Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-03-18
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SHORT STORY
OF THE A /
SWAN SWANSON.

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SWAN SWANSON.
Observation-Disclosures Thomas, OF the
North Atlantic liaer. Urania. which ar
rived here to-day. reported that q Swede
Sumysd overheard during the passage.
A great ocean steamer aas just clearing
Che Narrows. Behind her lay New York.
Before her was So0 miles OF watery ex-
panse. Tier deck was crowded witt, pas
fcngars. waving 6 las: adieu TO the fast
fadirg crowd that lised The wharf rapidly
sinking into obscuri;y in the evening twi.
lisht. Over the face OF that crowd laugh
Ter. tears and Indifference struggled for
The mastery. There were the friends OF the
bridal couple who had spent their breath
In vociferous "good-bys'' and their strength
In rce-throwing: there the red-cyed wife
and children. come to say . probable last
farewell TO al Invalid father: there the
siolid foreigner who had accompanied his
friend, merely because that was the way
ehey did It in America"
But there was none 10 bid Swan Swanson
G~od-speed;, What cared hs7 Was he not
EoinE. back TO Sweden. the land OF the
OF his mother. tho birthplace OF his loved
81. Sstro:hea 70 his log hS. in The, MIME
e~s N~~ to isStaWs W
Aanaiyxe his feelings would fill q volume.
The sun was sinking behind the ihou-
sands upon thousands OF lights Of New
in the Western hemisphere. As the steam:
er pushed its way out past the Barthoidi
US domain like a pledge OF her destiny.
Swan swanson stood on that part Of the
deck reserved for the common herd. the
the setting sun while his thoughts ran
forward 10 the land OF its longest sotourn.
The sun sank to rest in a bed OF roses.
SacSsround Of scarlet: High above Ike a
pir:te craft. rode a cloud Of black.
Ten years before, Swan Swanson. swed-
lsh. clownish, but with the goodness of his
heart. handed in New York. With that un-
tiles together. he drifted to Minnesota.
longing and f~armingJnese had made up
the routine OF his life. And now he was go
whom he loved nothing better-no. not even
his lifa What mat;ered the long years OF
weary struggle. the laughs and gibes at the
.swenski," the ridicule Of his ayes and
Sweden at last! Yes, there was the ford
where, in his boyhood. he iished in summer
There was the old headland, standing bold
and defiant as Of old. where he used to like
TO sit. while an indelnable something crept
VsCI mn 0fIu IlGhlcO HIS IuIOdI 10 DuIElIus,
And there, as the boat shot round a point.
was home. Down the little beach came
hurry Ing his mother and behind her. with
slower, feeblsr step: his father; But how
he would take them to that Ell Dorado Of
strong hands and stout hearts. America.
nj high up above the headland. in the
cloud;
= And now he was sitting by the fireplace.
.,1aisconnectediy telling the story of his do
If-. -.th
pranks and hysterical laughter. All this
time he was thinking Of Freda, and, max
n some pitiably lame excuse he started
fup the path that ran around and up the
Out in the cool evening sea breeze his
blood cooled, and he began to reproaca
And where, was Hans, his brother? Why
did his mother, too. smile SO sadly when he
left her? Was there something wrong?
Surrey Freda was not-but he could not
Bursting into Freca's cottage, like a
blast ont Of The North, hs cried: where's
then the whole story must be gone over
again, before there was any answer to his
question. She vent to the lighthouse, with
he Will not leave OF tending to the light.
though Fans islplsnty able to care for it."
With . whoop Swan was out Of the house
and on his way down the rocky path. To
got q boat and launch II was the shortest
Kind Of work. and strong arms. backed by
2 5oy19. heart fairly made the little boat
the trip to the lighthouse seem but a sec
ond'0 task.
But Freda did not como running to meet
him A. he had pictured she would, and
he thought his brother wal looking At him
"What's the matter. Freda-Hans. Don't
you want me.' Hans grew red in the
face and his breath came hard " he an
n. matter is thts-Freda and I are
ITS not 80. Say it's not so. Freda ,tA
Swan. and he felt his throat swe.a ard
"We-wo-thought-you ~were-deaa."
With q cry like the bark OF a famished
sho wolf, Swan was upon her. his fingers
about her tender throat. With the other
All. this Is what comes OF working ten
Ions. years for the one you love in the
llogging camps OF Minnesota-this that gives
9the sinew TO your arm to crush out her
10 feel her breath come hard; TO watch her
purpting lips grow set. This II was that
gives you strength to hurl her far ont from
you into the sea and watch her sink he
forced Hans back step by step. Into the
water and held him there until he gave
one mighty struggle and was still.
But what was that? Freda's voice call
vspor from the sea. She was beckonins
70 him. Say IL is NOT SOL" he shrieked.
She shook her head. I'm coming. Freda."
he cried.
The next morning the pilot OF the Urania
reported to the captain that an unknown
man had rushed on deck about 2 o'clock
in the morning and before anybody could
a Erhe roll call showed Swan Swanson miss
HING.