d a small steel rod at the side of
the machine. The latter jumped to the task of punching, with sharp,
snapping clicks, cutting circular bits of leather out of the side of the
upper, leaving the holes which were to hold the laces. After observing a
few times, the girl let her work at it alone. Seeing that it was fairly
well done, she went away.

The pieces of leather came from the girl at the machine to her right,
and were passed on to the girl at her left. Carrie saw at once that an
average speed was necessary or the work would pile up on her and all
those below would be delayed. She had no time to look about, and bent
anxiously to her task. The girls at her left and right realised her
predicament and feelings, and, in a way, tried to aid her, as much as
they dared, by working slower.

At this task she laboured incessantly for some time, finding relief from
her own nervous fears and imaginings in the humdrum, mechanical movement
of the machine. She felt, as the minutes passed, that the room was not
very light. It had a thick odour of fresh leather, but that did not
worry her. She felt the eyes of the other help upon her, and troubled
lest she was not working fast enough.

Once, when she was fumbling at the little clamp, having made a slight
error in setting in the leather, a great hand appeared before her eyes
and fastened the clamp for her. It was the foreman. Her heart thumped so
that she could scarcely see to go on.

"Start your machine," he said, "start your machine. Don't keep the line
waiting."

This recovered her sufficiently and she went excitedly on, hardly
breathing until the shadow moved away from behind her. Then she heaved a
great breath.

As the morning wore on the room became hotter. She felt the need of a
breath of fresh air and a drink of water, but did not venture to stir.
The stool she sat on was without a back or foot-rest, and she began to
feel uncomfortable. She found, after a time, that her back was beginning
to ache. She twisted and turned from one position to another slightly
different, but it did not ease her for long. She was beginning to weary.

"Stand up, why don't you?" said the girl at her right, without any form
of introduction. "They won't care."

Carrie looked at her gratefully. "I guess I will," she said.

She stood up from her stool and worked that way for a while, but it was
a more difficult position. Her neck and shoulders ached in bending over.

The spirit of the place