Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers

Help / FAQ



<- Previous | Table of Contents | Next ->
PinkMonkey Digital Library-Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser


She thought a long time about this. Finally she agreed. He would
come out as far as Peoria Street and wait for her. She was to meet
him at half-past eight. At half-past five she reached home, and at
six her determination was hardened.

"So you didn’t get it?" said Minnie, referring to Carrie’s story of
the Boston Store.

Carrie looked at her out of the corner of her eye. "No," she
answered.

"I don’t think you’d better try any more this fall," said Minnie.

Carrie said nothing.

When Hanson came home he wore the same inscrutable
demeanour. He washed in silence and went off to read his paper.
At dinner Carrie felt a little nervous. The strain of her own plans
was considerable, and the feeling that she was not welcome here
was strong.

"Didn’t find anything, eh?" said Hanson.

"No."

He turned to his eating again, the thought that it was a burden to
have her here dwelling in his mind. She would have to go home,
that was all. Once she was away, there would be no more coming
back in the spring.

Carrie was afraid of what she was going to do, but she was
relieved to know that this condition was ending. They would not
care. Hanson particularly would be glad when she went. He would
not care what became of her.

After dinner she went into the bathroom, where they could not
disturb her, and wrote a little note.

"Good-bye, Minnie," it read. "I’m not going home. I’m going to
stay in Chicago a little while and look for work. Don’t worry. I’ll
be all right."

In the front room Hanson was reading his paper. As usual, she
helped Minnie clear away the dishes and straighten up. Then she
said:

"I guess I’ll stand down at the door a little while." She could
scarcely prevent her voice from trembling.

Minnie remembered Hanson’s remonstrance.

"Sven doesn’t think it looks good to stand down there," she said.

"Doesn’t he?" said Carrie. "I won’t do it any more after this."

She put on her hat and fidgeted around the table in the little
bedroom, wondering where to slip the note. Finally she put it
under Minnie’s hair-brush.

When she had closed the hall-door, she paused a moment and
wondered what they would think. Some thought of the queerness
of her deed affected her. She went slowly down the stairs. She
looked back up the lighted step, and then affected to stroll up the
street. When she reached the corner she quickened her pace.

As she was hurrying away, Hanson came back to his wife.

"Is Carrie down at the door again?" he asked.

"Yes," said Minnie; "she said she wasn’t going to do it any more."

He went over to the baby where it was playing on the floor and
began to poke his finger at it.

Drouet was on the corner waiting, in good spirits.

"Hello, Carrie," he said, as a sprightly figure of a girl drew near
him. "Got here safe, did you? Well, we’ll take a car."
<- Previous | Table of Contents | Next ->
PinkMonkey Digital Library-Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser



All Contents Copyright © All rights reserved.
Further Distribution Is Strictly Prohibited.

About Us | Advertising | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Home Page


Search:
Keywords:
In Association with Amazon.com