The Lamar register., 1915-11-03
dead FLAT BROKE"
BY BARBARA RHODES.

Stunning but having the staying talent
of a 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
ly encouraged by the praise of old
Tom Taylor, the dean OF our little iso-
lated community.
WIZ me last days OF autumn nearly
every member of our group left the
big chilly city for California. 1t was
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 disdaln for
the usual grinding care OF artist life,
was guaranteed. Neither Mrs. Burt
nor myself were among the lucky. We
probably had less than a hundred dol
lars between us when hard. biting
winter came on.
Then Helen-Mrs. Burt-became Ill
She would not acknowledge IT,; she
was not altogether incapacitated from
work. but day by day she seemed to
fade. was shocked when | learned
from the lady who sublet the apart
ments that she was In dire distress
It's food she needs. and rest. and
care" the good woman advised. and
she gave me some details OF the depri-
yations 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 a confding friendli-
ness that made me proud. / loved
her. but / never allowed her to suspect
It. laughed. too, at the thought of
myself. practically a pauper, Offering
to take on a new responsibility.
I did go to Mrs. Burt and set before
her the grim condition OF our mutual
unfortunate environment in plain.
naked fact. treated II, however, as
transient. common to the artistic lot.
an experience to be considered lightly.
Better days would come"
Ny assumed cheerfulness raised her
spirits. but only for 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
It, II / could not sell It. stored It
away in my own room and brought
her some money from a fictitious
money loaner. Thus with the other
three pictures, and found myself fat
broke.
/ 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. gnawing hunger. penniless-
ness, cold. helplessness, have massed
up like grim giants. crushing you,
overpowering you, can never realize
the black despair OF my situation at
that crisis hour OF my life. / stag
gered along the street like one dis.
tracted as thought of Helen and her
child. l was seized with the impulse
to smash in a window filled with
costly gems and run for my life.
l saw a portly. well-dressed man lei
surely approaching me. He was smok
ing a cigar. at peace with all the
world. warm, well fed. rich. / held
out my hand for a pittance. With
growl he swept me out Of his path.
turned down an obscure alley,
ashamed OF my mendicant act. My
foot slipped on the icy pave as II
kicked and then stepped on some OBJ
structing object l lifted It up-s
pocketbook.
l opened 1t with trembling hands
and starting eyes. l thrilled.
shouted. babbled riotously as l drew
forth a ten-dollar bill. Inside of It
was folded a strip OF paper. but that
l thrust recklessly into my pocket.
1t was as l reached my own room
again that l CHANGED to take out the
slip OF paper that had been inclosed.
l started as read: Finder: For the
sake OF humanity take this note to
the police at once. Room with the
red curtain. fourth story. In deadly
peril"
l did not go to the police. Only
half comprehending the situation,
FASTENED back to the spot where | had
found the pocketbook- scanned the
building backing upon the alley
Fourth story-red curtain"-I made
ont the spot against the HIGHT in a