The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1915-09-30
DEAD FLAT BROKE"
By BARBARA RHODES.


the death OF her husband, Mrs. Burt
had come into our little bohemian
community, timid but beautiful. unas-
Stunning but having the staying talent
OF q careful artist She CHANGED to
rent the studio and living room OF
apartments on the floor directly below
that where had been located for two
years. She set at work bravely. great
iy encouraged by the praise OF old
Tom Taylor. the dean of our little iso-
lated community.
with the last days OF autumn nearly
every member Of our group left the
big chilly city for California. II was
q pleasant hegira, planned for ever
since the preceding winter. To those
who had been bile to save up two
hundred dollars, six months Of useful
sketch work amid an utter disdain for
the usual grinding care OF artist life.
was guaranteed. Neither Mrs. Burt
nor myself were among the lucky. We
probably had less than hundred dol
lars between us whom hard. biting
winter came on.
Then Helen-Mrs. Burt-became III.
She would not acknowledge II; she
was not altogether incapacitated from
work. but day by day she seemed to
fade. l was shocked when ! learned
from the lady who sublet the apart,
ments that she was In dire distress.
ITS food she needs. and rest. and
care" the sood woman advised. and
she gave me some details OF the depri-
vauons of mother and child that sad
dened and then aroused me.
From the first the little one had
taken to me. From the first Mrs.
Burt had shown q confiding friendli.
ness that made me proud. I loved
her. but never allowed her 10 suspect
H. ! laughed. too. at the thought OF
myself, practically q pauper. offering
to take on q new responsibility.
did go TO Mrs. Burt and set before
her the grim condition OF our mutual
unfortunate environment In plain.
naked fact. I treated II. however, as
transient. common 10 the artistic lot.
an experience to be considered lightly.
Better days would come"
My assumed cheerfulness raised her
spirits. but only for q time She con.
fessed that she was at her last re-
source. She asked me to take one
OF her finished pictures and borrow on
Il, II I could not sell IT, I stored Il
away In my own room and brought
her some money from a fictitious
money loaner. Thus with the other
three pictures. and ! found myself Cat
broke.
I shall never forget the evening
when I wandered forth from my room
in search OF food for Helen and the
little one. was desperate. We could
no longer expect the landlady to bear
the burden OF our delinquent room
rent. She was wretchedly poor. with
few applications for the rooms our
journeying associates had abandoned
You who have never been At the
point where utter isolation from
friends, gnawhg hunger. penniless
ness. cold. helplessness. have massed
up like grim giants. crushing you
empowering you. can never realise
the black despair OF my situation at
that crisis hour OF my life. I stag.
sered along the street like one dis
tracted as I thought OF Helen and her
child. I was seized with the impulse
to smash In a window filled with
costly gems and run for my life.
saw portly. well-dressed man lei
surely approaching me. He was smok
Ing . cigar. at peace with all the
world. warm, we'll fed. rich. held
out my hand for q pittsnce. With Q
srowl he swept me out OF his path. ]
turned down an obscure alley,
ashamed OF my mendicant act. Ny
foot slipped on the icy pave 40 II
kicked and then stepped on some o.
structins object I lifted II up-s
pocketbook.
I opened II with trembling hands
and starting eyes. thrilled.
shouted, I babbled riotously a. I drew
forth q ten-dollar bill. Inside OF Il
was folded a strip of paper. but that
! thrust recklessly into my pocket.
IL was as | reached my own room
again that CHANGED to take out the
slip OF paper that had been inclossd.
! started as ! read: Finder: For the
sake Of humanity take this note 10
the police at once. Room with the
red curtain. fourth story. In deadly
peril"
l did not 60 to the police. Only
half comprehending the situation, I
FASTENED back to the spot where had
found the pocketbook. I scanned ths
building backing upon the alley.
Fourth story-red curtsin"-I made
out the spot against the light In Q
room beyond. climbed up Q fire
escape running beside the window
with the red curtain.
The window was slightly raised, the
curtain tapped aside. / saw q man
lying chained to bed. Within Eve
minutes ! learned that he was the
captive OF a set OF desperadoes hold
Ing him for q ransom. Within Ave
more had him free OF his bonds and
down TO the street