Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-09-11

beautiful OF the flowers I was paid t.
guard and care for found their way t.
the little cottage you see there. She Wit
lived there was the object OF my af1ec
ton, and she loved me in return. Blu
when made so bold as to ask for he
hand her father, who then occupied thu
position 1 now hold, brutally showed mi
the door. He said he wouldn't have hi
daughter marry below her station, and
that he designed her to be the wife o
the man who took charge Of the bea1
pit, who was in time to be his thu
father's) successor. And I was only, a
have told you, common gardner
But why, I ask myself, could I not make
as good an elephant keeper as any other
Love made me ambitious.
From that time summoned all my
courage, and surreptitiously entered the
enclosure. I set my wits to work and
lavished upon the elephant all the atten'
tons of real keeper. My father-in.
law, it must he added, had been some
what neglectful of Belisarius' comfort.
1.-THE worthy animal appreciated my
trouble. All I! what inteligence-what
mind as clear as amber. After
awhile he saw through my little scheme,
for when was there his one eye would
turn roguishly towards the window
where, if by accident, Lucie, the daugh-
ter of the real keeper, would appear,
having chosen that very moment for
shaking her crumb-cloth over poor Bell
sarius' head.
"Well, my love was to receive great
assistance from this dumb beast, as you
will see.
"The elephants disposition, hitherto
30 mild and peaceful, changed suddenly.
Belisariue, in spite of his having come to
years of discretion, began to play tricks
worthy of the variest schoolboy. Thus
one day, when the doors and windows Of
the cottage had been left open, this sly
old pachyderm amused himself by NOV
ing all the furniture Of my predecessor
within reach out into his inclosure. On
another occasion, when his keeper was
a few friends at dinner,
there was discovered in the soup not the
single permissible hair Of ordinary
but whole mass of some
thing resembling fur. It seems that
who occupied the next in
closure to his royal highness, had that
day been deprived Of his hirsute cover
ing, and the elephant took advantage of
the incident to introduce this novel
aavoring into his keepers soup without
the knowledge Of the cook.
"But these are only specimens Of the
deviltries that Belisarius was constantly
in his new role. At last it
became evident, even to the not very
acute intelligence Of the keeper, that he
would have to retire from bis post in
favor of some one more agreeable to the
powerful and cunning brute. BE there
fore resigned, and all the employees of
the Jardin were tried in turn as his sue
cessor. In vain! Belisarius had quite
made up his mind as to the keeper he
wanted, and was not to be driven from
his fixed determination. I thus found
myself master of the situation. Lucie's
father was compelled to admit that I
the duties of the position
better than any one else. But what
long step in advance for me and at any
age-an the way from common garden
or to elephant keeper!
Ethan poor man, who was really anxi-
GUS that his daughter should make
good match, did not show me out when
asked for her hand second time.
"A month later Lucie and I were mar
ried. The wedding dinner was spread
under the arbor covered with clematis
that adjoins the elephants inclosure,
which permitted Belisarius to attend as
one of the guests. He also deigned to
consume that portion Of the feast which
had been prepared for his special bene-
fit. Eighteen Of the little rye rolls he
always found so toothsome and eleven
punches Of carrots probably made his
majesty feel almost as contented as If he
were about being married himself. At
all events they had a quieting and
effect upon his disposition.
No boyish tricks disturbed our frugal
dronedary hairs were
found in the soup With his single eye
he gazed cheerfully upon the happy
scene, and as you have seen, Monsieur,
he still watches with the same thought
full care over my wife and little one"