their own sweet will, and that is to overwork, underpay and bulldoze
their employees and then kick them out at a minute's notice."

The girl spoke the words with apparent indifference. Only a long-drawn
sigh at their conclusion showed the inmost feeling on the subject.