The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-16
CHAPTER ELEVEN Continued

CHAPTER ELEVEN CContmueo)
"Then why are you leaving?
You'll have a hard time finding
anything else at that price"
THE price is very reasonable" he
agreed, embarrassed. 'But the fact
of the matter is have to- econo-
mize. I'm not making anything, you
see."
She stared at him, distressed.
you'll have to eat somewhere"
at think" he explained gently,
chat I might be able to eat for
less"
II couldn't possibly make my
prices any less o.. :"
Il don't expect you to, Mrs. Ben
ton. But I thought I might find a
place where I can get my own
meals. So long as I'm not doing
anything else, you know
well" she said, that's for you
to decide"
He almost ran over Sally as he
went out, but for once she had no
retort ready for him.
TIME two days following ne spent
l. searching for cheaper loca-
lions for a room, with little success.
The ones he found for less money
than he was paying were UNFIT TO
live in, not even possessing the VIZ
tue of being clean.
He returned to the Sanctury OF
his home over the garage. appre-
ciating it doubly. The furniture was
old and shabby, but II vas orderly
and scrupulously neat. There was
a shower bath, and last, but not
least, the blue glimpse Of hollywood
hills, which he had learned to love.
Sitting on the narrow iron bed,
he counted his funds and found
them perilously low. AS a conceS-
sion to his mother, he had bought
a return-trip ticket promising to
come back for a visit" He must
save enough money for food for
some time to come, regardless OF
where he slept, or OF that otner
important detail-a daily bath.
In the end he rented a room in
Los Angeles on Temple street. A
room containing a gas stove so
greasy and dirty that he was CRATE
full no one else could see 1t.
Here, although he had never
cooked a meal in his life, Howell
began that chase of his existence
which he hoped would be written up
afterward as the period when "Ho-
well Sheffield touched bottom"
Nothing less than the vision OF fu-
t,lre success could have made such
living possible.
He learned to hate the sight OF
a can of beans with a fierce, indy
ing hatred; yet, because there was
nothing so filling for the money, re-
turned to them time after time.
He ate cheese and wholewheat
bread without butter, using his
scientific knowledge of the value OF
certain foods, with unappetizing
repetition.
He left Mrs. Benton's without a
word of farewell to Sally, which was
as much her fault as his. But he
had given his address to Mrs. Ben
otn. in case there was mail, and
the-e were times when he hoped
Sally might realize the enornity OF
her offense and write. apologizing.
This, however, she did not do, and
the days heightened into weeks
without any word from her or any
change In his situation.
Once, on his way to the postoffice,
he saw crowd of men pushing each
other about a narrow entrance, and,
crossing the street. learned that it
was the downtown casting office
where men were hired in groups for
mobs, battle scenes, etc.
But after waiting in line for over
an hour he was told that this serv-
ice was for veterans only, and being
too young to have participated in
any wars there was nothing to do
but fight his way back to the street