Arizona republican., 1919-11-24


just recovering from the surprise of a
visit from Patience Worth. the invisible
but loquacious English girl who is sup
posed to have lived here and been
killed by Indians $50 years ago.
Usually Patience hovers convenient
ly over the home of Mr.. and Mrs. James
Curran in st. Louis, frequently de-
scending upon Mrs. Curran with bursts
of epigrams and poetry. But when
Mrs. Curran came on to New York,
Patience came with her. Here, in spite
of the narrowing memories that her
early adventure with the Indians, must
have had for her she spent al most
productive ten days, obliging a large
audience with from nine to fourteen
poems every afternoon and talking off
altogether $4,000 words of verse. In
addition TO this, she offered a number
of valuable suggestions for the screen
ing of one of her books, which she die
tated to Mrs. Curran a couple of years
ago.
The meetings in which Patience
manifested her peculiar skill for pro-
ducing a rapid fire of verse. were held
in the apartment of Mr.. and Mrs. Her
man Behr, who are great admirers of
her genius The public was invited,
artists and actors came in great num-
bers, crowding the Behr drawing room
beyond its capacity for chairs, part of
it standing patiently for two hours
while Mrs. Curran communicated with
Patience on the ouija board.
At the last meeting nearly 300 people
were admitted TO the room, Mrs. Behr
declaring Hospitality that she did not
care how many came so long as they
did not stand on her chairs. While no
one had quite the temerity to do that,
several found a comfortable resting
place and an excellent view of the pro-
ceedings on the top of a grand piano.
Promptly at O'Clock, the meeting
was called TO order, and everyone
stopped telling what he had heard
about Patience Worth and stared Curl
ously as an attractive looking woman
in light grey dress with rather SOM
Der eyes, untidy hair and dropping jade
ear rings, pushed her way through the
crowd and took her place before a
small table in front of the large GEN.
trail fireplace, where a cheerful log fire
burned.
She has the mediums eyes" said a
woman somewhere in the audience, and
everyone leaned forward expectantly.
Mrs. Curran. however. made no at
tempt to create a spooky impression
She began by saying that people had
been unkind enough to call her fraud
and assert that her publishers were
using Patience Worth as money
making proposition, whereas she was
not a fraud and Patience was not al
all remunerative. In six years, she de-
clared, the royalties on her books had
amounted to only 1900. Then she
went on to confide that she had adopted
bay girl when she was only twelve
days old and three pounds big, and
that the money made from Patience's
poetry was being used to educate this
founding.
"Will you please come forward
now?' She motioned to young wom-
an with blond hair, who emerged from
a corner and took seat at the OPP
posite side of the table, placing hel
hand in contact with Mrs. Currans or
the ouija board. At the same time, 9
man with a clever, interesting face
adorned with tortoise shell glasses, who
soon turned out to be Mr.. Curran, sa'
down at an adjoining table and pro-
duced pen and note paper for record
ing Mistress Worth's poetry.
Il hear q lot of hoof beats" de
clared Mrs. Curran, as soon as sh,
started moving her hand over tn.
board. Her voice was calm and natural
Il never see anything. ! only hear it.
Almost Immediately, Patience evi
IDENTIFY started to talk, because Mrs
Curran began rapidly debating a poem
half spelling, half saying it. The vers,
had to do with noble deeds and the 10,
OF self sacrifice. When Mr. CurraI
finished reporting it, he read it TO tn,
audience. from which it drew murnur
of fervent admiration.
Isn't it lovely?" asked Mrs. Curray
Patience is doing good work today"
Il just want to say said the lad.
who had supplied the other necessar.
hand for the ouija board, that thos
we're the very thoughts in my mind a
sat here. | had the idea that ! SHOULD
like to do something ennobling for tn
world, even at the price of a grea
sacrifice"
She retired to the front row of tn
audience, and another lady came for
ward to supply Patience with inspira
ton, while the hostess rose and de
manded to know if Mr.. Ibanez wa
present. Mr.. Ibanez was not so Mrs
Curran again proceeded to get in toucl
with Patience This time the poem
spoke Economically of communion witt
the beloved and the newcomer at tn
ouija board, who was dressed j
mourning. testified to the fact tina
Patience had also managed to read he
thoughts-that she had come to tn
table concentrating on the thought 0
communion with her husband afte
death.
The next Quit board assistnt was
young man in a grey suit, with a plum
and practical countenance, who wa
rather self conscious about his rol,