THE PANTHER His weary glance, from passing by the bars, Has grown into a dazed and vacant

stare; t seems to him there are a tho!sand bars And o!t beyond those bars the empty air" The pad of his strong feet, that ceaseless so!nd #f s!pple tread behind the iron bands, s li$e a dance of strength circling aro!nd, %hile in the circle, st!nned, a great will stands" &!t there are times the p!pils of his eyes 'ilate, the strong limbs stand alert, apart, Tense with the flood of visions that arise #nly to sin$ and die within his heart"

(R#% N( &) N' Among all the others there sat a g!est %ho sipped her tea as if one apart, And she held her c!p not *!ite li$e the rest; #nce she smiled so it pierced one+s heart" %hen the gro!p of people arose at last And la!ghed and tal$ed in a merry tone, As lingeringly thro!gh the rooms they passed saw that she followed alone" Tense and still li$e one who to sing m!st rise &efore a throng on a festal night ,he lifted her head, and her bright glad eyes %ere li$e pools which reflected light" ,he followed on slowly after the last As tho!gh some ob-ect m!st be passed by, And yet as if were it once b!t passed ,he wo!ld no longer wal$ b!t fly"