ll
clearer feeling of their way of life. It weighed on her, but took no
definite form of opposition.

"I think I'll go down and stand at the foot of the stairs," she said,
after a time.

Minnie made no objection to this, and Carrie put on her hat and went
below.

"Where has Carrie gone?" asked Hanson, coming back into the dining-room
when he heard the door close.

"She said she was going down to the foot of the stairs," answered
Minnie. "I guess she just wants to look out a while."

"She oughtn't to be thinking about spending her money on theatres
already, do you think?" he said.

"She just feels a little curious, I guess," ventured Minnie. "Everything
is so new."

"I don't know," said Hanson, and went over to the baby, his forehead
slightly wrinkled.

He was thinking of a full career of vanity and wastefulness which a
young girl might indulge in, and wondering how Carrie could contemplate
such a course when she had so little, as yet, with which to do.

On Saturday Carrie went out by herself--first toward the river, which
interested her, and then back along Jackson Street, which was then lined
by the pretty houses and fine lawns which subsequently caused it to
be made into a boulevard. She was struck with the evidences of wealth,
although there was, perhaps, not a person on the street worth more than
a hundred thousand dollars. She was glad to be out of the flat, because
already she felt that it was a narrow, humdrum place, and that
interest and joy lay elsewhere. Her thoughts now were of a more
liberal character, and she punctuated them with speculations as to the
whereabouts of Drouet. She was not sure but that he might call anyhow
Monday night, and, while she felt a little disturbed at the possibility,
there was, nevertheless, just the shade of a wish that he would.

On Monday she arose early and prepared to go to work. She dressed
herself in a worn shirt-waist of dotted blue percale, a skirt of
light-brown serge rather faded, and a small straw hat which she had worn
all summer at Columbia City. Her shoes were old, and her necktie was in
that crumpled, flattened state which time and much wearing impart.
She made a very average looking shop-girl with the exception of her
features. These were slightly more even than common, and gave her a
sweet, reserved, and pleasing appearance.

It is no easy thing to get up early in the morning when one is used to
sleeping until seven and eight, as Carrie had been at