Sister Carrie: A Novel
“About three years ago,” said Carrie.
“You don’t say so! Well, sir, this is the first I’ve heard of it. I
knew you would, though. I always said you could act—didn’t I?”
Carrie smiled.
“Yes, you did,” she said.
“Well, you do look great,” he said. “I never saw anybody improve so.
You’re taller, aren’t you?”
“Me? Oh, a little, maybe.”
He gazed at her dress, then at her hair, where a becoming hat was set
jauntily, then into her eyes, which she took all occasion to avert.
Evidently he expected to restore their old friendship at once and
without modification.
“Well,” he said, seeing her gather up her purse, handkerchief, and the
like, preparatory to departing, “I want you to come out to dinner with
me; won’t you? I’ve got a friend out here.”
“Oh, I can’t,” said Carrie. “Not to-night. I have an early engagement
to-morrow.”
“Aw, let the engagement go. Come on. I can get rid of him. I want to
have a good talk with you.”
“No, no,” said Carrie; “I can’t. You mustn’t ask me any more. I don’t
care for a late dinner.”
“Well, come on and have a talk, then, anyhow.”
“Not to-night,” she said, shaking her head. “We’ll have a talk some
other time.”
As a result of this, she noticed a shade of thought pass over his face,
as if he were beginning to realise that things were changed.
Good-nature dictated something better than this for one who had always
liked her.
“You come around to the hotel to-morrow,” she said, as sort of penance
for error. “You can take dinner with me.”
“All right,” said Drouet, brightening. “Where are you stopping?”
“At the Waldorf,” she answered, mentioning the fashionable hostelry
then but newly erected.
“What time?”
“Well, come at three,” said Carrie, pleasantly.
The next day Drouet called, but it was with no especial delight that
Carrie remembered her appointment. However, seeing him, handsome as
ever, after his kind, and most genially disposed, her doubts as to
whether the dinner would be disagreeable were swept away. He talked as
volubly as ever.
“They put on a lot of lugs here, don’t they?” was his first remark.
“Yes; they do,” said Carrie.
Genial egotist that he was, he went at once into a detailed account of
his own career.
“I’m going to have a business of my own pretty soon,” he observed in
one place. “I can get backing for two hundred thousand dollars.”
Carrie listened most good-naturedly.
“Say,” he said, suddenly; “where is Hurstwood now?”
Carrie flushed a little.
“He’s here in New York, I guess,” she said. “I haven’t seen him for
some time.”
Drouet mused for a moment. He had not been sure until now that the
ex-manager was not an influential figure in the background. He imagined
not; but this assurance relieved him. It must be that Carrie had got
rid of him—as well she ought, he thought.
“A man always makes a mistake when he does anything like that,” he
observed.
“Like what?” said Carrie, unwitting of what was coming.
“Oh, you know,” and Drouet waved her intelligence, as it were, with his
hand.
“No, I don’t,” she answered. “What do you mean?”
“Why that affair in Chicago—the time he left.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” said Carrie. Could it be he
would refer so rudely to Hurstwood’s flight with her?
“Oho!” said Drouet, incredulously. “You knew he took ten thousand
dollars with him when he left, didn’t you?”
“What!” said Carrie. “You don’t mean to say he stole money, do you?”
“Why,” said Drouet, puzzled at her tone, “you knew that, didn’t you?”
“Why, no,” said Carrie. “Of course I didn’t.”
“Well, that’s funny,” said Drouet. “He did, you know. It was in all the
papers.”
“How much did you say he took?” said Carrie.
“Ten thousand dollars. I heard he sent most of it back afterwards,
though.”
Carrie looked vacantly at the richly carpeted floor. A new light was
shining upon all the years since her enforced flight. She remembered
now a hundred things that indicated as much. She also imagined that he
took it on her account. Instead of hatred springing up there was a kind
of sorrow generated. Poor fellow! What a thing to have had hanging over
his head all the time.
At dinner Drouet, warmed up by eating and drinking and softened in
mood, fancied he was winning Carrie to her old-time good-natured regard
for him. He began to imagine it would not be so difficult to enter into
her life again, high as she was. Ah, what a prize! he thought. How
beautiful, how elegant, how famous! In her theatrical and Waldorf
setting, Carrie was to him the all desirable.
“Do you remember how nervous you were that night at the Avery?” he
asked.
Carrie smiled to think of it.
“I never saw anybody do better than you did then, Cad,” he added
ruefully, as he leaned an elbow on the table; “I thought you and I were
going to get along fine those days.”
“You mustn’t talk that way,” said Carrie, bringing in the least touch
of coldness.
“Won’t you let me tell you——”
“No,” she answered, rising. “Besides, it’s time I was getting ready for
the theatre. I’ll have to leave you. Come, now.”
“Oh, stay a minute,” pleaded Drouet. “You’ve got plenty of time.”
“No,” said Carrie, gently.
Reluctantly Drouet gave up the bright table and followed. He saw her to
the elevator and, standing there, said:
“When do I see you again?”
“Oh, some time, possibly,” said Carrie. “I’ll be here all summer.
Good-night!”
The elevator door was open.
“Good-night!” said Drouet, as she rustled in.
Then he strolled sadly down the hall, all his old longing revived,
because she was now so far off. The merry frou-frou of the place spoke
all of her. He thought himself hardly dealt with. Carrie, however, had
other thoughts.
That night it was that she passed Hurstwood, waiting at the Casino,
without observing him.
The next night, walking to the theatre, she encountered him face to
face. He was waiting, more gaunt than ever, determined to see her, if
he had to send in word. At first she did not recognise the shabby,
baggy figure. He frightened her, edging so close, a seemingly hungry
stranger.
“Carrie,” he half whispered, “can I have a few words with you?”
She turned and recognised him on the instant. If there ever had lurked
any feeling in her heart against him, it deserted her now. Still, she
remembered what Drouet said about his having stolen the money.
“Why, George,” she said; “what’s the matter with you?”
“I’ve been sick,” he answered. “I’ve just got out of the hospital. For
God’s sake, let me have a little money, will you?”
“Of course,” said Carrie, her lip trembling in a strong effort to
maintain her composure. “But what’s the matter with you, anyhow?”
She was opening her purse, and now pulled out all the bills in it—a
five and two twos.
“I’ve been sick, I told you,” he said, peevishly, almost resenting her
excessive pity. It came hard to him to receive it from such a source.
“Here,” she said. “It’s all I have with me.”
“All right,” he answered, softly. “I’ll give it back to you some day.”
Carrie looked at him, while pedestrians stared at her. She felt the
strain of publicity. So did Hurstwood.
“Why don’t you tell me what’s the matter with you?” she asked, hardly
knowing what to do. “Where are you living?”
“Oh, I’ve got a room down in the Bowery,” he answered. “There’s no use
trying to tell you here. I’m all right now.”
He seemed in a way to resent her kindly inquiries—so much better had
fate dealt with her.
“Better go on in,” he said. “I’m much obliged, but I won’t bother you
any more.”
She tried to answer, but he turned away and shuffled off toward the
east.
For days this apparition was a drag on her soul before it began to wear
partially away. Drouet called again, but now he was not even seen by
her. His attentions seemed out of place.
“I’m out,” was her reply to the boy.
So peculiar, indeed, was her lonely, self-withdrawing temper, that she
was becoming an interesting figure in the public eye—she was so quiet
and reserved.
Not long after the management decided to transfer the show to London. A
second summer season did not seem to promise well here.
“How would you like to try subduing London?” asked her manager, one
afternoon.
“It might be just the other way,” said Carrie.
“I think we’ll go in June,” he answered.
In the hurry of departure, Hurstwood was forgotten. Both he and Drouet
were left to discover that she was gone. The latter called once, and
exclaimed at the news. Then he stood in the lobby, chewing the ends of
his moustache. At last he reached a conclusion—the old days had gone
for good.
“She isn’t so much,” he said; but in his heart of hearts he did not
believe this.
Hurstwood shifted by curious means through a long summer and fall. A
small job as janitor of a dance hall helped him for a month. Begging,
sometimes going hungry, sometimes sleeping in the park, carried him
over more days. Resorting to those peculiar charities, several of
which, in the press of hungry search, he accidentally stumbled upon,
did the rest. Toward the dead of winter, Carrie came back, appearing on
Broadway in a new play; but he was not aware of it. For weeks he
wandered about the city, begging, while the fire sign, announcing her
engagement, blazed nightly upon the crowded street of amusements.
Drouet saw it, but did not venture in.
About this time Ames returned to New York. He had made a little success
in the West, and now opened a laboratory in Wooster Street. Of course,
he encountered Carrie through Mrs. Vance; but there was nothing
responsive between them. He thought she was still united to Hurstwood,
until otherwise informed. Not knowing the facts then, he did not
profess to understand, and refrained from comment.
With Mrs. Vance, he saw the new play, and expressed himself
accordingly.
“She ought not to be in comedy,” he said. “I think she could do better
than that.”
One afternoon they met at the Vances’ accidentally, and began a very
friendly conversation. She could hardly tell why the one-time keen
interest in him was no longer with her. Unquestionably, it was because
at that time he had represented something which she did not have; but
this she did not understand. Success had given her the momentary
feeling that she was now blessed with much of which he would approve.
As a matter of fact, her little newspaper fame was nothing at all to
him. He thought she could have done better, by far.
“You didn’t go into comedy-drama, after all?” he said, remembering her
interest in that form of art.
“No,” she answered; “I haven’t, so far.”
He looked at her in such a peculiar way that she realised she had
failed. It moved her to add: “I want to, though.”
“I should think you would,” he said. “You have the sort of disposition
that would do well in comedy-drama.”
It surprised her that he should speak of disposition. Was she, then, so
clearly in his mind?
“Why?” she asked.
“Well,” he said, “I should judge you were rather sympathetic in your
nature.”
Carrie smiled and coloured slightly. He was so innocently frank with
her that she drew nearer in friendship. The old call of the ideal was
sounding.
“I don’t know,” she answered, pleased, nevertheless, beyond all
concealment.
“I saw your play,” he remarked. “It’s very good.”
“I’m glad you liked it.”
“Very good, indeed,” he said, “for a comedy.”
This is all that was said at the time, owing to an interruption, but
later they met again. He was sitting in a corner after dinner, staring
at the floor, when Carrie came up with another of the guests. Hard work
had given his face the look of one who is weary. It was not for Carrie
to know the thing in it which appealed to her.
“All alone?” she said.
“I was listening to the music.”