" We’ll go some other time,” she said at last, finding no ready means of escape.

Carrie sensed the root of the opposition at once.

" I have some money,” she said. " You go with me.’

Minnie shook her head.

" He could go along,” said Carrie.

" No, returned Minnie softly, and rattling the dishes to drown the conversation. " He wouldn’t.”

It had been several years since Minnie had seen Carrie, and in that time the latter’s character had developed a few shades.  Naturally timid in all things that related to her own advancement, and especially so when without power or resource, her craving for pleasure was so strong that it was the one stay of her nature.  She would speak for that when silent on all else.

" Ask him,” she pleaded softly.

Minnie was thinking of the resource which Carrie’s board would add.  It would pay the rent and would make the subject of expenditure a little less difficult to talk about with her husband.  But if Carrie was going to think of running around in the beginning there would be a hitch somewhere.  Unless Carrie submitted to a solemn round of industry and saw the need of hard work without longing for play, how was her coming to the city to profit them?  These thoughts were not those of a cold, hard nature at all.  They were the serious reflections of a mind which invariably adjusted itself, without much complaining, to such surroundings as its industry could make for it.

At last she yield enough to ask Hanson.  It was a half-hearted procedure without a shade of desire on her part.

" Carrie wants us to go to the theatre,” she said, looking in upon her husband.  Hanson looked up from his paper, and they exchanged a mild look, which said as plainly as anything:  " This isn’t what we expected.”

" I don’t care to go,” he returned. " What does she want to see?”

" H.R Jacob’s,” said Minnie.

He looked down at his paper and shook his head negatively.

When Carrie saw how they looked upon her proposition, she gained a still clearer feeling of their way of life.  It weighted on her, but took no definite form of opposition.

" I think I’ll go down and stand at the foot of the stairs,” she said, after a time.

Minnie made no objection to this, and Carrie put on her hat and went below.

" Where has Carrie gone?” asked Hanson, coming back into the dinning-room when he heard the door close.

" She said she was going down to the foot of the stairs,” answered Minnie. " I guess she just wants to look out a while.”

" She oughtn’t to be thinking about spending her money on theatres already, do you think?” he said.

" She just feels a little curious, I guess,” ventured Minnie. " Everything is so new.”

" I don’t know,” said Hanson, and went over to the baby, his forehead slightly wrinkled.