Hurstwood rose and took the money, slipping on his overcoat and getting his hat.  Carrie noticed that both of these articles of apparel were old and poor looking in appearance.  It was plain enough before, but now it came home with peculiar force.  Perhaps he couldn’t help it, after all.  He had done well in Chicago.  She remembered his fine appearance the days he had met her in the park.  Then he was so sprightly, so clean.  Had it been all his fault?

He came back and laid the change down with the food.

“You’d better keep it,” she observed.  “We’ll need other things.”

“No,” he said, with a sort of pride; “you keep it.”

“Oh, go on and keep it,” she replied, rather unnerved.  “There’ll be other things.”

He wondered at this, not knowing the pathetic figure he had become in her eyes.  She restrained herself with difficulty from showing a quaver in her voice.

To say truly, this would have been Carrie’s attitude in any case.  She had looked back at times upon her parting from Drouet and had regretted that she had served him so badly.  She hoped she would never meet him again, but she was ashamed of her conduct.  Not that she had any choice in the final separation.  She had gone willingly to seek him, with sympathy in her heart, when Hurstwood had reported him ill.  There was something cruel somewhere, and not being able to track it mentally to its logical lair, she concluded with feeling that he would never understand what Hurstwood had done and would see hard-hearted decision in her deed; hence her shame.  Not that she cared for him.  She did not want to make any one who had been good to her feel badly.

She did not realize what she was doing by allowing these feelings to possess her.  Hurstwood, noticing the kindness, conceived better of her.  “Carrie’s good-natured, anyhow,” he thought.

Going to Miss Osborne’s that afternoon, she found that little lady packing and singing.

“Why don’t you come over with me today?” she asked.

“Oh, I can’t,” said Carrie.  “I’ll be there Friday.  Would you mind lending me the twenty-five dollars you spoke of?”

“Why, no,” said Lola, going for her purse.

“I want to get some other things,” said Carrie.

“Oh, that’s all right,” answered the little girl, good-naturedly, glad to be of service.  It had been days since Hurstwood had done more than go to the grocery or to the news-stand.  Now the weariness of indoors was upon him—­had been for two days—­but chill, gray weather had held him back.  Friday broke fair and warm.  It was one of those lovely harbingers of spring, given as a sign in dreary winter that earth is not forsaken of warmth and beauty.  The blue heaven, holding its one golden orb, poured down a crystal wash of warm light.  It was plain, from the voice of the sparrows, that all was halcyon outside.  Carrie raised the front windows, and felt the south wind blowing.