72 Union Square Jim 



ways, and very soon became an intelligent and most 

 promising little animal. He learned to stand erect, 

 to walk on his hind feet, and to chase his tail vigor- 

 ously. He quickly understood all the commands of 

 his masters, and usually obeyed them promptly, 

 although the little fellow had a mind and a will of 

 his own which were quite comical in so small a 

 body. And so Jim grew without the sight of any 

 other animal, his only ideas of life being drawn from 

 his dressing-room abode and from the occasional 

 visits of George and Frank. 



One day the stage men decided to show him 

 a mouse. They accordingly captured one, and, 

 taking it into Jim's domain, set it loose. At sight 

 of it Jim's eyes dilated, first with surprise and then 

 with joy. He came up to the little creature with 

 an evident desire to play. The mouse ran, and Jim 

 instantly seized it. In doing so, however, the mouse 

 succeeded in pinching Jim's nose, and the surprise 

 and pain caused a complete stoppage of the perform- 

 ance. There seemed to be no malice in Jim's ad- 

 vances, simply the spirit of play which had always 

 characterized him. 



