“I won’t shock you by telling you what I get,” she said wearily.  “But if all my customers were like you it would not matter so much.  It’s a pleasure to wait upon you!  I hope you’ll come often.”

“Dear, dear!  Well, I’m sorry if they are not all kind to you,” said the lady.  “It is hard to have to work, but there is some good reason for it.  It will all come right by and by; but tell me, child, what in the world is the matter?”

There was a terrible racket on the floor overhead.  As the lady asked the question a perfect bedlam broke loose.

The next second the cry of “Fire!” was heard all over the building.

“Quick!  Come behind the counter, madam!” cried Miss Jennings, trying to draw the old lady through the gate.  “There’s a panic on the stairs!  The mob will sweep through here directly!”

In less than a minute her words came true.  There was a fearful rush of feet overhead, then with shrill shrieks of fright great crowds of women and children swept down the stairway.  These were swelled by a small army of male and female clerks, until the whole lower floor was filled with a mob of struggling, pushing, human beings.

Miss Jennings succeeded in dragging the kind old lady behind the counter, then she began pulling away her goods as quickly as possible.

“Quick, girls!  Get out while you can!” cried a frightened voice.  “The second floor is all on fire!  The ceiling will fall in a minute!”

Faith glanced around to see who had spoken.  She was surprised to see that it was Miss Fairbanks, the buyer.  In the hour of danger this coarse woman had actually thought to warn her charges, but she vanished in a second without waiting to see who followed.

“It will be folly to attempt to get out now,” Faith cried distinctly.  “We would only be trampled to death!  Wait a minute,—­do, until the aisles get clearer!”

“Remain at your posts and look after your goods!” cried a voice that every one recognized as that of Mr. Gibson, the manager, “The fire amounts to nothing.  It was a false alarm!  Don’t one of you dare to leave your counters!”

“Do you expect us to stay here and burn up?” cried a woman’s voice.  “Well, I, for one, won’t do it!  Come on, Miss Jennings!”

“Not a step!” answered Miss Jennings in her shrill, weak voice.  “You are a fool to trust your life in that howling mob, Kate!  Wait a minute; we’ll get out all right if we keep our wits about us.”

“That’s right,” called Faith, standing erect at her desk.  “Keep cool, girls; we are perfectly safe as long as we keep behind the counters.”

“You are a nervy one, miss,” said a voice at her ear.

Faith turned and saw that young Denton was standing close behind her.

“It is the only thing to do,” she said with perfect composure.  “Those people are all crazy.  See how they trample on each other!”

She was gazing over the store in a perfectly natural way.  There was not a trace of fear or excitement upon her features.