◆ SpookStack

Meth, ELCs, G supaeo Pliiteen ables South of San tranciscea, Patty comes fren cae of Hiilsborough's wealthier families but, more importantly (at least for the S.L.A.), she bears the Hearst name, Her family name was sade famous vy ner granalather, wiigtan Randol ph Hearst, the multi-millionaire and news= paper magnate who was responsible for instigating "yellow journalism" in this country and whose life was portrayed in the now classic film, Citizen Kane. | Although Patty's father, Randolph, retains a sizable portion of the origin- al famiiy fortune, her parents live in a handsome but hardly ostentatious nome in Hillsborough. Their five daughters grew up.quietly, free from the publici- ty thah thelr grandfather and his famt- received. Patty attended two ly local Vatholic granmer schools, which she loathed, and began her secondary ed- ucaiion at Santa Catalina, a Catholic tearding school 100 miles south of Hills borough. Patty detested Santa Catalina even more thantthe two schools which she iad previously attended. Santa Catalina ro3e. vieS @ prison nore than a school; the nuns who administer 1t believe in 10t only! searching their students’ minds but also in searching their mail and personal possessions. After spending ver freshman and sophore years there, ratty could stand tt no longer and trans- erred ta Crystat Springs School for siris, a private day school close to her one in Hillsborough. Although many people might consider rst prings an archaic institution, t ie liberal for a private chook which tries to provide its stu- ents with a traditional education. students at Crystal Springs come from ell-off families, range from fairly right to vrilldant, and are virtually CO% college-bound. Patty in many ways id not socially fit in with most of the iris, who enjoyed field hockey, mixers th private boys schools,* and school lays. One thing which did hold Patty's ctention while she was at Crystal prings was Steven Weed. Steve had only ecently been hired as one of the few moe ep le ee em te A LI elk yine petition among the girls for his atten- tion was keen. But Patty was determined to hava him for her om, and sha was successful in this endeavor, Patty mada arrangements to complete her juntor and senior years at Crystal Springs in one, and then went off to at- tend Menlo College, a small private in- stitution which was near Steve's house, THE 4.1.4.'3 SIVEMHEADED COBMA SYMIOL During that year Patty did extremely well academically, and she spent much of her time with Steve, slowly and de- liberately closing the door to other women who might have tried to enter Steve's life. When Steve decided to leave his teaching position at Crystal Springs to enroll in a Ph.D. progran in philosophy at Berkeley, Patty decided that she, too, would go to school there. This time, though, she would not be Liy- ing in a dormitory: she would live in an apartment with Steve. The Hearsts were not pleased when they leamed of Patty's plans. Her mother would have preferred Patty to attend Stanford Uni- versity rather than be exposed to the radical atmosphere at Berkeley. And she aia net want her daugecer lévir,, wita Steve Weed, whom she felt was telov Patty's social position. After spending tha simmer in Europe, Patty moved into Steve's Berkeley apartment from which she was to ba kidnapped one and a half years later. It was during this time that Patty and I grew to be friends through a mu- tual friend who had recently moved to Berkeley. Patty was a difficult person te get to know; she wasn't the type most people warm up to or like immedi-~ ately. She rarely spent time with any- one she didn’t like, but she had a few close triends to whom she was devoted. It was only after about a year that I found out that Patty considered me to be her friend, and only then did I find ‘out through another person, Patty was a very “at hone" person. The apartment she shared with Steve was tike an oasis in a vast desert of poor taste, though tt was lovely without be- ing pretentious. Their furniture and other belongings were not necessarily expensive (some had been refinished or’ restored), but everything was well-cared for. When Patty went out it was usually only to go to school, visit a friend, or shop. She didn't spend her tine sitting in coffee houses for hours, nor did she frequent the places where people narmal- ly congregated to make the Berkeley scene. She preferred the company of Steve and a few good friends to the con- pany of the masses. Patty enjoyed spending her free time puttering around in antique stores, boutiques, gourmet cookware stores, and other speciality shops, As a diligent shopper she rarely failed to complain to someone if she thought an iten was too expensive, I re- Render one particularly emtarrassing in- cident when we went to a bicycle shop ta get a book on dike repairs. The book Patty wanted had a small rip in its jac- ket. The encounter between Patty and the clerk want something like this: "Y assume this book is cheaper?" “ny?! “Tnere's a rip in the jacket? I wouldn't giva a book like that for isontinued on page 33) ~at