The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-01-15

her destitute. In reply Steele denied
all the charges and brought coun.
ter suit In the Colorado courts.
In . letter to the Colorado courts
Mrs. Steele declared that az result
Of her husbands action she had
been reduced from affluence to al.
rect poverty and had been forced to
work as a mental to live. There
were other charges said to be Of an
even more serious nature. The
young woman won a divorce with
the right to reassume her maiden
name.
Just before the divorce and dur.
ing the period IN which she
charged, she had been deserted.
Mrs. Steele gave series Of read
ings and lectures on her fathers
works through the East. Sud
denly the news came from Port
land, Me-, that she had been COM
mitted to the poorhouse. At first
this was not believed, but the facts
were soon forthcoming.
Mrs. Steele had quit the lecture
platform suddenly and had gone to
the fashionable Sherwood family
hotel in Portland, where she re-
ma,ned several months. Her hus-
band had sent hsr SIS weekly al
lowance and she had rejected It
CONTEMPORARY. She failed to paw
her rent in the hotel, and went
to Camp Elizabeth for q few
months. Then she went to the
Lafayette Hotel to live. Still she
paid no board, but SO great was
her beauty and charm Of mannc.'
that for a long time she was not
embarrassed by the management.
PLACED IN ALIMSHOUSE.
Finally she was requested to
leave. A. Portland society matron
sheltered her temporarily, but Mrs
Steele's conduct became uncon-
ventional. and she soon found her
self adrift again and virtually
pAnniless. The hotel people brough;
suit for the unpaid bills, and Mrs.
Steele was committed to the aims
house.
When friends ir New York came
to her assistance she returned to
this city and took a suite at the
Martha Washington Hotel. where
she said:
81 was forced into that situa-
ton In Portland by the treatment
Of my husband. that and nothing
else. For a long time he treated
me in a way that no woman could
or would stand. I was absolutely
forced to leYve him. lie has tried
In every way to compel me to re-
turn. He told me that until I did
he would not give me one penny
towar! my support That was a
year ago-and he has kept his
word.
IF had become indebted In a
modern town, possibly little would
have been thought Of the matter.
As 1t was, I was doubly unfcr-
tunate in owing 5000 in a town
like Portland. I might as well have
owed a million as $500 there. The
matter would rot have been looked
upon as a greater crime. I say
crime because every one there
seems to think It was such. But
II I had not been Ill with rheu-
matte fever would never have
owed that much. I was unable to
attend to either my literary work
or my parlor entertaining.
I'm the stories they have told
about my being insane and one of
my Bret Harte evenings proving
a failure on this account they
have not told how Ill 1 was or that
I had given several successful
ones before. -
STRUGGLE FOR FAME.
II do not think my misfortunes
have been SO much greater than
those Of many others in the begin.
ming of a literary career. 1t is always
a bitter struggle, and there are many
trials and setbacks. I can make a
success. though. and will prove It..
Among other things, have just com.
pleted a dramatization Of Thankful
Blossom one Of my fathers stories,
which I have reason to believe will
soon be produced. I have finished
and sold some short stories and
written three monologues for my
own use. I have called them My
seamstress From Maine AT the
New York Putsic Library and The
Actress and the Manager am also
practicins hard to improve my voice.
1 have recently been told by we'll.
known musical critics that I DOS.
sess money-making dramatic so.
prano. Ihope II is true. hope, most
Of all, to obtain a good church posi-.
ton.