Once in the sunlit street, with labourers tramping by in either direction, the horse-cars passing crowded to the rails with the small clerks and floor help in the great wholesales houses, and men and women generally coming out of doors and passing about the neighourhood, Carrie felt slightly reassured.  In the sunshine of the morning, beneath the wide, blue heavens, with a fresh wind astir, what fears, except the most desperate, can find a harbourage?  In the night, or the gloomy chambers of the day, fears and misgivings wax strong, but out in the sunlight there is, for a time, cessation even of the terror of death.

Carrie went straight forward until she crossed the river, and then turned into Fifth Avenue.  The thoroughfare, in this part, was like a walled canon of brown stone and clean.  Trucks were rumbling in increasing numbers; men and woman, girls and boys were moving onward in all directions.  She met girls of her own age, who looked at her as if with contempt for her diffidence.  She wondered at the magnitude of this life and at the importance of knowing much in order to do anything in it at all.  Dread at her own inefficiency crept upon her.  She would not know how, she would not be quick enough.  Had not all the other places refused her because she did not know something or other?  She would be scolded, abused, ignominiously discharged.

It was with weak knees and a slight catch in her breathing that she came up to the great shoe company at Adams and Fifth Avenue and entered the elevator.  When she steeped out on the fourth floor there was no one at hand, only great aisles of boxes piled to the ceiling.  She stood, very much frightened, awaiting some one.

Presently Mr. Brown came up.  He did not seem to recognise her.

" What is it you want?” he inquired.

Carrie’s heart sank.

" You said I should come this morning to see about work-”

" Carrie Meeber.”

" Yes,” said he. " You come with me.”

He led the way through dark, box-lined aisles which had the smell of new shoes, until they came to an iron door which opened into the factory proper.  There was a large, low-ceiled room, with clacking, rattling machines at which men in white shirt sleeves and blue gingham aprons were working.  She followed him diffidently through the clattering automatons, keeping her eyes straight before her, and flushing slightly.  They crossed to a far corner and took an elevator to the sixth floor.  Out of the array of machines and benches, Mr. Brown signaled a foreman.

" This is the girls,” he said, and turning to Carrie, " You go with him.”  He then returned, and Carrie followed her new superior to a little desk in a corner, which he used as a kind of official center.

" You’ve never worked at anything like this before, have you?” he questioned, rather sternly.

" No, sir,” she answered.

He seemed rather annoyed at having to bother with such help, but put down her name and then led her across to where a line of girls occupied stools in front of clacking machines.  On the shoulder of one of the girls who was punching eye-holes in one piece of the upper, by the aid of the machine, he put his hand.