Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-10
The Suicide of Swallow.

Swallow was a native" Who he
was or from whence he came, none
assumed SO prehistoric a knowledge.
Like Topsy, he had 'just happened"
away back in the dim, misty pioneer
days of Highly, then a mere trading
post, now great city of meat strikes
and cosmopolitan quarters.
That is why all the newspaper boys
knew Swallow, knew him as bril-
liant but erratic disciple of special as
Slgnments, apt to be flush to-day, a
panhand1er tomorrow, man with
an abused past and an uncertain fu-
ture made more vacillating because
of the dope" habit. Many and many
a time he had been counted down and
out by the gang, but he rose up smil-
ing, like Truth, uncrushed-but hun
cry.
And then Swallow developed a to-
boggan gait. The first of the month
had found him the possessor of a
"cow-choking wad,'' as the slang par
lance of the club remarked. A week
later he staggered into the Times Of
fee at 2 in the morning, his face
drawn in abject contour, his clothing
bedraggled and unkept. Siding UP to
Brown, the city editor, he whispered:
Its all off. Brownie. I'm all in
There's positively nothing doing.
Friends"-here he sobbed feelingly-
friends all gone-money-(so (sob)-a11
gone. Brownie, I'm goin' down to the
lake -and-go-the same old
way!'' SIS
That was the beginning. Brown
gave him dollar and thought that
would be the ending-of both the dol
lar and the suicide. During the week
a half-dozen of the boys heard the
same story and dismissed it in much
the same manner. Then came a cas-
ual mention at the club, and mutual
recognition that the "old war horse"
was developing a peculiar trait-one
which might, indeed, lead him to a
rash personal act.
After that the sang p.r1sd him, ar
gued with him, and at last wearied of
him. Regularly and zealously he made
the rounds, mysteriously announcing
his terrible intention. Then came the
fatal night when he blundered into
the club.
Weeping softly, while his bosom
heaved with emotion, he confided TO
the coterie that the end had indeed
comet
This was the fatal night,
Tomorrow morning they would find
his lifeless body floating on the tide
water, a Soggy, sorrowfu1 speck be-
meath the turning curlews and the
wheeling gulls!
Jones of the Tribune, who had been
pestered zealously during the past
two weeks, and to whom the suicide
tale was as familiar as that of Little
Bo-Peep," arose with a flash of de-
termination in his eye.
NSwallow"-he spoke sharply
Swallow, are you going to drown
yourself?"
Swallow humbly bowed his head
and wepti
We'll, old man, you've been a good
friend to all of us here''-waving his
arm toward the wondering auditors
land we have tried''-swalIowing!-
'-in our weak way to- be worthy; but
If you feel that you must die"-here
he turned toward his fellows for
their approbation-"if you feel that
you must die, why-why, Wen all go
down to the lake with you, Swallow,
and find you a good. deep place."
For a moment there was deep ST.
1ence. Swallow looked startlingly in
to the faces of his fellows, realization
with groan, plunged down the stairs
and disappeared.
Morning came, the day sped, and
again the diurnal wheel turned, but
no Swallow!
A week passed, then two, and his
friends mourned him piously, fervent-
ly, dutifully, feeling that they, per-
haps, had hastened his doom.
A wear had INTERVIEWED with its
many changes, and Swallow was for
the moment forgotten. One busy
morning some three weeks later,
Brown, knee-deep in the wreckage,
was sparring for ''30," when the door
opened and in walked nattily dress
ed Snan of good bearing, clean-shaven
and jaunty despite the white in his
hair. Brown looked once, then he took
another look and gasped, The visitor
smiled and spoke, his hand extended:
Eyes, it's me-SwallowI Glad to
see me?"
For answer Brown hugged him inn
moderately, as was Browns wont
when prodiga1s returned.
But-but, where thought you
had committed suicide, You remem-
ber you were going to drown-
Swallow interrupted him with
sweep of his hand.
II got married dinsteadt"-matter
of fact She's over at the Audito-
rum. Boys are coming over at 8 to-
morrow. Be there?"
Brown was therei And the resur-