Evening journal., 1911-12-28
KEMP DEFENDS
MRS. SINCLAIR
Poet Says Home Was Broken
Up When He Reached
Arden

the collarless Kansan who writes
verses and lives with Mrs. Upton Sin
clair at West Point Pleasant ~ j.. in
q bungalow for which he pays $40 a
month, furnished. mildly depreclates
the notion that he broke up the Sin
clair home. Yesterday he told the
story Of his romance with the wife Of
the author, much of It having to do
with his stay at Arden, Del. Kemp
said he wanted to tell the story-had
never cared a great deal for public
opinion, but now he wanted to be set
right, adding that what he had to say
would show him and Meta" as he
invariably calls Mrs. Sinclair, in their
true light land disprove the nasty
things Upton has been sayiag." Kemp
then went on:
Il Went down to Arden last July
upon Upton's invitation. When ! got
there | found the Sinclair home al
ready broken up Upton had told Meta
he wanted divorce and had driven
her nearly wild by his actions. He
showed her no affection
Kemp said Upton preached free love
He and Meta began TO read poetry
and walk together, he said, and soon
began TO love each other" He says
he finally went to Sinclair and asked
II he were paying too much attention
to Meta. and Sinclair said, mo, go
ahead' Kemp continued:
"Then Upton came to me and want
huf 1
square. He did not know-he came
too late. ! thought he would realize
that he had driven his wife to despcra-
tion until she didn't know what she
was doing. Meta was not TO blame
Upton who had been a radical, then
began TO take the advantages of the
conventional husband. Just as II he
had loved his wife and as If had de-
libcrately alienated her affections.
"Then Meta went 20 New York, !
decided to follow her. ! came to New
York and went to Meta's mothers
home. The next thing we knew Upton
came in on us suddenly one evening.
We talked a while and then he went
away.
80 we fled and went TO Elizabeth.
Upton got his divorce case filed. He
had detectives on our trail and had
lot Of evidence He thought the tes-
timony was 20 be sealed aud he said
a lot OF untrue things abou, us that
he thought wouldn't get out. And
when I saw that | was TO be pictured
as a home-brcaker | thought | might
tell how It seems to me. Il may not
seem the same way TO other people,
but | believe that If they think it over
they will see that the affair came out
the only possible way.
'.tipton has changed color many
times. He still processes friendship
for me. A month or so ago. when
! heard he was all worried and felt
bad about this, ! wrote him letter
saving that we had both been good
and bad. and suggested that we not
have any hard feelings. That was
before he had testified TO what Is un-
true in his divorce suit He wrote
back that he felt all right about 1t.
Kemp hereupon produced the letter.
II follows.
az Claremont avenue, New York,
Nov. 25.
Dear Harry: I received your letter
and appreciate your writing. ! have
never felt any personal anger toward
you. | was sure You would see the
thing differently in the course OF time
and realized that I did all ! could TO
keep you out. The subject is neces-
sarily a painful one, and IL takes time
to wear of the effects hope TO
70 abroad soon, and that when we
meet again it may be to happier ends
In the meantime / wish you success
and am interested in your work as
ever. Sincerely.
Upton Sinclair
Kemp has a weekly allowance OF
$3.50 from Chicago man who Is in
torestcd I'm his work. He ana Mrs
Sinclair are living on $40 a week. He
is making a Lttlo money from ths
sale of poems