The Omaha Sunday Bee . I
VUgazm
"Pretty Polly Chase
Is Up a Tree Just
Like Barrie's Famous
'Peter Pan.' Will
Lady Scott Be Strong
Enough to Shake Her
Down? Everybody
.Wonders."
sreiicarnent
Shall She Give Up Being Adopted
Daughter of the World's Richest
Playwright to Let Him Marry Haughty Lady
Scott, the Antarctic Hero's Widow?
And Who'll Be Pretty Polly's
Papa Then? Everybody Wonders
THESE aro the characters In a
real life drama of to-day that
has more psychological and
sentimental complexities than any
Ibsen or Plnero play: '
Blr Jamos Matthew Barrio, author
of "The Little Minister," "Peter
Pan," eta, etc.
Lady Scott,' widow of England's
Antarctic hero, sculptress, woman
of stern Idealism.
Polly Chase, onco a "Pink Pajama
Girl" In the Unltod States, now
adopted daughter of Barrio and on
actress of universally recognized
charm and talent
A report has been current In very
well Informed quarters In London
that Barrio was about to marry
Lady Scott Undoubtedly thoy are
very Intimate friends, and tho
author considers himself responsible
for the future of tho widow's little
son, Petor. It has even been stated
that the pair had been secretly mar
ried. This statemont was promptly
denied, but no Information about
future plana could bo obtained. Bar
lie himself mado this rather pur
pling statemont: .
"There Is no reason why Lady
Scott should not remarry. And
equally there is no reason why, It
sho decides to remarry, sho should
keep the matter secret"
Now, according to those who have
studied the Intricacies of this sit
uation the real obstacle to the mar
riage of Barrio and Lady Scott Is
Dimply Polly Chase. Barrie adopted
Polly some years ago, when be waB
still living with his first wife. It Is
understood that ho then made her
the principal heir to his fortune,
which is estimated at $2,500,000, al
most entirely derived from his enor
mously successful playa. It is sold
that "Tho Little Minister" alone
yielded him $450,000. America has
contributed hundreds of thousands
of dollars to the playwright's cof
fers. He received tho title of baro
net In 1913, which makes him "Sir
James Matthew Barrie."
Lady Scott, it is affirmed, could
not enduro as stepdaughter Polly
Chase, the actress and former "Pink
Pajama Girl." Lady Scott you see,
lives most of the time on the heights
of Parnassus, devoted to fine art, the
memories of a boiolc husband and
the Idealistic education of her chil
dren. "Disown Polly Chase or you can
not marry me," Is In effect Lad
Scott's last word to Barrie,
Will Polly relinquish her pleasanj
position as adopted daughter of the
most successful and wealthy play
wright of the day? It seems a. great
deal to expect of her. Will Barrie
disinherit her? That Is too cruol an
act to expect from a man of his
nmlable charactor,
Barrie's original course In adopt
ing a charming and woll-grown
young woman of tho stage will ap
pear rather puzzling to many simple
minded people. It can only be un
derstood by those who have mado
a thorough study of all the author's
writings. To those who have mas
tered the extraordinary psychology
revealed by such books as "Sontl
mental Tommy," and "Tommy and
Grlzol," no sentimental action by
Barrio need appear surprising. It
may safely bo said that there la
nothing of the red-blooded primitive
man, "the man's man" of Americas
Action, about Barrio. He is gentlo
and subtle.
Five yoars ago Barrie obtained a
divorced from his tlret wife, formerly
Mary Ansell, a very handBomo Eng
lish actress. He obtained It on the
ground of her relations with Gilbert
Cannan, a rising young critic, who
In the intervals of calling on MrB,
Barrio was trying to ' improve the
stage censorship. The evidence
showed that ho had repeatedly
abused Barrie's hdspltallty. Barrie
ottered to forgive his wife it she
would express contrition, but she
wouldn't. He wept when he went
Into court Then he gave a house
In London, a house In the country
and a handsome Income for life to
his divorced wife.
The first Mrs. Barrie was not alto
gether pleased with Polly Chase as
an adopted daughter. The senti
mental Barrie discovered that Polly
was tho ideal child of his dreams
from the nrst time he set eyes on
her. Originally sho had' made her
success in musical shows. In which
shapely limbs wero the great attrac
tion. She went to London from
America and after some other ex
porlonces obtained an engagement
as one of the children In the first
production of "Peter Pan."
It was then that she pleased Bar
rie so much. In tho next production
of "Peter Pan" sho played the title
part and made an Immense success.
She proved that she possessed talent
of a serious order.
Nature has marked Barrie as a
man to be blessed witb many women
friends. With so much sentiment
and so much money ha was sure to
be favored in tho,t way.
They Include many
types or reminlnlty and
among them one of the
most distinguished Is
Lady Scott.
When tho late Captain Robert P.
8cott went away on his last voyage
to the south polar regions ho loft
his wlfo and family In a sense In tho
care of Barrie. Ho knew Barrie's
generous and tender nature, his love
for children and his unsblflsh devo
tion to women.
Barrie Is extremely fond of chil
dren and naturally enough ho never
had any of his own. He has written
much about children and he has
shown a strong propensity for
adopting other children besides
Polly Chase.
When the Captain and his com-,
pantons died heroically In the polar
wastes, one of his last messages
was addressed to Barrie and related
to his son Peter.
"Give the boy a chance, If the
state won't do It He ought to have
good stuff In him," tho Captain
wrote.
This solemn message mado the
8cott widow a sacred trust to the
large herd playwright. Ho re
gards Captain Scott's children as hla
own. ' The Captain's message re
ferred to his four-year-old son,
Peter,, but there Is another boy, born
while tho explorer was away, whom
he never saw.
Lady Scott Is a sculptress of
talent and an Idealist In
many ways. She is try
ing to make her son
Peter a perfect specimen
of manly strength and
beauty, In every way worthy of his
herolo fathor. Ho never wears
shoes, or an; covering upon his
legs. His unconventional costumo
was remarked at the memorial ser
vices In honor of his fathor. He Is
allowed to eco only what is beauti
ful and uplifting in art and nature.
Yet another element enters Into
this complicated situation. That is
the public attitude in England con
cerning Lady Scott's proposed re
marriage. Many persons think that
as the widow of a national hero she
ahould keop herself apart In sacred
and unsullied loneliness. This theory
would make her a sort
of public monument
They point out that
tho nation has done
- much for' her. Tho
tltlo which would have been given
to her husband had ho lived was
given to hor. Her husband's full pay
as a naval captain on active service,
amounting to $4,900 a year, was be
stowed on her. Out of tho public
subscription raised for tho families
of Scott's party, $42,500 was given
to her and $17,500 to hor son, Peter.
Tho King offered her apartments
in Hampton Court Palace, but aho
declined this on tho ground that she
could not carry on hor sculpture
there.
In view of all this many fervent
patriots think Lady Scott would be
ungrateful and undignified if sho ac
cepted tho name and protection of
another huBband. On tho other
hand there is not lacking many good
people who warmly nssert that any
young widow has a right to remarry
and that it is wicked to ask her to
sacrifice herself to the memory of a
dead husband, however heroic. Cap
tain Scott these peoplo argue, would
not havo asked- hor to remain un
married on his own account, but
would uriselflshly havo wished hor
to do the best thing sho could for
herself and tho children.
Nevertheless those who think sho
ought to remain unmarried are In
fluential In her immediate surround
ings. It Is believed that she might
defy them, but sho could only do it
if Miss Polly Chaso would relinquish,
her position as Barrie's adopted
daughter. Some of tho puritans
would perhaps be unkind enough to
speak of tho clover young actress
as "Polly, the Pink Pajama Girl."
Thoy would groan and roll up their
eyes at tho thought that sho wa3
helping to bring up Captain Scott's
Httlo boys. They would say that tho
BritlBh nation had lavished its gen
erosity on Lady Scott in vain.
It "seems then certain that Sir
James Matthew Barrie cannot win
tho hero's widow unless pretty
Polly Chase will extinguish herself
and that is asking too much. It la
a predicament as puzzling and cruel
as any in which "Sentimental
Tommy" over found himself.
The World-Famous "Hoodoo" Mummy
a Secret Fassenger on me i itanicr
London, June 1.
THE notorious haunted mummy
case In the British Museum
(s now credited by the super
stitious with having caused an even
greater tragedy than any yet re
corded in Its 3,000 years of tragic
hlBtory.
This time It Is the dreadful Titanic
disaster that is associated with tho
deadly mummy case. According to a
etory which is being widely circu
lated hero tho beautifully painted
and glided mummy case, which is an
object of remarkable interest, was
secured by an American millionaire
from the museum, where it had been
placed in the cellar to save the at
tendants and visitors from the bale
ful effects of its exhibition In the
public rooms! The American Bhlpped
It on the Titanic, and the great ship
went down In the manner everybody
Is familiar with.
' The etory of this latest
episode is published by
tno internatinai I'sychic
Gazette, a journal exten-
mm
sivoly read by those Interested in
psychic research and various forms
of mysticism and alleged super
natural phenomena. Here is its ac
count: "Every ono has heard of tho
malign Egyptian mummy case which
was brought to the British Museum
some years ago, and whose presence
dealt death and disaster to attend
ants and others who looked upon it
A story is now being told in well
informed circles which 1b said to
have emanated from one of tho
museum authorities. From this it
would appear that' several of the
museum attendants, convinced that
they wero in danger of their lives,
presented an ultli atum that the
cotfln-Hd must bo removed from their
violnlty or they would resign.
"Their demand was considered by
the curators, and, in view of the
catalogue of calamities that some
how seemed connected with tho
mummy case, their demand was con
sidered reasonable. A replica was
accordingly made and painted In
exact facsimile, and this was ex
hibited to the publlo as the real
thing, no outsider being any the
wiser or the worse. The coffin Itself
was deposited In an obscure cellar
in the vaults of tho museum. Then
all stories as to the evil Influence of
the Egyptian coffin ceased.
"The attendants exhibited the rep
lica with calm minds and Btolld in
scrutability. The publlo who gazed
upon It suffered no Ill-effects. By
and bye, however, an American
Egyptologist inspected the coffin
and ascertained that it was certainly
not genuine. It was a faithful copy,
but -his expert eye discovered it to bo
a fraud 1 To drop on the British
Museum exhibiting a fake was an
event of first-class importance, and
an exposure that would have brought
world-wide ridicule upon the vener
able British repository of antiquarian
art and treasure seemed imminent
"The curators, therefore, took tho
American visitor into their confi
dence and explained what had been
done. Moreover, they took him to
the cellar and Bhowed him the
original coffin, and he declared that
he was satisfied.
"But look here.' he said. 'I
guess this fine mummy case Is not a
tit of good to you In your cellars.
I want that coffin for America! Ill
make you a bid for it!'
"He did, and It was sold to him on
his own terms. It was carefully
packed, so that no one could guess
what its covering case contained;
and arrangements were made so that
no hitch would be caused by Cus
tom House examinations. And so
tho coffin was dispatched to America
on board the Titanic! It now rests
miles deep in the Atlantic. The ques
tion being discussed is whether tho
coffin's reputed dlabollo power hurled
tho leviathan to its doom."
. However baseless, Irrational and
credulous their attitude may appear,
many persons undoubtedly believe
that the mummy case really had a
mysterious connection with this and
other tragedies. The fact that so
many persons have been affected by
terror of this inanimate object is in
itself a subject of serious Interest
The mummy case Is that of the
Princess Hetare, daughter of the
Pharaoh Amen Hotep III. of tho
eighteenth dynasty, one of the great
est kings of ancient Egypt. Tho
Princess was a priestess of the
Temple of Amen-Ra, and lived about
3,000 years ago.
The mummy Itself was separated
from the case many years ago and
lost This is an important part of
the tragic history of tho relic. A
mummy case is really more interest
ing than the mummy itself. When
the case Is of flno quality It bears
a striking likeness of the deceased,
Is richly decorated and 13 in every
way an object of high art The case
in question is a splendid specimen,
The mummy Itself is but an un
sightly bundle of withered flesh,
bones and dingy wrappings.
The Princess Hetare deserted the
Temple of Amen-Ra in order to aid
her half brother, who was fighting
for the-throne. The curse of the god
has rested upon her ever since.
Thus began the story which was pub
lished when her evil Influence first
attracted notice. History tells us
that she was murdered by a devotee
of Amen-Ra, but was burled with
royal honors.
Forty years ago the mummy and
case were bought by a party of Eng
lishmen In Egypt On the way back
up the Nile the mummy was mysteri
ously lost but the party reached
England with the case. Soon after
ward one of them was shot, another
lost his right arm in an accident, and.
a third was ruined. The sister of the
deceased owner gave the mummy
case to the British Museum.
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