he would blandly inquire.

"Oh, all right," she would reply.

"Find it easy?"

"It will be all right when I get used to it."

His paper would then engross his thoughts.

"I got some lard," he would add, as an afterthought. "I thought maybe
you might want to make some biscuit."

The calm suggestion of the man astonished her a little, especially in
the light of recent developments. Her dawning independence gave her more
courage to observe, and she felt as if she wanted to say things. Still
she could not talk to him as she had to Drouet. There was something in
the man's manner of which she had always stood in awe. He seemed to have
some invisible strength in reserve.

One day, after her first week's rehearsal, what she expected came openly
to the surface.

"We'll have to be rather saving," he said, laying down some meat he had
purchased. "You won't get any money for a week or so yet."

"No," said Carrie, who was stirring a pan at the stove.

"I've only got the rent and thirteen dollars more," he added.

"That's it," she said to herself. "I'm to use my money now."

Instantly she remembered that she had hoped to buy a few things for
herself. She needed clothes. Her hat was not nice.

"What will twelve dollars do towards keeping up this flat?" she thought.
"I can't do it. Why doesn't he get something to do?"

The important night of the first real performance came. She did not
suggest to Hurstwood that he come and see. He did not think of going. It
would only be money wasted. She had such a small part.

The advertisements were already in the papers; the posters upon the
bill-boards. The leading lady and many members were cited. Carrie was
nothing.

As in Chicago, she was seized with stage fright as the very first
entrance of the ballet approached, but later she recovered. The apparent
and painful insignificance of the part took fear away from her. She felt
that she was so obscure it did not matter. Fortunately, she did not
have to wear tights. A group of twelve were assigned pretty golden-hued
skirts which came only to a line about an inch above the knee. Carrie
happened to be one of the twelve.

In standing about the stage, marching, and occasionally lifting up her
voice in the general chorus, she had a chance to observe the audience
and to see the inauguration of a great hit. There was plenty of
applause, but she could not help noting how poorly some of the women of
alleged ability did.

"I could do b