68 Union Square Jim 



George, as he bent down over her nest, touched him. 

 Every day thereafter she was well cared for ; but her 

 motherly solicitude and office kept her thin, and she 

 seemed little more than the shadow of her former 

 self. It was more than a week before she ventured 

 to leave her little family, and then, as she drew her 

 gaunt form through the hall about the dressing-rooms, 

 she seemed an object of pity. As she was returning 

 to her charge, she chanced to meet in the passage 

 one of the actors in the 4 All Star ' Combination. 

 She tried to draw to one side, but was so weak 

 she could only do so slowly. The frowning actor 

 was just going upon the stage, and, catching sight of 

 the shrinking creature before him, and under some 

 strange impulse of brutish anger, he lifted his foot 

 and threw her heavily to one side. She fell against 

 the wall, and, too weak to cry out, sank down 

 motionless in the corridor. She was found in that 

 position about fifteen minutes later, mewing plaint- 

 ively to herself and rolling upon the matting in pain. 

 George was sent for, but his duties behind the cur- 

 tain just then required all his attention. When the 

 final curtain had been rung down, he hurried to the 



