第13章

Therewasagooddinnerintheflatthatevening，owingtothe，mereliftingoftheterriblestrain。Hurstwoodwentoutfora，shave，andreturnedwithafair-sizedsirloinsteak。 “Now，to-morrow，“hethought，“I’lllookaroundmyself，“andwith，renewedhopeheliftedhiseyesfromtheground。 OnthemorrowCarriereportedpromptlyandwasgivenaplacein，theline。Shesawalarge，empty，shadowyplay-house，still，redolentoftheperfumesandblazonryofthenight，andnotable，foritsrich，orientalappearance。Thewonderofitawedand，delightedher。Blessedbeitswondrousreality。Howhardshe，wouldtrytobeworthyofit。Itwasabovethecommonmass，aboveidleness，abovewant，aboveinsignificance。Peoplecameto，itinfineryandcarriagestosee。Itwaseveracentreoflight，andmirth。Andhereshewasofit。Oh，ifshecouldonly，remain，howhappywouldbeherdays！ “Whatisyourname？”saidthemanager，whowasconductingthe，drill。 “Madenda，“shereplied，instantlymindfulofthenameDrouethad，selectedinChicago。”CarrieMadenda。” “Well，now，MissMadenda，“hesaid，veryaffably，asCarrie，thought，“yougooverthere。” Thenhecalledtoayoungwomanwhowasalreadyofthecompany： “MissClark，youpairwithMissMadenda。” Thisyoungladysteppedforward，sothatCarriesawwheretogo，andtherehearsalbegan。 Carriesoonfoundthatwhilethisdrillinghadsomeslight，resemblancetotherehearsalsasconductedatAveryHall，the，attitudeofthemanagerwasmuchmorepronounced。Shehad，marvelledattheinsistenceandsuperiorairsofMr。Millice，but，theindividualconductingherehadthesameinsistence，coupled，withalmostbrutalroughness。Asthedrillingproceeded，he，seemedtowaxexceedinglywrothovertrifles，andtoincreasehis，lungpowerinproportion。Itwasveryevidentthathehada，greatcontemptforanyassumptionofdignityorinnocenceonthe，partoftheseyoungwomen。 “Clark，“hewouldcall——meaning，ofcourse，MissClark——“why，don’tyoucatchstepthere？” “Byfours，right！Right，Isaid，right！Forheaven’ssake，geton，toyourself！Right！”andinsayingthishewouldliftthelast，soundsintoavehementroar。 “Maitland！Maitland！”hecalledonce。 Anervous，comely-dressedlittlegirlsteppedout。Carrie，trembledforheroutofthefulnessofherownsympathiesand，fear。 “Yes，sir，“saidMissMaitland。 “Isthereanythingthematterwithyourears？” “No，sir。” “Doyouknowwhat’columnleft’means？” “Yes，sir。” “Well，whatareyoustumblingaroundtherightfor？Wanttobreak，uptheline？” “Iwasjust“ “Nevermindwhatyouwerejust。Keepyourearsopen。” Carriepitied，andtrembledforherturn。 Yetanothersufferedthepainofpersonalrebuke。 “Holdonaminute，“criedthemanager，throwinguphishands，as，ifindespair。Hisdemeanourwasfierce。 “Elvers，“heshouted，“whathaveyougotinyourmouth？” “Nothing，“saidMissElvers，whilesomesmiledandstood，nervouslyby。 “Well，areyoutalking？” “No，sir。” “Well，keepyourmouthstillthen。Now，alltogetheragain。” AtlastCarrie’sturncame。Itwasbecauseofherextreme，anxietytodoallthatwasrequiredthatbroughtonthetrouble。 Sheheardsomeonecalled。 “Mason，“saidthevoice。”MissMason。” Shelookedaroundtoseewhoitcouldbe。Agirlbehindshoved，heralittle，butshedidnotunderstand。 “You，you！”saidthemanager。”Can’tyouhear？” “Oh，“saidCarrie，collapsing，andblushingfiercely。 “Isn’tyournameMason？”askedthemanager。 “No，sir，“saidCarrie，“it’sMadenda。” “Well，what’sthematterwithyourfeet？Can’tyoudance？” “Yes，sir，“saidCarrie，whohadlongsincelearnedthisart。 “Whydon’tyoudoitthen？Don’tgoshufflingalongasifyou，weredead。I’vegottohavepeoplewithlifeinthem。” Carrie’scheekburnedwithacrimsonheat。Herlipstrembleda，little。 “Yes，sir，“shesaid。 Itwasthisconstanturging，coupledwithirascibilityand，energy，forthreelonghours。Carriecameawaywornenoughin，body，buttooexcitedinmindtonoticeit。Shemeanttogohome，andpractiseherevolutionsasprescribed。Shewouldnoterrin，anyway，ifshecouldhelpit。 WhenshereachedtheflatHurstwoodwasnotthere。Forawonder，hewasoutlookingforwork，asshesupposed。Shetookonlya，mouthfultoeatandthenpractisedon，sustainedbyvisionsof，freedomfromfinancialdistress——“Thesoundofgloryringingin，herears。” WhenHurstwoodreturnedhewasnotsoelatedaswhenhewent，away，andnowshewasobligedtodroppracticeandgetdinner。 Herewasanearlyirritation。Shewouldhaveherworkandthis。 Wasshegoingtoactandkeephouse？ “I’llnotdoit，“shesaid，“afterIgetstarted。Hecantake，hismealsout。” Eachdaythereafterbroughtitscares。Shefounditwasnotsuch，awonderfulthingtobeinthechorus，andshealsolearnedthat，hersalarywouldbetwelvedollarsaweek。Afterafewdaysshe，hadherfirstsightofthosehighandmighties——theleading，ladiesandgentlemen。Shesawthattheywereprivilegedand，deferredto。Shewasnothing——absolutelynothingatall。 AthomewasHurstwood，dailygivinghercauseforthought。He，seemedtogetnothingtodo，andyethemadeboldtoinquirehow，shewasgettingalong。Theregularitywithwhichhedidthis，smackedofsomeonewhowaswaitingtoliveuponherlabour。Now，thatshehadavisiblemeansofsupport，thisirritatedher。He，seemedtobedependinguponherlittletwelvedollars。 “Howareyougettingalong？”hewouldblandlyinquire。 “Oh，allright，“shewouldreply。 “Finditeasy？” “ItwillbeallrightwhenIgetusedtoit。” Hispaperwouldthenengrosshisthoughts。 “Igotsomelard，“hewouldadd，asanafterthought。”Ithought，maybeyoumightwanttomakesomebiscuit。” Thecalmsuggestionofthemanastonishedheralittle，especiallyinthelightofrecentdevelopments。Herdawning，independencegavehermorecouragetoobserve，andshefeltasif，shewantedtosaythings。Stillshecouldnottalktohimasshe，hadtoDrouet。Therewassomethingintheman’smannerofwhich，shehadalwaysstoodinawe。Heseemedtohavesomeinvisible，strengthinreserve。 Oneday，afterherfirstweek’srehearsal，whatsheexpectedcame，openlytothesurface。 “We’llhavetoberathersaving，“hesaid，layingdownsomemeat，hehadpurchased。”Youwon’tgetanymoneyforaweekorso，yet。” “No，“saidCarrie，whowasstirringapanatthestove。 “I’veonlygottherentandthirteendollarsmore，“headded。 “That’sit，“shesaidtoherself。”I’mtousemymoneynow。” Instantlysherememberedthatshehadhopedtobuyafewthings，forherself。Sheneededclothes。Herhatwasnotnice。 “Whatwilltwelvedollarsdotowardskeepingupthisflat？”she，thought。”Ican’tdoit。Whydoesn’thegetsomethingtodo？” Theimportantnightofthefirstrealperformancecame。Shedid，notsuggesttoHurstwoodthathecomeandsee。Hedidnotthink，ofgoing。Itwouldonlybemoneywasted。Shehadsuchasmall，part。 Theadvertisementswerealreadyinthepapers;thepostersupon，thebill-boards。Theleadingladyandmanymemberswerecited。 Carriewasnothing。 AsinChicago，shewasseizedwithstagefrightastheveryfirst，entranceoftheballetapproached，butlatersherecovered。The，apparentandpainfulinsignificanceoftheparttookfearaway，fromher。Shefeltthatshewassoobscureitdidnotmatter。 Fortunately，shedidnothavetoweartights。Agroupoftwelve，wereassignedprettygolden-huedskirtswhichcameonlytoaline，aboutaninchabovetheknee。Carriehappenedtobeoneofthe，twelve。 Instandingaboutthestage，marching，andoccasionallylifting，uphervoiceinthegeneralchorus，shehadachancetoobserve，theaudienceandtoseetheinaugurationofagreathit。There，wasplentyofapplause，butshecouldnothelpnotinghowpoorly，someofthewomenofallegedabilitydid。 “Icoulddobetterthanthat，“Carrieventuredtoherself，in，severalinstances。Todoherjustice，shewasright。 Afteritwasovershedressedquickly，andasthemanagerhad，scoldedsomeothersandpassedher，sheimaginedshemusthave，provedsatisfactory。Shewantedtogetoutquickly，becauseshe，knewbutfew，andthestarsweregossiping。Outsidewere，carriagesandsomecorrectyouthsinattractiveclothing，waiting。Carriesawthatshewasscannedclosely。Theflutter，ofaneyelashwouldhavebroughtheracompanion。Thatshedid，notgive。 Oneexperiencedyouthvolunteered，anyhow。 “Notgoinghomealone，areyou？”hesaid。 CarriemerelyhastenedherstepsandtooktheSixthAvenuecar。 Herheadwassofullofthewonderofitthatshehadtimefor，nothingelse。 “Didyouhearanymorefromthebrewery？”sheaskedattheendof，theweek，hopingbythequestiontostirhimontoaction。 “No，“heanswered，“they’renotquitereadyyet。Ithink，somethingwillcomeofthat，though。” Shesaidnothingmorethen，objectingtogivingupherownmoney，andyetfeelingthatsuchwouldhavetobethecase。Hurstwood，feltthecrisis，andartfullydecidedtoappealtoCarrie。He，hadlongsincerealisedhowgood-naturedshewas，howmuchshe，wouldstand。Therewassomelittleshameinhimatthethought，ofdoingso，buthejustifiedhimselfwiththethoughtthathe，reallywouldgetsomething。Rentdaygavehimhisopportunity。 “Well，“hesaid，ashecounteditout，“that’saboutthelastof，mymoney。I’llhavetogetsomethingprettysoon。” Carrielookedathimaskance，half-suspiciousofanappeal。 “IfIcouldonlyholdoutalittlelongerIthinkIcouldget，something。DrakeissuretoopenahotelhereinSeptember。” “Ishe？”saidCarrie，thinkingoftheshortmonththatstill，remaineduntilthattime。 “Wouldyoumindhelpingmeoutuntilthen？”hesaidappealingly。 “IthinkI’llbeallrightafterthattime。” “No，“saidCarrie，feelingsadlyhandicappedbyfate。 “Wecangetalongifweeconomise。I’llpayyoubackallright。” “Oh，I’llhelpyou，“saidCarrie，feelingquitehardheartedat，thusforcinghimtohumblyappeal，andyetherdesireforthe，benefitofherearningswrungafaintprotestfromher。 “Whydon’tyoutakeanything，George，temporarily？”shesaid。 “Whatdifferencedoesitmake？Maybe，afterawhile，you’llget，somethingbetter。” “Iwilltakeanything，“hesaid，relieved，andwincingunder，reproof。”I’djustasleavedigonthestreets。Nobodyknowsme，here。” “Oh，youneedn’tdothat，“saidCarrie，hurtbythepityofit。 “Buttheremustbeotherthings。” “I’llgetsomething！”hesaid，assumingdetermination。 Thenhewentbacktohispaper。 ChapterXXXIX OFLIGHTSANDOFSHADOWS——THEPARTINGOFWORLDS WhatHurstwoodgotastheresultofthisdeterminationwasmore，self-assurancethateachparticulardaywasnottheday。Atthe，sametime，Carriepassedthroughthirtydaysofmentaldistress。 Herneedofclothes——tosaynothingofherdesireforornaments—— grewrapidlyasthefactdevelopedthatforallherworkshewas，nottohavethem。ThesympathyshefeltforHurstwood，atthe，timeheaskedhertotidehimover，vanishedwiththesenewer，urgingsofdecency。Hewasnotalwaysrenewinghisrequest，but，thisloveofgoodappearancewas。Itinsisted，andCarriewished，tosatisfyit，wishedmoreandmorethatHurstwoodwasnotinthe，way。 Hurstwoodreasoned，whenhenearedthelasttendollars，thathe，hadbetterkeepalittlepocketchangeandnotbecomewholly，dependentforcar-fare，shaves，andthelike;sowhenthissum，wasstillinhishandheannouncedhimselfaspenniless。 “I’mclearout，“hesaidtoCarrieoneafternoon。”Ipaidfor，somecoalthismorning，andthattookallbuttenorfifteen，cents。” “I’vegotsomemoneythereinmypurse。” Hurstwoodwenttogetit，startingforacanoftomatoes。Carrie，scarcelynoticedthatthiswasthebeginningoftheneworder。 Hetookoutfifteencentsandboughtthecanwithit。Thereafter，itwasdribsanddrabsofthissort，untilonemorningCarrie，suddenlyrememberedthatshewouldnotbebackuntilcloseto，dinnertime。 “We’realloutofflour，“shesaid;“you’dbettergetsomethis，afternoon。Wehaven’tanymeat，either。Howwoulditdoifwe，hadliverandbacon？” “Suitsme，“saidHurstwood。 “Bettergetahalforthree-quartersofapoundofthat。” “Half’llbeenough，“volunteeredHurstwood。 Sheopenedherpurseandlaiddownahalfdollar。Hepretended，nottonoticeit。 Hurstwoodboughttheflour——whichallgrocerssoldin31/2-pound，packages——forthirteencentsandpaidfifteencentsforahalf- poundofliverandbacon。Heleftthepackages，togetherwith，thebalanceoftwenty-twocents，uponthekitchentable，where，Carriefoundit。Itdidnotescapeherthatthechangewas，accurate。Therewassomethingsadinrealisingthat，afterall，allthathewantedofherwassomethingtoeat。Shefeltasif，hardthoughtswereunjust。Maybehewouldgetsomethingyet。He，hadnovices。 Thatveryevening，however，ongoingintothetheatre，oneofthe，chorusgirlspassedherallnewlyarrayedinaprettymottled，tweedsuit，whichtookCarrie’seye。Theyoungwomanworeafine，bunchofvioletsandseemedinhighspirits。Shesmiledat，Carriegood-naturedlyasshepassed，showingpretty，eventeeth，andCarriesmiledback。 “Shecanaffordtodresswell，“thoughtCarrie，“andsocouldI，ifIcouldonlykeepmymoney。Ihaven’tadecenttieofany，kindtowear。” Sheputoutherfootandlookedathershoereflectively。 “I’llgetapairofshoesSaturday，anyhow;Idon’tcarewhat，happens。” Oneofthesweetestandmostsympatheticlittlechorusgirlsin，thecompanymadefriendswithherbecauseinCarrieshefound，nothingtofrightenheraway。ShewasagaylittleManon，unwittingofsociety’sfierceconceptionofmorality，but，nevertheless，goodtoherneighbourandcharitable。Little，licensewasallowedthechorusinthematterofconversation，but，nevertheless，somewasindulgedin。 “It’swarmto-night，isn’tit？”saidthisgirl，arrayedinpink，fleshingsandanimitationgoldenhelmet。Shealsocarrieda，shiningshield。 “Yes;itis，“saidCarrie，pleasedthatsomeoneshouldtalkto，her。 “I’malmostroasting，“saidthegirl。 Carrielookedintoherprettyface，withitslargeblueeyes，and，sawlittlebeadsofmoisture。 “There’smoremarchinginthisoperathaneverIdidbefore，“ addedthegirl。 “Haveyoubeeninothers？”askedCarrie，surprisedather，experience。 “Lotsofthem，“saidthegirl;“haven’tyou？” “Thisismyfirstexperience。” “Oh，isit？IthoughtIsawyouthetimetheyran’TheQueen’s，Mate’here。” “No，“saidCarrie，shakingherhead;“notme。” Thisconversationwasinterruptedbytheblareoftheorchestra，andthesputteringofthecalciumlightsinthewingsastheline，wascalledtoformforanewentrance。Nofurtheropportunity，forconversationoccurred，butthenextevening，whentheywere，gettingreadyforthestage，thisgirlappearedanewatherside。 “Theysaythisshowisgoingontheroadnextmonth。” “Isit？”saidCarrie。 “Yes;doyouthinkyou’llgo？” “Idon’tknow;Iguessso，ifthey’lltakeme。” “Oh，they’lltakeyou。Iwouldn’tgo。Theywon’tgiveyouany，more，anditwillcostyoueverythingyoumaketolive。Inever，leaveNewYork。Therearetoomanyshowsgoingonhere。” “Canyoualwaysgetinanothershow？” “Ialwayshave。There’sonegoingonupattheBroadwaythis，month。I’mgoingtotryandgetinthatifthisonereally，goes。” Carrieheardthiswitharousedintelligence。Evidentlyitwasn’t，soverydifficulttogeton。Maybeshealsocouldgetaplaceif，thisshowwentaway。 “Dotheyallpayaboutthesame？”sheasked。 “Yes。Sometimesyougetalittlemore。Thisshowdoesn’tpay，verymuch。” “Igettwelve，“saidCarrie。 “Doyou？”saidthegirl。”Theypaymefifteen，andyoudomore，workthanIdo。Iwouldn’tstanditifIwereyou。They’rejust，givingyoulessbecausetheythinkyoudon’tknow。Yououghtto，bemakingfifteen。” “Well，I’mnot，“saidCarrie。 “Well，you’llgetmoreatthenextplaceifyouwantit，“wenton，thegirl，whoadmiredCarrieverymuch。”Youdofine，andthe，managerknowsit。” Tosaythetruth，Carriedidunconsciouslymoveaboutwithanair，pleasingandsomewhatdistinctive。Itwasduewhollytoher，naturalmannerandtotallackofself-consciousness。 “DoyousupposeIcouldgetmoreupattheBroadway？” “Ofcourseyoucan，“answeredthegirl。”YoucomewithmewhenI go。I’lldothetalking。” Carrieheardthis，flushingwiththankfulness。Shelikedthis，littlegaslightsoldier。Sheseemedsoexperiencedandself- reliantinhertinselhelmetandmilitaryaccoutrements。 “MyfuturemustbeassuredifIcanalwaysgetworkthisway，“ thoughtCarrie。 Still，inthemorning，whenherhouseholddutieswouldinfringe，uponherandHurstwoodsatthere，aperfectloadtocontemplate，herfateseemeddismalandunrelieved。Itdidnottakesovery，muchtofeedthemunderHurstwood’sclose-measuredbuying，and，therewouldpossiblybeenoughforrent，butitleftnothing，else。Carrieboughttheshoesandsomeotherthings，which，complicatedtherentproblemveryseriously。Suddenly，aweek，fromthefatalday，Carrierealisedthattheyweregoingtorun，short。 “Idon’tbelieve，“sheexclaimed，lookingintoherpurseat，breakfast，“thatI’llhaveenoughtopaytherent。” “Howmuchhaveyou？”inquiredHurstwood。 “Well，I’vegottwenty-twodollars，butthere’severythingtobe，paidforthisweekyet，andifIuseallIgetSaturdaytopay，this，therewon’tbeanyleftfornextweek。Doyouthinkyour，hotelmanwillopenhishotelthismonth？” “Ithinkso，“returnedHurstwood。”Hesaidhewould。” Afterawhile，Hurstwoodsaid： “Don’tworryaboutit。Maybethegrocerwillwait。Hecando，that。We’vetradedtherelongenoughtomakehimtrustusfora，weekortwo。” “Doyouthinkhewill？”sheasked。 “Ithinkso。” Onthisaccount，Hurstwood，thisveryday，lookedgrocerOeslogge，clearlyintheeyeasheorderedapoundofcoffee，andsaid： “Doyoumindcarryingmyaccountuntiltheendofeveryweek？” “No，no，Mr。Wheeler，“saidMr。Oeslogge。”Datissallright。” Hurstwood，stilltactfulindistress，addednothingtothis。It，seemedaneasything。Helookedoutofthedoor，andthen，gathereduphiscoffeewhenreadyandcameaway。Thegameofa，desperatemanhadbegun。 Rentwaspaid，andnowcamethegrocer。Hurstwoodmanagedby，payingoutofhisowntenandcollectingfromCarrieattheend，oftheweek。Thenhedelayedadaynexttimesettlingwiththe，grocer，andsosoonhadhistenback，withOesloggegettinghis，payonthisThursdayorFridayforlastSaturday’sbill。 ThisentanglementmadeCarrieanxiousforachangeofsomesort。 Hurstwooddidnotseemtorealisethatshehadarightto，anything。Heschemedtomakewhatsheearnedcoverallexpenses，butseemednottotroubleoveraddinganythinghimself。 “Hetalksaboutworrying，“thoughtCarrie。”Ifheworriedenough，hecouldn’tsitthereandwaitforme。He’dgetsomethingtodo。 Nomancouldgosevenmonthswithoutfindingsomethingifhe，tried。” Thesightofhimalwaysaroundinhisuntidyclothesandgloomy，appearancedroveCarrietoseekreliefinotherplaces。Twicea，weektherewerematinees，andthenHurstwoodateacoldsnack，whichhepreparedhimself。Twootherdaystherewererehearsals，beginningatteninthemorningandlastingusuallyuntilone。 Now，tothisCarrieaddedafewvisitstooneortwochorus，girls，includingtheblue-eyedsoldierofthegoldenhelmet。She，diditbecauseitwaspleasantandarelieffromdulnessofthe，homeoverwhichherhusbandbrooded。 Theblue-eyedsoldier’snamewasOsborne——LolaOsborne。Herroom，wasinNineteenthStreetnearFourthAvenue，ablocknowgivenup，whollytoofficebuildings。Hereshehadacomfortableback，room，lookingoveracollectionofbackyardsinwhichgrewa，numberofshadetreespleasanttosee。 “Isn’tyourhomeinNewYork？”sheaskedofLolaoneday。 “Yes;butIcan’tgetalongwithmypeople。Theyalwayswantme，todowhattheywant。Doyoulivehere？” “Yes，“saidCarrie。 “Withyourfamily？” Carriewasashamedtosaythatshewasmarried。Shehadtalked，somuchaboutgettingmoresalaryandconfessedtosomuch，anxietyaboutherfuture，thatnow，whenthedirectquestionof，factwaswaiting，shecouldnottellthisgirl。 “Withsomerelatives，“sheanswered。 MissOsbornetookitforgrantedthat，likeherself，Carrie’s，timewasherown。Sheinvariablyaskedhertostay，proposing，littleoutingsandotherthingsofthatsortuntilCarriebegan，neglectingherdinnerhours。Hurstwoodnoticedit，butfeltin，nopositiontoquarrelwithher。Severaltimesshecamesolate，asscarcelytohaveanhourinwhichtopatchupamealandstart，forthetheatre。 “Doyourehearseintheafternoons？”Hurstwoodonceasked，concealingalmostcompletelythecynicalprotestandregretwhich，promptedit。 “No;Iwaslookingaroundforanotherplace，“saidCarrie。 Asamatteroffactshewas，butonlyinsuchawayasfurnished，theleaststrawofanexcuse。MissOsborneandshehadgoneto，theofficeofthemanagerwhowastoproducethenewoperaatthe，Broadwayandreturnedstraighttotheformer’sroom，wherethey，hadbeensincethreeo’clock。 Carriefeltthisquestiontobeaninfringementonherliberty。 Shedidnottakeintoaccounthowmuchlibertyshewassecuring。 Onlythelateststep，thenewestfreedom，mustnotbequestioned。 Hurstwoodsawitallclearlyenough。Hewasshrewdafterhis，kind，andyettherewasenoughdecencyinthemantostophim，frommakinganyeffectualprotest。Inhisalmostinexplicable，apathyhewascontenttodroopsupinelywhileCarriedriftedout，ofhislife，justashewaswillingsupinelytoseeopportunity，passbeyondhiscontrol。Hecouldnothelpclingingand，protestinginamild，irritating，andineffectualway，however——a，waythatsimplywidenedthebreachbyslowdegrees。 Afurtherenlargementofthischasmbetweenthemcamewhenthe，manager，lookingbetweenthewingsuponthebrightlylighted，stagewherethechoruswasgoingthroughsomeofitsglittering，evolutions，saidtothemasteroftheballet： “Whoisthatfourthgirlthereontheright——theonecominground，attheendnow？” “Oh，“saidtheballet-master，“that’sMissMadenda。” “She’sgoodlooking。Whydon’tyouletherheadthatline？” “Iwill，“saidtheman。 “Justdothat。She’lllookbettertherethanthewomanyou’ve，got。” “Allright。Iwilldothat，“saidthemaster。 ThenexteveningCarriewascalledout，muchasifforanerror。 “Youleadyourcompanytonight，“saidthemaster。 “Yes，sir，“saidCarrie。 “Putsnapintoit，“headded。”Wemusthavesnap。” “Yes，sir，“repliedCarrie。 Astonishedatthischange，shethoughtthattheheretoforeleader，mustbeill;butwhenshesawherintheline，withadistinct，expressionofsomethingunfavourableinhereye，shebeganto，thinkthatperhapsitwasmerit。 Shehadachicwayoftossingherheadtooneside，andholding，herarmsasifforaction——notlistlessly。Infrontoftheline，thisshowedupevenmoreeffectually。 “Thatgirlknowshowtocarryherself，“saidthemanager，another，evening。Hebegantothinkthatheshouldliketotalkwithher。 Ifhehadn’tmadeitaruletohavenothingtodowiththe，membersofthechorus，hewouldhaveapproachedhermost，unbendingly。 “Putthatgirlattheheadofthewhitecolumn，“hesuggestedto，themaninchargeoftheballet。 Thiswhitecolumnconsistedofsometwentygirls，allinsnow- whiteflanneltrimmedwithsilverandblue。Itsleaderwasmost，stunninglyarrayedinthesamecolours，elaborated，however，with，epauletsandabeltofsilver，withashortsworddanglingatone，side。Carriewasfittedforthiscostume，andafewdayslater，appeared，proudofhernewlaurels。Shewasespeciallygratified，tofindthathersalarywasnoweighteeninsteadoftwelve。 Hurstwoodheardnothingaboutthis。 “I’llnotgivehimtherestofmymoney，“saidCarrie。”Ido，enough。Iamgoingtogetmesomethingtowear。” Asamatteroffact，duringthissecondmonthshehadbeenbuying，forherselfasrecklesslyasshedared，regardlessofthe，consequences。Therewereimpendingmorecomplicationsrentday，andmoreextensionofthecreditsystemintheneighbourhood。 Now，however，sheproposedtodobetterbyherself。 Herfirstmovewastobuyashirtwaist，andinstudyingthese，shefoundhowlittlehermoneywouldbuy——howmuch，ifshecould，onlyuseall。Sheforgotthatifshewerealoneshewouldhave，topayforaroomandboard，andimaginedthateverycentofher，eighteencouldbespentforclothesandthingsthatsheliked。 Atlastshepickeduponsomething，whichnotonlyusedupallher，surplusabovetwelve，butinvadedthatsum。Sheknewshewas，goingtoofar，butherfeminineloveoffineryprevailed。The，nextdayHurstwoodsaid： “Weowethegrocerfivedollarsandfortycentsthisweek。” “Dowe？”saidCarrie，frowningalittle。 Shelookedinherpursetoleaveit。 “I’veonlygoteightdollarsandtwentycentsaltogether。” “Weowethemilkmansixtycents，“addedHurstwood。 “Yes，andthere’sthecoalman，“saidCarrie。 Hurstwoodsaidnothing。Hehadseenthenewthingsshewas，buying;thewayshewasneglectinghouseholdduties;the，readinesswithwhichshewasslippingoutafternoonsandstaying。 Hefeltthatsomethingwasgoingtohappen。Allatonceshe，spoke： “Idon’tknow，“shesaid;“Ican’tdoitall。Idon’tearn，enough。” Thiswasadirectchallenge。Hurstwoodhadtotakeitup。He，triedtobecalm。 “Idon’twantyoutodoitall，“hesaid。”Ionlywantalittle，helpuntilIcangetsomethingtodo。” “Oh，yes，“answeredCarrie。”That’salwaystheway。Ittakes，morethanIcanearntopayforthings。Idon’tseewhatI’m，goingtodo。 “Well，I’vetriedtogetsomething，“heexclaimed。Whatdoyou，wantmetodo？” “Youcouldn’thavetriedsoveryhard，“saidCarrie。”Igot，something。” “Well，Idid，“hesaid，angeredalmosttoharshwords。”You，needn’tthrowupyoursuccesstome。AllIaskedwasalittle，helpuntilIcouldgetsomething。I’mnotdownyet。I’llcome，upallright。” Hetriedtospeaksteadily，buthisvoicetrembledalittle。 Carrie’sangermeltedontheinstant。Shefeltashamed。 “Well，“shesaid，“here’sthemoney，“andemptieditoutonthe，table。”Ihaven’tgotquiteenoughtopayitall。Iftheycan，waituntilSaturday，though，I’llhavesomemore。” “Youkeepit，“saidHurstwoodsadly。”Ionlywantenoughtopay，thegrocer。” Sheputitback，andproceededtogetdinnerearlyandingood，time。Herlittlebravadomadeherfeelasifsheoughttomake，amends。 Inalittlewhiletheiroldthoughtsreturnedtoboth。 “She’smakingmorethanshesays，“thoughtHurstwood。”Shesays，she’smakingtwelve，butthatwouldn’tbuyallthosethings。I don’tcare。Letherkeephermoney。I’llgetsomethingagain，oneofthesedays。Thenshecangotothedeuce。” Heonlysaidthisinhisanger，butitprefiguredapossible，courseofactionandattitudewellenough。 “Idon’tcare，“thoughtCarrie。”Heoughttobetoldtogetout，anddosomething。Itisn’trightthatIshouldsupporthim。” InthesedaysCarriewasintroducedtoseveralyouths，friendsof，MissOsborne，whowereofthekindmostaptlydescribedasgay，andfestive。TheycalledoncetogetMissOsborneforan，afternoondrive。Carriewaswithheratthetime。 “Comeandgoalong，“saidLola。 “No，Ican’t，“saidCarrie。 “Oh，yes，comeandgo。Whathaveyougottodo？” “Ihavetobehomebyfive，“saidCarrie。 “Whatfor？” “Oh，dinner。” “They’lltakeustodinner，“saidLola。 “Oh，no，“saidCarrie。”Iwon’tgo。Ican’t。” “Oh，docome。They’reawfulniceboys。We’llgetyoubackin，time。We’reonlygoingforadriveinCentralPark。” Carriethoughtawhile，andatlastyielded。 “Now，Imustbebackbyhalf-pastfour，“shesaid。 TheinformationwentinoneearofLolaandouttheother。 AfterDrouetandHurstwood，therewastheleasttouchofcynicism，inherattitudetowardyoungmen——especiallyofthegayand，frivoloussort。Shefeltalittleolderthanthey。Someof，theirprettycomplimentsseemedsilly。Still，shewasyoungin，heartandbodyandyouthappealedtoher。 “Oh，we’llberightback，MissMadenda，“saidoneofthechaps，bowing。”Youwouldn’tthinkwe’dkeepyouovertime，now，would，you？” “Well，Idon’tknow，“saidCarrie，smiling。 Theywereoffforadrive——she，lookingaboutandnoticingfine，clothing，theyoungmenvoicingthosesillypleasantriesandweak，quipswhichpassforhumourincoycircles。Carriesawthegreat，parkparadeofcarriages，beginningattheFifty-ninthStreet，entranceandwindingpasttheMuseumofArttotheexitatOne，HundredandTenthStreetandSeventhAvenue。Hereyewasonce，moretakenbytheshowofwealth——theelaboratecostumes，elegant，harnesses，spiritedhorses，and，aboveall，thebeauty。Once，moretheplagueofpovertygalledher，butnowsheforgotina，measureherowntroublessofarastoforgetHurstwood。He，waiteduntilfour，five，andevensix。Itwasgettingdarkwhen，hegotupoutofhischair。 “Iguesssheisn’tcominghome，“hesaid，grimly。 “That’stheway，“hethought。”She’sgettingastartnow。I’m，outofit。” Carriehadreallydiscoveredherneglect，butonlyataquarter，afterfive，andtheopencarriagewasnowfarupSeventhAvenue，neartheHarlemRiver。 “Whattimeisit？”sheinquired。”Imustbegettingback。” “Aquarterafterfive，“saidhercompanion，consultingan，elegant，open-facedwatch。 “Oh，dearme！”exclaimedCarrie。Thenshesettledbackwitha，sigh。”There’snousecryingoverspiltmilk，“shesaid。”It’s，toolate。” “Ofcourseitis，“saidtheyouth，whosawvisionsofafine，dinnernow，andsuchinvigoratingtalkaswouldresultina，reunionaftertheshow。HewasgreatlytakenwithCarrie。 “We’lldrivedowntoDelmonico’snowandhavesomethingthere，won’twe，Orrin？” “Tobesure，“repliedOrrin，gaily。 CarriethoughtofHurstwood。Neverbeforehadsheneglected，dinnerwithoutanexcuse。 Theydroveback，andat6。15satdowntodine。ItwastheSherry，incidentoveragain，theremembranceofwhichcamepainfullyback，toCarrie。SherememberedMrs。Vance，whohadnevercalledagain，afterHurstwood’sreception，andAmes。 Atthisfigurehermindhalted。Itwasastrong，cleanvision。 Helikedbetterbooksthansheread，betterpeoplethanshe，associatedwith。Hisidealsburnedinherheart。 “It’sfinetobeagoodactress，“camedistinctlyback。 Whatsortofanactresswasshe？ “Whatareyouthinkingabout，MissMadenda？”inquiredhermerry，companion。”Come，now，let’sseeifIcanguess。” “Oh，no，“saidCarrie。”Don’ttry。” Sheshookitoffandate。Sheforgot，inpart，andwasmerry。 Whenitcametotheafter-theatreproposition，however，sheshook，herhead。 “No，“shesaid，“Ican’t。Ihaveapreviousengagement。” “Oh，now，MissMadenda，“pleadedtheyouth。 “No，“saidCarrie，“Ican’t。You’vebeensokind，butyou’ll，havetoexcuseme。” Theyouthlookedexceedinglycrestfallen。 “Cheerup，oldman，“whisperedhiscompanion。”We’llgoaround，anyhow。Shemaychangehermind。” ChapterXL APUBLICDISSENSION——AFINALAPPEAL Therewasnoafter-theatrelark，however，sofarasCarriewas，concerned。Shemadeherwayhomeward，thinkingabouther，absence。Hurstwoodwasasleep，butrouseduptolookasshe，passedthroughtoherownbed。 “Isthatyou？”hesaid。 “Yes，“sheanswered。 Thenextmorningatbreakfastshefeltlikeapologising。 “Icouldn’tgethomelastevening，“shesaid。 “Ah，Carrie，“heanswered，“what’stheusesayingthat？Idon’t，care。Youneedn’ttellmethat，though。” “Icouldn’t，“saidCarrie，hercolourrising。Then，seeingthat，helookedasifhesaid“Iknow，“sheexclaimed：“Oh，allright。 Idon’tcare。” Fromnowon，herindifferencetotheflatwasevengreater。 Thereseemednocommongroundonwhichtheycouldtalktoone，another。Sheletherselfbeaskedforexpenses。Itbecameso，withhimthathehatedtodoit。Hepreferredstandingoffthe，butcherandbaker。Heranupagrocerybillofsixteendollars，withOeslogge，layinginasupplyofstaplearticles，sothat，theywouldnothavetobuyanyofthosethingsforsometimeto，come。Thenhechangedhisgrocery。Itwasthesamewiththe，butcherandseveralothers。Carrieneverheardanythingofthis，directlyfromhim。 Heaskedforsuchashecouldexpect，driftingfartherand，fartherintoasituationwhichcouldhavebutoneending。 Inthisfashion，Septemberwentby。 “Isn’tMr。Drakegoingtoopenhishotel？”Carrieaskedseveral，times。 “Yes。Hewon’tdoitbeforeOctober，though，now。” Carriebecamedisgusted。”Suchaman，“shesaidtoherself，frequently。Moreandmoreshevisited。Sheputmostofher，sparemoneyinclothes，which，afterall，wasnotanastonishing，amount。Atlasttheoperashewaswithannounceditsdeparture，withinfourweeks。”LasttwoweeksoftheGreatComicOpera，success——The——，“etc。wasuponallbillboardsandin，thenewspapers，beforesheacted。 “I’mnotgoingoutontheroad，“saidMissOsborne。 Carriewentwithhertoapplytoanothermanager。 “Everhadanyexperience？”wasoneofhisquestions。 “I’mwiththecompanyattheCasinonow。” “Oh，youare？”hesaid。 Theendofthiswasanotherengagementattwentyperweek。 Carriewasdelighted。Shebegantofeelthatshehadaplacein，theworld。Peoplerecognisedability。 Sochangedwasherstatethatthehomeatmospherebecame，intolerable。Itwasallpovertyandtroublethere，orseemedto，be，becauseitwasaloadtobear。Itbecameaplacetokeep，awayfrom。Stillshesleptthere，anddidafairamountofwork，keepingitinorder。ItwasasittingplaceforHurstwood。He，satandrocked，rockedandread，envelopedinthegloomofhis，ownfate。Octoberwentby，andNovember。Itwasthedeadof，winteralmostbeforeheknewit，andtherehesat。 Carriewasdoingbetter，thatheknew。Herclotheswereimproved，now，evenfine。Hesawhercomingandgoing，sometimespicturing，tohimselfherrise。Littleeatinghadthinnedhimsomewhat。He，hadnoappetite。Hisclothes，too，wereapoorman’sclothes。 Talkaboutgettingsomethinghadbecomeeventoothreadbareand，ridiculousforhim。Sohefoldedhishandsandwaited——forwhat，hecouldnotanticipate。 Atlast，however，troublesbecametoothick。Thehoundingof，creditors，theindifferenceofCarrie，thesilenceoftheflat，andpresenceofwinter，alljoinedtoproduceaclimax。Itwas，effectedbythearrivalofOeslogge，personally，whenCarriewas，there。 “Icallaboutmybill，“saidMr。Oeslogge。 Carriewasonlyfaintlysurprised。 “Howmuchisit？”sheasked。 “Sixteendollars，“hereplied。 “Oh，thatmuch？”saidCarrie。”Isthisright？”sheasked，turningtoHurstwood。 “Yes，“hesaid。 “Well，Ineverheardanythingaboutit。” Shelookedasifshethoughthehadbeencontractingsome，needlessexpense。 “Well，wehaditallright，“heanswered。Thenhewenttothe，door。”Ican’tpayyouanythingonthatto-day，“hesaid，mildly。 “Well，whencanyou？”saidthegrocer。 “NotbeforeSaturday，anyhow，“saidHurstwood。 “Huh！”returnedthegrocer。”Thisisfine。Imusthavethat。I needthemoney。” Carriewasstandingfartherbackintheroom，hearingitall。 Shewasgreatlydistressed。Itwassobadandcommonplace。 Hurstwoodwasannoyedalso。 “Well，“hesaid，“there’snousetalkingaboutitnow。Ifyou’ll，comeinSaturday，I’llpayyousomethingonit。” Thegrocerymanwentaway。 “Howarewegoingtopayit？”askedCarrie，astonishedbythe，bill。”Ican’tdoit。” “Well，youdon’thaveto，“hesaid。”Hecan’tgetwhathecan’t，get。He’llhavetowait。” “Idon’tseehowweranupsuchabillasthat，“saidCarrie。 “Well，weateit，“saidHurstwood。 “It’sfunny，“shereplied，stilldoubting。 “What’stheuseofyourstandingthereandtalkinglikethat，now？”heasked。”DoyouthinkI’vehaditalone？Youtalkasif，I’dtakensomething。” “Well，it’stoomuch，anyhow，“saidCarrie。”Ioughtn’ttobe，madetopayforit。I’vegotmorethanIcanpayfornow。” “Allright，“repliedHurstwood，sittingdowninsilence。Hewas，sickofthegrindofthisthing。 Carriewentoutandtherehesat，determiningtodosomething。 Therehadbeenappearinginthepapersaboutthistimerumours，andnoticesofanapproachingstrikeonthetrolleylinesin，Brooklyn。Therewasgeneraldissatisfactionastothehoursof，labourrequiredandthewagespaid。Asusual——andforsome，inexplicablereason——themenchosethewinterfortheforcingof，thehandoftheiremployersandthesettlementoftheir，difficulties。 Hurstwoodhadbeenreadingofthisthing，andwondering，concerningthehugetie-upwhichwouldfollow。Adayortwo，beforethistroublewithCarrie，itcame。Onacoldafternoon，wheneverythingwasgreyanditthreatenedtosnow，thepapers，announcedthatthemenhadbeencalledoutonallthelines。 Beingsoutterlyidle，andhismindfilledwiththenumerous，predictionswhichhadbeenmadeconcerningthescarcityoflabour，thiswinterandthepanickystateofthefinancialmarket，Hurstwoodreadthiswithinterest。Henotedtheclaimsofthe，strikingmotormenandconductors，whosaidthattheyhadbeen，wonttoreceivetwodollarsadayintimespast，butthatfora，yearormore“trippers“hadbeenintroduced，whichcutdowntheir，chanceoflivelihoodone-half，andincreasedtheirhoursof，servitudefromtentotwelve，andevenfourteen。These，“trippers“weremenputonduringthebusyandrushhours，to，takeacaroutforonetrip。Thecompensationpaidforsucha，tripwasonlytwenty-fivecents。Whentherushorbusyhours，wereover，theywerelaidoff。Worstofall，nomanmightknow，whenhewasgoingtogetacar。Hemustcometothebarnsinthe，morningandwaitaroundinfairandfoulweatheruntilsuchtime，ashewasneeded。Twotripswereanaveragerewardforsomuch，waiting——alittleoverthreehours’workforfiftycents。The，workofwaitingwasnotcounted。 Themencomplainedthatthissystemwasextending，andthatthe，timewasnotfaroffwhenbutafewoutof7，000employeeswould，haveregulartwo-dollar-a-dayworkatall。Theydemandedthat，thesystembeabolished，andthattenhoursbeconsideredaday’s，work，barringunavoidabledelays，with$2。25pay。Theydemanded，immediateacceptanceoftheseterms，whichthevarioustrolley，companiesrefused。 Hurstwoodatfirstsympathisedwiththedemandsofthesemen—— indeed，itisaquestionwhetherhedidnotalwayssympathise，withthemtotheend，beliehimashisactionsmight。Reading，nearlyallthenews，hewasattractedfirstbythescare-heads，withwhichthetroublewasnotedinthe“World。”Hereadit，fully——thenamesofthesevencompaniesinvolved，thenumberof，men。 “They’refoolishtostrikeinthissortofweather，“hethought，tohimself。”Let’emwiniftheycan，though。” Thenextdaytherewasevenalargernoticeofit。”Brooklynites，Walk，“saidthe“World。”“KnightsofLabourTieuptheTrolley，LinesAcrosstheBridge。”“AboutSevenThousandMenOut。” Hurstwoodreadthis，formulatingtohimselfhisownideaofwhat，wouldbetheoutcome。Hewasagreatbelieverinthestrengthof，corporations。 “Theycan’twin，“hesaid，concerningthemen。”Theyhaven’tany，money。Thepolicewillprotectthecompanies。They’vegotto。 Thepublichastohaveitscars。” Hedidn’tsympathisewiththecorporations，butstrengthwaswith，them。Sowaspropertyandpublicutility。 “Thosefellowscan’twin，“hethought。 Amongotherthings，henoticedacircularissuedbyoneofthe，companies，whichread： ATLANTICAVENUERAILROAD SPECIALNOTICE Themotormenandconductorsandotheremployeesofthiscompany，havingabruptlyleftitsservice，anopportunityisnowgivento，allloyalmenwhohavestruckagainsttheirwilltobe，reinstated，providingtheywillmaketheirapplicationsbytwelve，o’clocknoononWednesday，January16th。Suchmenwillbegiven，employment(withguaranteedprotection)intheorderinwhich，suchapplicationsarereceived，andrunsandpositionsassigned，themaccordingly。Otherwise，theywillbeconsidereddischarged，andeveryvacancywillbefilledbyanewmanassoonashis，servicescanbesecured。 (Signed) BenjaminNorton，President，Healsonotedamongthewantads。onewhichread： WANTED——50skilledmotormen，accustomedtoWestinghousesystem，torunU。S。mailcarsonly，intheCityofBrooklyn;protection，guaranteed。 Henotedparticularlyineachthe“protectionguaranteed。”It，signifiedtohimtheunassailablepowerofthecompanies。 “They’vegotthemilitiaontheirside，“hethought。”There，isn’tanythingthosemencando。” Whilethiswasstillinhismind，theincidentwithOesloggeand，Carrieoccurred。Therehadbeenagooddealtoirritatehim，but，thisseemedmuchtheworst。Neverbeforehadsheaccusedhimof，stealing——orverynearthat。Shedoubtedthenaturalnessofso，largeabill。Andhehadworkedsohardtomakeexpensesseem，light。Hehadbeen“doing“butcherandbakerinordernotto，callonher。Hehadeatenverylittle——almostnothing。 “Damnitall！”hesaid。”Icangetsomething。I’mnotdown，yet。” Hethoughtthathereallymustdosomethingnow。Itwastoo，cheaptositaroundaftersuchaninsinuationasthis。Why，afteralittle，hewouldbestandinganything。 Hegotupandlookedoutthewindowintothechillystreet。It，camegraduallyintohismind，ashestoodthere，togoto，Brooklyn。 “Whynot？”hismindsaid。”Anyonecangetworkoverthere。 You’llgettwoaday。” “Howaboutaccidents？”saidavoice。”Youmightgethurt。” “Oh，therewon’tbemuchofthat，“heanswered。”They’vecalled，outthepolice。Anyonewhowantstorunacarwillbeprotected，allright。” “Youdon’tknowhowtorunacar，“rejoinedthevoice。 “Iwon’tapplyasamotorman，“heanswered。”Icanringupfares，allright。” “They’llwantmotormen，mostly。” “They’lltakeanybody;thatIknow。” Forseveralhourshearguedproandconwiththismental，counsellor，feelingnoneedtoactatonceinamattersosureof，profit。 Inthemorningheputonhisbestclothes，whichwerepoor，enough，andbeganstirringabout，puttingsomebreadandmeat，intoapageofanewspaper。Carriewatchedhim，interestedin，thisnewmove。 “Whereareyougoing？”sheasked。 “OvertoBrooklyn，“heanswered。Then，seeingherstill，inquisitive，headded：“IthinkIcangetonoverthere。” “Onthetrolleylines？”saidCarrie，astonished。 “Yes，“herejoined。 “Aren’tyouafraid？”sheasked。 “Whatof？”heanswered。”Thepoliceareprotectingthem。” “Thepapersaidfourmenwerehurtyesterday。” “Yes，“hereturned;“butyoucan’tgobywhatthepaperssay。 They’llrunthecarsallright。” Helookedratherdeterminednow，inadesolatesortofway，and，Carriefeltverysorry。SomethingoftheoldHurstwoodwashere—— theleastshadowofwhatwasonceshrewdandpleasantstrength。 Outside，itwascloudyandblowingafewflakesofsnow。 “Whatadaytogooverthere，“thoughtCarrie。 Nowheleftbeforeshedid，whichwasaremarkablething，and，trampedeastwardtoFourteenthStreetandSixthAvenue，wherehe，tookthecar。Hehadreadthatscoresofapplicantswere，applyingattheofficeoftheBrooklynCityRailroadbuildingand，werebeingreceived。Hemadehiswaytherebyhorse-carand，ferry——adark，silentman——totheofficesinquestion。Itwasa，longway，fornocarswererunning，andthedaywascold;buthe，trudgedalonggrimly。OnceinBrooklyn，hecouldclearlyseeand，feelthatastrikewason。Peopleshoweditintheirmanner。 Alongtheroutesofcertaintracksnotacarwasrunning。About，certaincornersandnearbysaloonssmallgroupsofmenwere，lounging。Severalspringwagonspassedhim，equippedwithplain，woodenchairs，andlabelled“Flatbush“or“ProspectPark。Fare，TenCents。”Henoticedcoldandevengloomyfaces。Labourwas，havingitslittlewar。 Whenhecameneartheofficeinquestion，hesawafewmen，standingabout，andsomepolicemen。Onthefarcornerswere，othermen——whomhetooktobestrikers——watching。Allthehouses，weresmallandwooden，thestreetspoorlypaved。AfterNewYork，Brooklynlookedactuallypoorandhard-up。 Hemadehiswayintotheheartofthesmallgroup，eyedby，policemenandthemenalreadythere。Oneoftheofficers，addressedhim。 “Whatareyoulookingfor？” “IwanttoseeifIcangetaplace。” “Theofficesareupthosesteps，“saidthebluecoat。Hisface，wasaveryneutralthingtocontemplate。Inhisheartofhearts，hesympathisedwiththestrikersandhatedthis“scab。”Inhis，heartofhearts，also，hefeltthedignityanduseofthepolice，force，whichcommandedorder。Ofitstruesocialsignificance，heneveroncedreamed。Hiswasnotthemindforthat。Thetwo，feelingsblendedinhim——neutralisedoneanotherandhim。He，wouldhavefoughtforthismanasdeterminedlyasforhimself，andyetonlysofarascommanded。Striphimofhisuniform，and，hewouldhavesoonpickedhisside。 Hurstwoodascendedadustyflightofstepsandenteredasmall，dust-colouredoffice，inwhichwerearailing，alongdesk，and，severalclerks。 “Well，sir？”saidamiddle-agedman，lookingupathimfromthe，longdesk。 “Doyouwanttohireanymen？”inquiredHurstwood。 “Whatareyou——amotorman？” “No;I’mnotanything，“saidHurstwood。 Hewasnotatallabashedbyhisposition。Heknewthesepeople，neededmen。Ifonedidn’ttakehim，anotherwould。Thisman，couldtakehimorleavehim，justashechose。 “Well，wepreferexperiencedmen，ofcourse，“saidtheman。He，paused，whileHurstwoodsmiledindifferently。Thenheadded： “Still，Iguessyoucanlearn。Whatisyourname？” “Wheeler，“saidHurstwood。 Themanwroteanorderonasmallcard。”Takethattoour，barns，“hesaid，“andgiveittotheforeman。He’llshowyou，whattodo。” Hurstwoodwentdownandout。Hewalkedstraightawayinthe，directionindicated，whilethepolicemenlookedafter。 “There’sanotherwantstotryit，“saidOfficerKielytoOfficer，Macey。 “Ihavemymindhe’llgethisfill，“returnedthelatter，quietly。Theyhadbeeninstrikesbefore。 ChapterXLI THESTRIKE ThebarnatwhichHurstwoodappliedwasexceedinglyshort-handed，andwasbeingoperatedpracticallybythreemenasdirectors。 Therewerealotofgreenhandsaround——queer，hungry-looking，men，wholookedasifwanthaddriventhemtodesperatemeans。 Theytriedtobelivelyandwilling，buttherewasanairof，hang-dogdiffidenceabouttheplace。 Hurstwoodwentbackthroughthebarnsandoutintoalarge，enclosedlot，wherewereaseriesoftracksandloops。Ahalf- dozencarswerethere，mannedbyinstructors，eachwithapupil，atthelever。Morepupilswerewaitingatoneofthereardoors，ofthebarn。 InsilenceHurstwoodviewedthisscene，andwaited。His，companionstookhiseyeforawhile，thoughtheydidnotinterest，himmuchmorethanthecars。Theywereanuncomfortable-looking，gang，however。Oneortwowereverythinandlean。Severalwere，quitestout。Severalotherswererawbonedandsallow，asifthey，hadbeenbeatenuponbyallsortsofroughweather。 “Didyouseebythepapertheyaregoingtocalloutthe，militia？”Hurstwoodheardoneofthemremark。 “Oh，they’lldothat，“returnedtheother。”Theyalwaysdo。” “Thinkwe’reliabletohavemuchtrouble？”saidanother，whom，Hurstwooddidnotsee。 “Notvery。” “ThatScotchmanthatwentoutonthelastcar，“putinavoice，“toldmethattheyhithimintheearwithacinder。” Asmall，nervouslaughaccompaniedthis。 “OneofthosefellowsontheFifthAvenuelinemusthavehada，hellofatime，accordingtothepapers，“drawledanother。”They，brokehiscarwindowsandpulledhimoffintothestreet’fore，thepolicecouldstop’em。” “Yes;buttherearemorepolicearoundto-day，“wasaddedby，another。 Hurstwoodhearkenedwithoutmuchmentalcomment。Thesetalkers，seemedscaredtohim。Theirgabblingwasfeverish——thingssaid，toquiettheirownminds。Helookedoutintotheyardand，waited。 Twoofthemengotaroundquitenearhim，butbehindhisback。 Theywererathersocial，andhelistenedtowhattheysaid。 “Areyouarailroadman？”saidone。 “Me？No。I’vealwaysworkedinapaperfactory。” “IhadajobinNewarkuntillastOctober，“returnedtheother，withreciprocalfeeling。 Thereweresomewordswhichpassedtoolowtohear。Thenthe，conversationbecamestrongagain。 “Idon’tblamethesefellersforstriking，“saidone。”They’ve，gottherightofit，allright，butIhadtogetsomethingto，do。” “Samehere，“saidtheother。”IfIhadanyjobinNewarkI wouldn’tbeoverheretakin’chanceslikethese。” “It’shellthesedays，ain’tit？”saidtheman。”Apoorman，ain’tnowhere。Youcouldstarve，byGod，rightinthestreets，andthereain’tmostnoonewouldhelpyou。” “Rightyouare，“saidtheother。”ThejobIhadIlost’cause，theyshutdown。Theyrunallsummerandlayupabigstock，and，thenshutdown。” Hurstwoodpaidsomelittleattentiontothis。Somehow，hefelta，littlesuperiortothesetwo——alittlebetteroff。Tohimthese，wereignorantandcommonplace，poorsheepinadriver’shand。 “Poordevils，“hethought，speakingoutofthethoughtsand，feelingsofabygoneperiodofsuccess。 “Next，“saidoneoftheinstructors。 “You’renext，“saidaneighbour，touchinghim。 Hewentoutandclimbedontheplatform。Theinstructortookit，forgrantedthatnopreliminarieswereneeded。 “Youseethishandle，“hesaid，reachinguptoanelectriccut- off，whichwasfastenedtotheroof。”Thisthrowsthecurrent，offoron。Ifyouwanttoreversethecaryouturnitoverhere。 Ifyouwanttosenditforward，youputitoverhere。Ifyou，wanttocutoffthepower，youkeepitinthemiddle。” Hurstwoodsmiledatthesimpleinformation。 “Now，thishandlehereregulatesyourspeed。Tohere，“hesaid，pointingwithhisfinger，“givesyouaboutfourmilesanhour。 Thisiseight。Whenit’sfullon，youmakeaboutfourteenmiles，anhour。” Hurstwoodwatchedhimcalmly。Hehadseenmotormenworkbefore。 Heknewjustabouthowtheydidit，andwassurehecoulddoas，well，withaverylittlepractice。 Theinstructorexplainedafewmoredetails，andthensaid： “Now，we’llbackherup。” Hurstwoodstoodplacidlyby，whilethecarrolledbackintothe，yard。 “Onethingyouwanttobecarefulabout，andthatistostart，easy。Giveonedegreetimetoactbeforeyoustartanother。The，onefaultofmostmenisthattheyalwayswanttothrowherwide，open。That’sbad。It’sdangerous，too。Wearsoutthemotor。 Youdon’twanttodothat。” “Isee，“saidHurstwood。 Hewaitedandwaited，whilethemantalkedon。 “Nowyoutakeit，“hesaid，finally。 Theex-managerlaidhandtotheleverandpusheditgently，ashe，thought。Itworkedmucheasierthanheimagined，however，with，theresultthatthecarjerkedquicklyforward，throwinghimback，againstthedoor。Hestraightenedupsheepishly，whilethe，instructorstoppedthecarwiththebrake。 “Youwanttobecarefulaboutthat，“wasallhesaid。 Hurstwoodfound，however，thathandlingabrakeandregulating，speedwerenotsoinstantlymasteredashehadimagined。Onceor，twicehewouldhaveploughedthroughtherearfenceifithadnot，beenforthehandandwordofhiscompanion。Thelatterwas，ratherpatientwithhim，butheneversmiled。 “You’vegottogettheknackofworkingbotharmsatonce，“he，said。”Ittakesalittlepractice。” Oneo’clockcamewhilehewasstillonthecarpractising，andhe，begantofeelhungry。Thedaysetinsnowing，andhewascold。 Hegrewwearyofrunningtoandfroontheshorttrack。 Theyranthecartotheendandbothgotoff。Hurstwoodwent，intothebarnandsoughtacarstep，pullingouthispaper- wrappedlunchfromhispocket。Therewasnowaterandthebread，wasdry，butheenjoyedit。Therewasnoceremonyaboutdining。 Heswallowedandlookedabout，contemplatingthedull，homely，labourofthething。Itwasdisagreeable——miserably，disagreeable——inallitsphases。Notbecauseitwasbitter，but，becauseitwashard。Itwouldbehardtoanyone，hethought。 Aftereating，hestoodaboutasbefore，waitinguntilhisturn，came。 Theintentionwastogivehimanafternoonofpractice，butthe，greaterpartofthetimewasspentinwaitingabout。 Atlasteveningcame，andwithithungerandadebatewith，himselfastohowheshouldspendthenight。Itwashalf-past，five。Hemustsooneat。Ifhetriedtogohome，itwouldtake，himtwohoursandahalfofcoldwalkingandriding。Besideshe，hadorderstoreportatseventhenextmorning，andgoinghome，wouldnecessitatehisrisingatanunholyanddisagreeablehour。 HehadonlysomethinglikeadollarandfifteencentsofCarrie’s，money，withwhichhehadintendedtopaythetwoweeks’coalbill，beforethepresentideastruckhim。 “Theymusthavesomeplacearoundhere，“hethought。”Wheredoes，thatfellowfromNewarkstay？” Finallyhedecidedtoask。Therewasayoungfellowstanding，nearoneofthedoorsinthecold，waitingalastturn。Hewasa，mereboyinyears——twenty-oneabout——butwithabodylankand，long，becauseofprivation。Alittlegoodlivingwouldhavemade，thisyouthplumpandswaggering。 “Howdotheyarrangethis，ifamanhasn’tanymoney？”inquired，Hurstwood，discreetly。 Thefellowturnedakeen，watchfulfaceontheinquirer。 “Youmeaneat？”hereplied。 “Yes，andsleep。Ican’tgobacktoNewYorkto-night。” “Theforeman’llfixthatifyouaskhim，Iguess。Hedidme。” “Thatso？” “Yes。IjusttoldhimIdidn’thaveanything。Gee，Icouldn’t，gohome。IlivewayoverinHoboken。” Hurstwoodonlyclearedhisthroatbywayofacknowledgment。 “They’vegotaplaceupstairshere，Iunderstand。Idon’tknow，whatsortofathingitis。Purtytough，Iguess。Hegavemea，mealticketthisnoon。Iknowthatwasn’tmuch。” Hurstwoodsmiledgrimly，andtheboylaughed。