Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1902-10-22
THE DESERTlON OF
BRADY AND HARRIS
BY HUGH s. FULLERTON.

~ charge of the goods and chat
tells of Brady and Harris, now con-
tanned in suite %. the Rengaard
lating the circumstances which led
to the conditions now prevailing in
suite % and the story of the deser-
ton of Brady and Harris.
We three lived-that is, slept and
kept our belongings-in suite % for
more than two years. We dwelt to-
gether in comparatively peace and
almost absolute freedom. Twice
each year we had an accounting, and
Strengthened out our bewilderingly
involved finances by the simple
process of canceling all claims on
each other. We criticised each other
ly, and as frankly disregarded the
criticisms.
Brady was poet, and what was
more important from a utillarian
standpoint, he could cook. Harris
was an artist, and / was (and in
deed still any a newspaper man.
We three el<ed out an existence more
or less pleasurable by toiling on
daily papers, and gratified our high
er ambition Gas far as our finances
| permitted) outside of business hours.
| This qualification of higher ambi-
tions led to a voluminous if not lu-
crative corresponding with maya
zine publishers.
There was a fourth partner-Jones,
a copy reader-but Jones was not
of kindred spirit, and departed.
leaving unpaid bills. We three, Bra
dy, the tall, angular poet Harris, the
dlminutive artist; and l, were the
charter members of the commune
which existed in suite %.
In the beginning we three met at
a small French hotel presided over
by Verion. Brady, whom l knew by
name because he had published all
ode to her hair or her eyes or some
thing when / was reading copy down
in New York, was then editing a
children's page, and Harris was
drawing news pictures on a fran
tic afternoon publication. Harris
work consisted principally of draw
ing blood spots on floors, scenes OF
|
with which the murders were com
mitted. His spare time was spent il
outlining lingerie for the ''fashior
column of the supplement. He hac
wonderful ideas of lingerie, but he
had aspirations to paint-to "ge1
into legitimate art" as he said.
We three were drawn togethe1
from the first, attracted because we
were opposite in almost everything
and, before long, we began to aspir,
to an establishment of our own
We planned each to save a portion
OF his weekly wage, to deposit tn,
sums in my tobacco jar. and whel
the sums aggregated $500 to pur
chase furniture and move into al
apartment Then commenced tn,
search for an apartment. Brad,
wanted to live in the suburbs wher
the birds and trees and suniiet
would give him ''inspiration." HI
remained firm in his desire, although
we pointed out the woes of walkin,
many miles after midnight, and ar
gued that he always wrote his DC
ems in the middle of the night. Ha1
ris wanted ''early light" and hinte
at the desirability of having a sky
light in the apartment, not KNOWN
skylights always leak. I was dele
gated to find the apartment, an
shirked assignments many aftel
moons in search of an ideal place.
desired to please both Brady an
Harris, but searched on in loca Etie
where a restaurant and a green or,
Ger were within easy walking di.
, tance. Eventually I discovere
suite %.
The advertisement read:
. ''To rent-Elegant steam-heated apar
ment. Electric light, gas range, tile bat
refrigerator, fine view Of park. Janitor G
premises
| Then a new difficulty arose. Til
5 tobacco jar was not half full, an
: Brady confessed he had appropria
{ ed money to buy books. Brady Wa
, a Bibliomaniac. After we read tt
books and stole some of them y
pardoned him.