helves, and a gilt curio case, filled with oddities. Pictures were upon
the walls, soft Turkish pillows upon the divan footstools of brown plush
upon the floor. Such accommodations would ordinarily cost a hundred
dollars a week.

"Oh, lovely!" exclaimed Lola, walking about.

"It is comfortable," said Carrie, who was lifting a lace curtain and
looking down into crowded Broadway.

The bath was a handsome affair, done in white enamel, with a large,
blue-bordered stone tub and nickel trimmings. It was bright and
commodious, with a bevelled mirror set in the wall at one end and
incandescent lights arranged in three places.

"Do you find these satisfactory?" observed Mr. Withers.

"Oh, very," answered Carrie.

"Well, then, any time you find it convenient to move in, they are ready.
The boy will bring you the keys at the door."

Carrie noted the elegantly carpeted and decorated hall, the marbled
lobby, and showy waiting-room. It was such a place as she had often
dreamed of occupying.

"I guess we'd better move right away, don't you think so?" she observed
to Lola, thinking of the commonplace chamber in Seventeenth Street.

"Oh, by all means," said the latter.

The next day her trunks left for the new abode.

Dressing, after the matinee on Wednesday, a knock came at her
dressing-room door.

Carrie looked at the card handed by the boy and suffered a shock of
surprise.

"Tell her I'll be right out," she said softly. Then, looking at the
card, added: "Mrs. Vance."

"Why, you little sinner," the latter exclaimed, as she saw Carrie coming
toward her across the now vacant stage. "How in the world did this
happen?"

Carrie laughed merrily. There was no trace of embarrassment in her
friend's manner. You would have thought that the long separation had
come about accidentally.

"I don't know," returned Carrie, warming, in spite of her first troubled
feelings, toward this handsome, good-natured young matron.

"Well, you know, I saw your picture in the Sunday paper, but your name
threw me off. I thought it must be you or somebody that looked just like
you, and I said: 'Well, now, I will go right down there and see.' I was
never more surprised in my life. How are you, anyway?"

"Oh, very well," returned Carrie. "How have you been?"

"Fine. But aren't you a success! Dear, oh! All the papers talking about
you. I should think you would be just too proud to breathe. I was almost
afraid to come back here this afternoon."