st do that. She'll look better there than the woman you've got."

"All right. I will do that," said the master.

The next evening Carrie was called out, much as if for an error.

"You lead your company to night," said the master.

"Yes, sir," said Carrie.

"Put snap into it," he added. "We must have snap."

"Yes, sir," replied Carrie.

Astonished at this change, she thought that the heretofore leader must
be ill; but when she saw her in the line, with a distinct expression of
something unfavourable in her eye, she began to think that perhaps it
was merit.

She had a chic way of tossing her head to one side, and holding her arms
as if for action--not listlessly. In front of the line this showed up
even more effectually.

"That girl knows how to carry herself," said the manager, another
evening. He began to think that he should like to talk with her. If
he hadn't made it a rule to have nothing to do with the members of the
chorus, he would have approached her most unbendingly.

"Put that girl at the head of the white column," he suggested to the man
in charge of the ballet.

This white column consisted of some twenty girls, all in snow-white
flannel trimmed with silver and blue. Its leader was most stunningly
arrayed in the same colours, elaborated, however, with epaulets and
a belt of silver, with a short sword dangling at one side. Carrie was
fitted for this costume, and a few days later appeared, proud of her new
laurels. She was especially gratified to find that her salary was now
eighteen instead of twelve.

Hurstwood heard nothing about this.

"I'll not give him the rest of my money," said Carrie. "I do enough. I
am going to get me something to wear."

As a matter of fact, during this second month she had been buying for
herself as recklessly as she dared, regardless of the consequences.
There were impending more complications rent day, and more extension of
the credit system in the neighbourhood. Now, however, she proposed to do
better by herself.

Her first move was to buy a shirt waist, and in studying these she found
how little her money would buy--how much, if she could only use all.
She forgot that if she were alone she would have to pay for a room and
board, and imagined that every cent of her eighteen could be spent for
clothes and things that she liked.

At last she picked upon something, which not only used up all her
surplus above twelve, but invaded that sum. She knew she was going to