Union Square Jim 81 



says she, " but when a poor girl has n't any father, 

 or brothers, or sisters, or friends, and is poor, and 

 when she knows that all those who pretend to be 

 friends only do so because they have something in 

 view, it 's everything to find a real true, honest, and 

 noble friend that likes you for yourself alone, just 

 as I know Jim does me." I understood her then. 

 'Then there was old Mary, the sweeping woman. 

 What a fancy she took to Jim ! But he never would 

 go very near her. This seemed to puzzle the poor- 

 old woman, and I 've seen her try all kinds of things 

 to make friends with him. I remember she would 

 bring a piece of broiled fish wrapped up in a news- 

 paper, when she found out how much Jim liked 

 fish, and he would eat it all right, but would never 

 stay near her. One day I saw her sitting and think- 

 ing all alone by herself. I wondered what she was 

 puzzling over. Finally I saw her slap her knee and 

 say, "That's it. It's me breath the cat don't like. 

 Well, I don't blame him, that I don't." In a few 

 days I noticed her face did n't seem so red, and in 

 a few more days it had a clear healthy color. Then 

 I saw she had on a nice clean apron, though she 



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