"Do you need any help?" said Carrie, already learning directness of address. "Do you know how to stitch caps?" he returned. "No, sir," she replied. "Have you ever had any experience at this kind of work?" he inquired. She answered that she had not. "Well," said the foreman, scratching his ear meditatively, "we do need a stitcher. We like experienced help, though. We've hardly got time to break people in." He paused and looked away out of the window. "We might, though, put you at finishing," he concluded reflectively. "How much do you pay a week?" ventured Carrie, emboldened by a certain softness in the man's manner and his simplicity of address. "Three and a half," he answered. "Oh," she was about to exclaim, but checked herself and allowed her thoughts to die without expression. "We're not exactly in need of anybody," he went on vaguely, looking her over as one would a package. "You can come on Monday morning, though," he added, "and I'll put you to work." "Thank you," said Carrie weakly. "If you come, bring an apron," he added. He walked away and left her standing by the elevator, never so much as inquiring her name. While the appearance of the shop and the announcement of the price paid per week operated very much as a blow to Carrie's fancy, the fact that work of any kind was offered after so rude a round of experience was gratifying. She could not begin to believe that she would take the place, modest as her aspirations were. She had been used to better than that. Her mere experience and the free out-of-door life of the country caused her nature to revolt at such confinement. Dirt had never been her share. Her sister's flat was clean. This place was grimy and low, the girls were careless and hardened. They must be bad-minded and hearted, she imagined. Still, a place had been offered her. Surely Chicago was not so bad if she could find one place in one day. She might find another and better later. Her subsequent experiences were not of a reassuring nature, however. From all the more pleasing or imposing places she was turned away abruptly with the most chilling formality. In others where she applied only the experienced were required. She met with painful rebuffs, the most trying of which had been in a manufacturing cloak house, where she had gone to the fourth floor to inquire. "No, no," said the foreman, a rough, heavily built individual, who looked after a miserably lighted workshop, "we don't want any one. Don't come here."