a sudden flash of intuition Norma Bonkowski flew to the manager.
"Stop the music, make them stop," she begged.

He glared at her savagely, but nevertheless communicated the order to
the orchestra, and as the music waned to a mere wailing of the violin,
the little dancer, rosy, hot, tired, whirled slower, slower,--then sank
on her bed of green, and like her companions feigned sleep with the
cunning pretence of childhood.

But not even then could the prima donna make her appearance, for, in the
storm of applause which followed, the revived efforts of the orchestra
were drowned.

The face of the manager broadened into smiles, Norma Bonkowski fell
against Mary Carew with tears of relief, and the prima donna with
good-natured readiness stepped upon the stage, lifted the now frightened
child who, at the noise, had sprung up in alarm, and carried her out to
the footlights, the other children peeping, but too well drilled, poor
dears, to otherwise stir. The audience paused.

"Wave bye-bye to the little girl over there," whispered the prima donna
with womanly readiness, nodding toward the nearest box, filled with
children eagerly enjoying "The Children's Opera of the Princess Blondina
and the Fairies."

Though frightened and ready to cry, the Angel waved her hand obediently,
and the prima donna, nodding and smiling in the unaffected fashion which
was half her own charm, carried the child off the stage amid applause as
enthusiastic as she herself was used to receiving.

It had all taken place in a very few minutes, but as the smiling singer
said, handing the Angel over to the manager, even in those few moments,
"She has made the hit of the season," then, turning, re-entered the
stage, her voice, with its clear bell-like tones, filling the house with
the song, "Blondina Awakening The Fairies."

Nor did it end with this, for the Angel was forthwith engaged, at what
seemed to Norma and Mary a fabulous price, to repeat her solo dance at
every Wednesday and Saturday matinee during the further run of the
opera.

CHAPTER V.

THE ANGEL RESCUES MR. TOMLIN.

It was on the afternoon that Mary carried back her week's completed work
that Norma, receiving an unexpected summons to the Opera House, was
obliged, though with many misgivings, to leave the Angel in the charge
of Joey. "But what else could I do," she reasoned afterward, "with Mrs.
O'Malligan out and Mrs. Tomlin sick, and nobody else willing, it
appeared, to see t