The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-16
PIE FIRST LOVE
Appetite for RaiSin Pastry
Wrecks Washburn Boys Life.
Girl He Would Marry Could Not
Cook "GOOdie."
AT HASH HOUSE REUNION
Old BOarders Tell of Sad Fate
of "JOe Kenyon"
Clate Brown Relates Effort to
Save Pals From Ruin.


house was well under way Pete
Lexington sang Casey Jones'" The
air had been a popular one when the
eleven assembled men and women had,
three years before, gathered around
and. regardless of harmony or discord,
made the windows to rattle with the
words. 1t may have been the song
or it may have been the fact that
someone remembered that Joe Kenyon
always sang the loudest on such occa-
Sions that turned the trend of con-
versation into reminiscent channels.
Two or three of the alumni were
missing and Kenyon was one of them
Ben Cohen was safely accounted for
He married a girl in Little Rock and
lived in Frisco. Gertie McFerren had
n job in the movies. Speculation arose
as to the whereabouts of Kenyon. No
one volunteered to say. He left Mrs.
McGrath'S, it was remembered, carry
ing a grip containing am extra pair
of trousers and TWO or three neckties;
enough money to buy ticket to KAN
sas City and enough optimism to con-
vince himself fame would meet him
somewhere near Lawrence. Incident
ally he also carried a Washburn col
lege diploma. wrested from the insti-
tuition in something like seven years
effort.
been predicted despite his college rec
ord. He was a big youngster, weigh
ed $50 pounds, had the required
amount of egotism to get by IN the
world and had been a star on the loot
ball team. He was a sort of tenn
peramental fellow and possessed suffi-
Cient debts to place him in good stand
ing at Mrs. McGrath's. 1t was not
until his activities were becoming
dark mystery, that Clate Brown en-
tered the conversation
Kenyon Woman Halter.
You all probably remember"
Brown said, as he helped himself to
a fresh cigaret from 'Snity. Lees
case. kenyon was woman mater anu
"a fiend for raisin pie. The first time
he came to Mrs. McGrath's he was
carting cane suitcase in one hand
and a raisin pie in the other.
NO" he unused minute thru
cloud of smoke, won't say he was
woman hater. I'll say he was phll-
anderer One day he was trying to de-
eide which one of six girls he would
marry and then he would get sore at
them and the next day he wouldn't
have any.
He loved 'em all and then he ran
away. On retreat he would grow
despondent and declare the woman he
would marry never was torn. He al
ways scoffed. you remember, when
any of US would prophes. some fair
damsel would nail him fair and prop
er.
well. I met Kenyon in st. Louis
two wears ago. He'd been nailed all
right. The girl was one of these cling
ing vine specimens. She had great
big doll eyes and a mass OF yellow
hair. She had trained Kenyon to the
extent that he would wash his teeth,
patronize a Greek shine parlor amt
had quit wearing red neckties. He
was tame as Il Palestine lamb. He
had a good job with big law firm
and was III line to become a Junior
PARTNER
Then missed seeing Kenyon for
nearly n month. In the meantime l
married Kate here and rented a four
room flat and was fairly PROSPEROUS
Rose to Be a Barber.
But Kenyon hadn't left st. Louis.
one day l ran across HIM again. He
was working in a barber shop. He
clipped my hair and liked to incin
Grated me with his breath. He was
carrying some cargo. 1 surmised that
he and the girl had busted up and
didn't sa , anything to him about 1t.
However / saw Kenyon often after
that We walked home together
when he wasn't drunk. When he was
] carried him. His Inflated love af-
fair seemed to have finished his
career, insofar as constructive prog
ress, was concerned. lie admitted il
had He said the girl still loved hin,
but he had to give her up
HE didn't say why then but found
out later. I got along with Kenyon
the best l could. He hung to me like
a leech. many times to my great en-
barrassment, but for old times sake ]
tolerated him until one night or rath-
Z, say one morning for it was about 4
o'clock.
MY wife and were awakened by an
unearthly bar g:ng on our door. 1t was
Kenyon. He wanted in.
What for?' 1 asked.
His voice was thick. Other day. he
said. almost weeping, you said I was
losing my manhood and that 1 ought
TO brace-hic-up. Want to show yoU
I am a man. I'm a better man thar
the fellow that borrowed my shirt.
got it back
I'VE gods, what shirt ?" yelled. No
1 don't care what shirt, go away ant
let me Sleep
He wouldn't go tho, and after E
while 1 had to get up and find ou
what it was all about. He had thu
people across the way threatening t.
call the cops. / let him in while Kate
hiked into the bathroom to get out o.
sight and he explained to me. Seems
like lie lent some fellow barber a shir
and afterwards the borrower refused
TO give 1t a, to him He, With tn,
had gone to the fellows room anC
taken it off his back. TIL thing wa
in shreds. bu+ he declared the victor,
was worth it.
Dodging Old Pal.
We'll. that settled things. TIL,
owner of the flat. under a fire o.
complaints for others therein, told mi
had to keep things Quieter, cas- thi
was a family flat. I began dodgins
Kenyon. He found it out and it mad
him go get drunk again. One da!
the girl called me up and said sh'
wanted me to find Jack. straightel
him out and bring him out to he
house She said in substance to tel
him she wanted to marry him as sh
promised. I had a bunch 1t nigh
straighten him up for good If the tw,
Of us could get him back on tn
straight and narrow path. I went thrl
I,nf L found him hut