The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-08-12
fever RUINED HIM
Young Man Planned to Return
to Military School.
In Delirium of Illness lie Iolu
OF His IndiscretiOns.
nSTATE NORMAL FOR YOU
And His Dreams OF Another
Year of Fun Shattered.
Rut After All Health and DIS
cipIine Prevailed
IAN Neutrality-suspicious.

fAN ATrTOBIOGRAPHYO
HE mother called him tempera-
mental a youth of IA years with the
Ill If a youth of IS or 20 years
nh, nv extensive reading, had ac-
c,,irad tastes other than those OIL INC
,,r,,,,-s+ers in his home town. c"rh-
try village.
His father looked upon him as d
,.,.,,,., fool who hadn't learned tnlns
In school for two years excepting 70
rorl cigarettes and play cards III INC
back alleys and hay barns. - those
TIa AGREED with his mother IN Ihose
daIs As the years roll on he rs pc
Ginning to believe his father hao
keen insight into human La ~ cold
No matter who was right the c1le
fac+ faced his parents that ms stuuieS
in the high school of the NepIst nc
tn,vn had ended. The principal OF ths
school and the superintendent I,e-
aereod that his presence would new
..5ace a schoolroom as long as inc
Snard Of education kept them there
To a Military School.
,rL.+ caused a decision to send MN
e., MILITARY school in Missouri his
mother believed the school "uuIu
bring him in touch with loeais, i+h
ueraments and habits OF youths VIZ
an imaginative mind such as sne
a. III fnr her SON. Father didn't
believe he could learn any more ueVll
,,er+ there than at home and, maybe,
tbt- Instructors could force him 10 get
M in the mornings, if nothing else .1
Then, too" added MS Ialnei
am planning on a year of real steep l
49, intend to stay awake half the
nights wondering if you are dlsgraclns
The family again. Now, no need 10
arr,,e I'm aware of the fact that
I.ye got to keep you until you are q
years old and l am going 10 90 my
best Tor YOU up to that time.
m gossips of the town looked upon
the strange venture of the couple Win
one son from various angles some
pitied the parents others pitied the
boy. some condemned the teachers An
had an opinion which always, sooner
or .ater, travelled back to the man
actors as does all gossip IN silali
Kept Noses Elevated
Mother. father and son kept their
noses well elevated in the air and be-
gan preparations for the departure
Two new trunks were coaXed from
father, altho he declared that the one
used IN the family for years was good
enough Silk hose supplanted those
of a cheaper texture, silk underwear
was ordered from the city, two suits OF
clothes were purchased despite the
fact that the school furnished uni
forms and forced the students to wear
them all the time. Last but not least
was a derby hat. the kind affected by
the boys from the university, on their
return for a summer vacation.
Finally the day in late August ar
rived. Mother, father and son
marched to the station, their heads
in the air. not deigning to note the
popping of neighbors from behind cur
tains. but terribly aware of them just
MOfhar cried of
father looked sterner than ever. yet
slipped an extra bill into his sons
hand just before the plug which came
up from the main line pulled out.
A Day of Dreams.
It was a day and night of dreams
for the youth, dreams that have never
been dreamed before or since-tnat
trip through st. Joseph, that wonder
full old union station at Kansas City.
topped off with a daring stroll along
Union avenue Then a midnight trip
through Missouri. arriving at his des-
tination at o'clock in the morning.
Arrived at the school, the youth be-
gan to be disillusioned. AS he stood
in one of the dormitories. barracks
was the name given, looking for
teacher with a sword, he heard some
one shout:
"Der-b-e-e"
A dozen youths swept down on him.
was the center of their attention, as
lorg as it stayed together. That wasn't
long. Five minutes later he was
dragged into room, placed over
trunk face downward and each of the
vouths-there were the cadets of more
than a years standing-took a trunk
strap and bore down on certain sec
lions of his anatomy with the same.
The agony was finally ended and he
Vas directed to the major in charge,
Latin in high school at Kansas City,
Mo. He was assigned a room and les
sons.
Slept on Stomach.
That night as he lay on his stom-
ach on the bed, forcing the tears
away, the tormentors of the afternoon
came in again. This time they were
in a patrOnizing mood and willing to
smoke the first package of Fatimas he
had ever seen or purchased in his life.
Now, old man. said the leader
It's all over. You're one of the gang
What we're going to do is to pull off
our annual stunt, a rough house, to-
night Taps will blow-theyll tell you
what that means-go to bed. Right aft
er it blows is when We'll pull off the
rough house. You grab your chair,
jump out in the hall, sling it down the
hall and yell, not once, but two, tire,
and four times Come, now be a good
oOO0N anu AlCAp US OUT.
Regular "DeviI' Now.
The youth from she country con-
sented eagerly After the last cigar
cite had gone. the old cadets left.
pledging him to secrecy from the I'M
initiated. Trembling in his new
nightie, the youth waited in his room.
Taps blew. He grabbed chair.
sprang into the hall and hurled it
down the corridor, emptying his lungs
with an unearthly yell at the same
time. Not another sound was heard
until door slammed and he heard
someone rushing up the stairs
He hurried into his room and
jumped into bed. Doors began slam
ming. Finally his door was opened
and through half closed eyes he dis
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