Sister Carrie

man upon whose action under provocation you could never count. Hurstwood, for one, had not the slightest idea of what she would do under certain circumstances. He had

details and adding to them until her power might be commensurate with her desire for revenge. At the same time, she would not delay to inflict any injury, big or little, which would wound the object of her r

ned. She was secretly somewhat pleased by the fact that much of her husband's property was in her name, a precaution which Hurstwood had taken when his home interests were somewhat more alluring than at present. His wife had not the slightest reason to feel that anything would ever go amiss with thei

er of a wholesale dry-goods house of that city. Hurstwood did not see his son, for he sat, as was his wont, as far back as possible, leaving himself just partially visible, when he bent forward, to thos

uct being misconstrued or ill-reported, he looked carefully

ng at breakfas

Governor,

said Hurstwood, with the

aid youn

wit

Carmic

ut could not judge from his appearance whether it was any mor

e play?" sh

wood, "only it's the same o

queried his wife, with

wife. They are friends o

is situation called for certain social movements in which she might not be included. But of late he had pleaded office duty on several occasions w

ng to be busy," she rem

help the interruption, but I made up f

fe could have been more unsatisfactorily pushed. For years he had been steadily modifying his matrimonial devotion, and found her company dull. Now that a new

anything less than a complete fulfilment of the letter o

want you to come over to Kinsley's and meet Mr. Phillips and his wife. They

s were about as uninteresting as vanity and ignorance could make them. He

'm not going to be bothered fooling aroun

came with a similar proposition,

rned, "I haven't t

r people, though," she replied

. "I can't avoid business relation

Her lips tightened. The feeling o

horoughly new and imposing. When the winter season had passed and the first fine days of the early spring appeared, Mrs. Hale secured a buggy for an afternoon and invited Carrie. They rode first through Lincoln Park and on far out towards Evanston, turning back at four and arriving at the north end of the Shore Drive at about five o'clock. At this time of year the days are still comparatively short, and the shadows of the evening were beginning to settle down upon the great city. Lamps were beginning to burn with that mellow radiance which seems almost watery and translucent to the eye. There was a softness in the air which speaks with an infinite delicacy of feeling to the flesh as well as to the soul. Carrie felt that it was a lovely day. She was ripened by it in spirit for many suggestions. As they drove along the smooth pavement an occasional carriage passed. She saw one stop and the footman dismount, opening the door for a gentleman who seemed to be leisurely returning from so

as that," said Mrs. Hale sadly

" said Carrie, "that

f the canting philosoph

they all try mighty hard, though,

? At her window, she thought it over, rocking to and fro, and gazing out across the lamp-lit park toward the lamp-lit houses on Warren and Ashland avenues. She was too wrought up to care to go down to eat, too pensive to do aught but rock and sing. Some old tunes crept to her lips, and, as she sang them, her heart sank. She longed and longed and longed. It was now for the old cottage room in Columbia City, now the mansion upon the Sho

-servant brought up the intelligence that Mr. Hurstwood

w that Charlie is out o

f him by one thing and another, principally by the strong impression he had made. She was quite disturbed

up his chair and modulated his voice to such a degree that what he said seemed wholly confidential. He confined himself almost exclusively to his observation of men and pleasures. He had been here and there, he had seen this and that. Somehow he made Carrie wish to see similar things, and all the while kept her aware of himself. She could not shut out the consciousness of his individuality and presence for a moment. He would raise his eyes slowly in smiling emphasis of something, and she was fixed by their magn

her, strong and deep. Each time there had been no sentence of importance which she could relate, and as for the glances and sensations, what woman would reveal them? Such things had never been between her and Drouet. As a matter of fact, they could never be. She had been dominated by distress and the enthusiastic

As a matter of fact, words are, as a rule, the shallowest portion of all the argument. They but dimly represent the g

entle hand. She did not need to tremble at all, because it was invisible; she did not need to worry over what other people would say--what she herself would say--because it had no tangibility. She was being pleaded with, persuaded, led into denying old rights an

s along the Lake Shore on the

this afternoon--Mrs. Hale an

ry fine," h

ensively. "I wish I coul

id Hurstwood, slowly,

inued his steady gaze. He felt the critical character of the period. She endeavoured to stir, but it was useless. The whole strength of a man's nature was working. He had good cause to urge him

st, "you mustn't loo

elp it," h

let the situation endur

atisfied with

answered

situation--he felt it. He reac

she exclaimed

nd to," he ans

erview, but he drifted off into a pleasant field of thought with the readie

, kindly; "things will straight

ecause she could thin

aren't we?" he said,

she ans

hen, until I s

d a hold o

ise," she sai

n that," he said, in such a si

about it any mor

" he said,

ended into her room. She undid her broad lace collar before the mirror

y affected by a feeling of trouble and sh

et it hang in loose brown waves. Her mind

e murmured at last

he rode away, "she likes m

good four miles to his office an old melody