Cinder Path Tales

186 CINDER-PATH TALES now, despite the assistance of paint and padding, it was evident that sicknessor dissi­ pation hadrobbed her of most of the attrac­ tions shehad once possessed. Her face was too thin for the bright color on her cheeks, her stepswere too listless for the generously filled stockings, and she coughed several times before she began her song. It was a jolly little thing, sung in good time and tune, and with those touches which indicate un­ mistakably the rudiments, at least, of a musical education. The song was well received, but at the endof the verseshe had a dance, which called for considerable exer­ tion, and was very trying for her. She got through the first two verses all right, but when she started the third her strength was gone; she broke down, and gasped for breath. The piano continued for a few notes, then stopped, and there was a dead silence. It was a pitiful sight enough : the poor girl trying to get strength enough to continue, coughing and gasping painfully; but some one in the orchestra back of us hissed, there was a cry from the gallery of "Take her off," and then a chorus of yells and cat-calls. It was the same old wolf instinct which makes the pack tear topieces the woundedstraggler, — the wolf instinct in some way transmitted to man.