The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1914-02-12
.SAeTokr LeRosJ,Gp

q Au6t0rutE, boteo0 leaned over tn0
parapet and gaxed at the ripping
water and tho shimmering reflections
Of the gas jets. He heaved q deep
He turned round.
Move on!"
It was an anxious policeman, sus-
pecting q coming tragedy.
''Tchsschwopp!" said Balaoo.
"Eh? What did you sayf"
Balaoo shrugged his shoulders and
moved away in the darkness.
"A foreigner" thought the police
man. "A Russian prince. perhaps"
"Tchsschwopp" 10 east monkey tor
something like. "Why can't they lsavs
one In peaco7"
Balaoo had slanted toward the right
and was now near the omnibus once
He quickened bis pace. following the
ratings, In search of solitude.
He found II. Then no pressed hi
forehead against the ratings, the rail-
ings round the Jardin dss Plantes
that huge cage In which men had ehu!
up his brothers. the animals. Tired
tho cold Of the bars did him good: and
he stood for . long time in that 20.
sition, with HE head against the
rails. while his eyes. from which
dropped two tears. round and heavy
IS marbles. glanced down his whole
person, to the black stars that were
his patent leather boots.
That was where the mystery lay,
the m ystsry OF his infinite unhappi-
moss. which turned him into something
worse than o pariah among men.
something like tanned anti al-that
is to say. the lowest thing on earth.
For the lion 10 still somebody In his
cage. In which timorous men have
buried him alive: but Balaoo. what
was he. In his patent-leather shoes
A mans playthinG. neither more nor
less.
Facing him, beyond the dark clumps
of tho trees, were tho rallied dens oc-
cupied by the great cats. whose heavy.
alkaline scent reached him whore he
stood. He pictured them. calm. fatal.
and quiet, with their heads on their
paws. sleeping peacefully In their
houses. Tho crocodiles stretched In
their Cofiin-shaped compartm ents
made no more noise than II they had
blankets In which they wrapped their
digestive dreams. were the reptiles
tho noble families Of snakes. tho aspa
OF Cleopatra, silly little animals. whose
fame did not prevent them from Sleep
ing.
For all these creatures were asleep,
The very monkeys. who are never still
during the day, were snoring. now
that night had come. like brutes: like
brutes. thought BalaoO. picturtng Ia
himself all that animal population
Numbering while he sobbed out hia
anguish against the railings.
Even in their captivity he envied
those others behind their bars.
II hurt him dreadfully.
What bliss not to know! To DO iE-
norant Of tho difference" oh. the
difference was not no grcat-it wa
contained within those patent leather
boots OF his--and tho passers-by who
met that young man In dinner dress
would never have guessed what he
carried about with him. inside his
patent-lsather boots! But he. he. be
differencs-&nd 1t spoiled all bis eve.
nings.
There was nothing human about
BalaOo's signs that evening: and he
had best take care: he had already
attracted pOliceman's attention; and
here came q keeper. on the other side
Of the ratings, going his rounds. The
man stopped. without seeing him. and
listened to hear where those ex-
traordinary, gasping sounds came
from. Was It the hippopotamus COM
planning In his sleep? The elephant
trumpeting? The panther bored to
death?
No. keeper, resume your rounds: II
Is Balaoo weeping. And Balaoo has
nothing to do with you!
Balaoo feared nothing on earth but
dogs. He no longer dreaded tho mans
rounds. the time for which had
passed; but he was afraid lest the
dogs. who could feel him coming even
In their sleep. should wake. Fortu-
nately they were tod up In the little
yard near the lion-house.
Balaoo knew where the keys OF his
friends houses hung. In the mans
house. near q little fanlight which you
had only to push. Then you just put
In your hand. There was no danger.
He made no noise walking. He had
learned to walk silently. even In his
patent leather bobots. Besides. no
feathered animal, on his road. Sleep
Ing on ono log, would have been silly
enough, even II awakened with q start,
70 cry murder. II would have knoWn
q onee that sriend 1alaoo vas PASS
sas. No animal weuid esvs he ajsso.