Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1914-10-03
DOWN AND OUT.

Carl Brickert sat huddled on cold
park bench, near the edge of the lake.
He was down and ont. His thin, pale
face, blue lips and wild, brilliant eyes,
bis frayed clothes and tattered shoes,
voiced aloud to anyone who gazed
upon him, his pitiable condition. The
frosty lap Of the waves on the beach
beckoned him insidiously One plunge
and the struggle, the heart-breaking
attempt to keep body and soul togeth-
err, would all be over.
He glanced around cautiously
through the increasing darkness. Save
for another man, apl arently in about
Rs bad shape as himself, some distance
from him, there was no one about.
Brickert rose from his seat, his bones
aching with the cold and hunger, and
approached the lake. AS he neared
the water he gave another glance at
the other man and was surprised to
see that he was hurrying toward him.
Fearful that his attempt upon his
own life might be frustrated. Brickert
tore toward the lake. He raced out
upon little pier, which extended in
to the lake, with he intention OF
piunging into deep waters When al
most at the end of the pier he heard
the pursuing man call to him, and he
involuntarily stopped.
Hey came the voice, harsh and
rather weak. Don't do that"
Brickert turned angrily on the new
conner and saw man, almost as
emaciatcd and forlorn looking as HIM
self.
WHO are your" Brickert cried, and
started 10 plunge over.
The other man caught him. Brick
ert struggled violently. He was
somewhat bigger than the man, but
did not fight with the desperation the
other displayed. There was some
thing frantic in the way he heaved
and fought. Weak he undoubtedly
was. cold and probably nearly starved,
but still frenzy impaired a strength
to his muscles which finally forced
Brickert to the floor of the pier.
Then, while the man sat on Brickert's
chest, the two had a brief breathing
spell.
"What--what do you want?" Brick
ert gasped. II haven't got anything
Il haven't done anything. What do
you want. w no are yOu.
Never mind who l am" gasped the
other. II know what you want to do
you want to kill yourself and I'm
not going to let you do it," he cried
with set face and deep purpose mir
rored in his eyes.
"Why not?" questioned Brickert.
whats it to you whether or not !
kill myself?"
Never mind repeated the other.
O.
His words were cut short, for, with
a sudden, unexpected movement,
Brickert threw the man off and dashed
for the edge of the pier. Again the
other man caught him, and for awhile
they fought desperately in the dark
ness. Their weakened constitutions,
however, WERE soon tired by the strug-
gle. and finally they desisted and sat
side by side on the pier. Then Brick
crt spoke up.
you needn't try to stop me
any longer" he said. This fight-this
struggle, has made me see that l can
still scrap. I may he down and out,
but I'm going to struggle to the end"
slip 1t there. old fellow" said the
other. "I was In the same boat when
I saw you about to kill yourself. l
was going to do the same thing. ]
thought I'd have one good fight be-
fore l followed you, and now. like
you, I'm going to keep on scrapping
to the end"
The couple struggled to their feet
and. arm in arm, they staggered weak
ly through the park toward big
electric light, which announced an
ugly brick building as a Salvation
Army Citadel"