ered at being thought on such good terms with Jimmy. As for
him, he had just heard about Lily's illness, Trampy's absence, and hurried
to see her, bringing her the good news that the lawsuit was over. Trampy
would have nothing more to pay....

From that day, Jimmy was sometimes seen at Lily's. He spoke little, sat
down on the basket trunk, listened, thought of things. He was known to
have his mind full of an invention superior to "Bridging the Abyss," one
could expect anything from him: a wonderful chap Jimmy, a bit cracked,
though, with ideas of his own which went the round of the profession and
were variously appreciated. A fund for stage-children; a reserve upon
their earnings, to be banked and kept untouched till they came of age; a
home of rest for the old and the sick; a weekly matinee for the benefit of
the fund....

Jimmy described the piteous lot of those who grow old in a profession
intended for youth: but a few shillings a month paid into the fund, a
benefit performance or two ... and our home is established and endowed and
we should see no more stars flung aside, to die in hopeless poverty, after
amusing crowds of people for years and years.

"I'm with you," said Lily, laughing. "Put me down for a pension for my old
age ... if ever I reach old age ... ugh, ugh!"

And she coughed, with the embroidered handkerchief at her lips.

But Lily's joke was left unechoed: everybody talked professional shop,
quoted figures; the habit of signing contracts, of avoiding the traps laid
by the agents had given them all a keen sense of business. And the
frequent traveling, in the absence of education, had made them sharp at
understanding, quick in the uptake. Their clean-shaven faces fell into
wise folds, like lawyers'.

Jimmy also explained his idea about the apprentices, the compulsory so
much per cent., the inalienable deposit paid in by the Pas and Mas ...
and, much more still, by the profs and managers....

"Good!" said Lily. "I'm with you!"

There was a general laugh. The Whistling Wonder interrupted the
conversation by quacking like a duck at Jimmy and cooing like a pigeon at
Lily. Jimmy got up and said good-by, pleased to see Lily making daily
progress.

"Ah, Lily," they said again, when he had gone, "that's the one you ought
to have married, not the other!"

And thereupon they began to pursue their favorite theme and amuse
themselves by describing the awful troubles which she would get into one
day with "