The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-10-26
,SWATTY

When school was nearly out Swatty
got up and started to walk down his
aisle and up the next. like he was going
out for drink. but Miss Murphy, who
was doing an example on the black
board for the B class, turned around
and saw him.
Where are you going" she asked.
like tacks in a bottle.
Just to get drink" said Swatty.
You take your seat this Instant"
said Miss Murphy. and when she said
it Swatty started to run. but she got
there first and headed him OFF, and
grabbed him by the arm. He kicked at
her shins, but she gave him a shake
that made him see stars. and marched
him back to the end Of the room. ]
thought she was going to take him to
his seat. but she didn't
Our school house has four rooms on
q fioor-two in front and two in the
back, and the hall comes in the middle.
but 1t don't run all the way from
front to back. In the middle in front
on the second floor there is a little room
with some books in It. and they call 1t
the library. It has one window and
| three doors-one into the hall. and one
into our room, and one into the room
Swatty into that room and locked all
three doors. So she had him safe until
she got ready to lick him.
So Swatty waited until school was
out Then he had to wait until Miss
Murphy got rid of the ones she had
kept in to write their names five hun
dred times and things like that. but
he didn't wait. He opened the window
| and looked out, and right below him
was the peak roof OF the porch. 1t
| wasn't very big, and 1t was slated, and
i II he slipped he'd be goner and break
| a leg or something, but he got onto the
window sill and hung down with his
hands on the sill. and dropped. He
dropped straddle of the roof and hung
on the best way he could
| He said the only thing he thought
about was what a fool he had been not
to shut the window. but it was June
and most Of the. windows were wide
open. anyway. and I guess Miss Muir
ply didn't notice. She unlocked the
door and looked into the room and
Swatty wasn't there. Then I guess she
thought maybe somebody had come to
the library room for a book and had
let Swatty out. She never put her head
out Of the window at all. So she was
beaten that time. and she went home.
| So Swatty waited until the janitor
had swept all the rooms and started to
sweep the walk. and he hollered to him.
It is none Of a janitors business who
gets licked or who don't. guess, so he
came up to the library room andshelped
Swatty get into tho window. He just
laughed about 1t.
school just the same as always. but
ar he IA ha Nd
Bony came with him.
| Are You fellows going to school this
afternoon Swatty asked.
Yes" said, amt your"
go and get licked? I guess mott" he
said. I'm going down to the river"
| What are you going to do down at
the river?" Bony asked.
| Going to look at 1t; what you think
I'm going to dor" said Swatty.
| Well. looking at it wasn't q bad
thing to do. because the river was
away up. and when the river is UP it is
worth looking at.
| well, guess she'll be mighty high
by Saturday" said Bony.
mo, she won't" said Swatty, be
cause she's going 20 begin falling to-
day. the paper says. Why don't you
come along down with me?"
Yes. and get licked for staying out
OF school" I said.
All right for you fellows. then"
said Swatty. If you were going to get
licked I'd just want to do something SO
could get licked. too. Don't I always
stick by you fellows? And when I'm
going to get licked you back on me.
You're fraid cats"
who's a fraid- cat ?" I asked. for
don't let anybody call me that.
You are" said Swatty. And SOS
Bony. You're afraid to stay out of
school one afternoon. You're afraid to
stay out the day the river hits high
water mark. You'll look nice. won't
you. with Just you and Bony and a lot
Of girls In SCHOOL,"
WHO said we'd be the only kids
theref I asked.
who said 1t? Why. I said It. You
don't think any kids will go to school
this afternoon. do you? Everybody will
be down at the 1evee-men and every
body. II the river don't drop this at
ternoon she'll go over the island levee.
And you sit around school like 1t was
"a common day. Why. It's Ike-like
election, or Fourth of July, or some
thing like that. It's worse than when
the ice goes out"
| Well, I never knew a boy to get lick
ed for staying out Of school when the
ice was going out Of the river. He gets
kept in the next day. or something, but
nobody can blame a boy for wanting
to see the ice go out. not even a teach
er. So guessed I'd go with Swatty,
If could sneak It Bony didn't want
to go much, but he didn't like both OF
US to call him a fraid-cat, so he came.
We kept in the alley all the way down
to Indian Creek. and Indian Creek was
worth seeing. tell you.
Mostly there Is nothing in 1t but a
little bit OF water twisting along in the
wet sand, away down in the bottom of
the creek bed. but now the creek was
full right up to the top, and there were
row boats moored in it We played in
the rowboats awhile. until a man came
and chased US away. and then we went
down along the creek to the river.