"Who was it? Any one I know?" she asked.

Sonia made no reply. She had gone into the bedroom to put away her hat
and jacket. When she came back she spoke of something else, but all that
evening there was a curious air of repressed excitement about her.

"Oh, I forgot--the postman gave me a letter for you. It's in my bag,"
she exclaimed later, and bringing it from the other room, tossed it
carelessly into her sister's lap.

Olga read it and handed it back. "It concerns you. O, I do hope you'll
get the place," she said.

The note was from Miss Laura to say that the manager of one of the large
department stores had promised to employ Sonia if she applied at once.

"Isn't that fine!" Olga cried.

"O--perhaps," Sonia returned with a chilling lack of enthusiasm.

"O Sonia, don't act so about it," Olga pleaded. "You know you must get
something to do. You will go to-morrow and see the manager, won't
you--after Miss Laura has taken so much trouble for you?"

"For _me_!" There was a sneer in Sonia's voice. "Much she cares for me.
She did it for you--you know she did. You needn't pretend anything
else."

"I don't pretend--anything," Olga said, the brightness dying out of her
face.

In the morning she watched her sister with intense anxiety, but she
dared not urge her further, and Sonia seemed possessed by some imp of
perversity to do everything in her power to prolong Olga's suspense. She
stayed in bed till the last minute, dawdled over her breakfast, insisted
upon giving the baby her bath--a task which she usually left to her
sister--and when at last she was ready to go out it was nearly noon.

"You'll have to give me money to get something to eat down town, Olga,"
she said then. "It will be noon by the time I get to that store, and I
can't talk business on an empty stomach. I'd be sure to make a bad
impression if I did. Half a dollar will do."

With a sigh Olga handed her the money. Sonia took it with a mocking
little laugh, and was gone at last.

"O, I wonder--I _wonder_ if she will really try to get the place," Olga
said to herself as the door closed. She set to work then, but her
restless anxiety affected her nerves and the work did not go well. The
baby too fretted and required more attention than usual. As the day wore
on Olga began to worry about the baby--her small face was so pinched,
and the blue shadows under her eyes were more noticeable than usual; so
it was with an exclamation of relief that, opening