The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-06-10
CHAPTER 5S2.

CHAPTER 5S2.
 Copyright, 1920, King Features Syndicate. Inc.)
 On the morning after the sad hasco of getting help from Carl Booth awoke to the problem which strange ly enough, had not kept me sleep less all the night long, The Star advertising account had to be paid. The bills that were pi1ing up all about me, and that seemed on the verge of showing A. L. Harrison and Com. pany under, must be met. And I hadn't a cent.
 I reviewed my situation in the for lorn hope that I'd think of someone to whom I could go, remembering some method which I hadn't consid- cred.
 Cut off from Pat by my quarrel with Virginia, unable in dignity and decency to ask anything further of Carlotta, who has so generously open ed her home to me, there was ac- tually no one in all the city to whom I could go. Betty, Terry, Tony and Tom are all out of reach, even if I felt it fair to bother them. The talisman Lane Cosby once gave me is locked in the safe at Dreamwold and, supposing I could persuade myself to ask Virginia for it. and then bring
 
 aid to me in time to do any good. The Pettingflls are as far away as the Crosbys.
 "In this crisis of your affairs" I told myself, you're all alone and strictly on your own.'
 There didn't seem one thing for me to do. And yet I knew that I would have to contrive sonething-or per init to go to the wall the business from which I hoped so much help would come to Jim. Pm glad to realize that in my most desperate mo- ment I didn't feel a, flicker of regret because I hadn't asked Carl to help me.
 I'd been fair to Carl. Now how could I be equally fair to myself and my business? As dressed to go down to the office, which began to seem doubly and triply important in my life as it began to seem more and more dubious if I could keep it. I started wond ering what Jim would have done last night had he been I?
 ''The Cordovas!'' I muttered with g. startled feeling that Jim would a1- ways find some one to help him some one to use-in a crisis. I won der if he's being! fair to them?"
 Realizing that I was letting worry make me bitter and v;ndictive and morbid as well, I caught my mind back from its dangerous meanderings and pondered my mmediate problem sturdily as I finished dressing.
 How shall I get money? How shall I get money today? How shall make good my promise to send my check to the Star? And after that how can I get more money-enough to pay my bills?''
 Bitterly I went over and over these unanswerab1e questions, real izing that if Dick West hadn't set fire to my apartment and done me out of my rent check from the sub letting tenant, I wouldn't be facing this blank wall. Defeat was bad enough. Defeat by Dick West was unthinkable. Just as I was starting wearily and haIf-hearted1y for the breakfast room, the telephone rang and a moment later Carlotta's voice sounded across the hall telling me I was wanted on the wire.
 Hopefully I lifted the receiver. It might be Tom. It might be Evvy returning from the vain mission to capture Dick West on the long trail northward to the town where he and Dad Lee had first met, But the first syllables of greetings told me how vain my bones had been.
 Hello, Anne-Daisy speaking,'' came the half-surly, half-pert voice of my ex-protegee. 'I must see you on a matter of grave importance