TUT: SUNDAY OUEGOXIAX, FOUTLAND, NOVEMBER .1, 1!)1R.
n
the Midst of the War the Great British
Came to America to Make Money, and
Fighter
the
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Great British Dancer Left Money Behind Him in
America to Go Back Home to Fight
Mr. and Mrs. Castle, in the Dance.
V 1
Freddy Welsh, Lightweight Champion Pugilist of the World, Who Left
England With His Fighting Honors to "Star" in America.
AT an-Informal luncheon In Wash- dance with Irene. wltTi thousands of
lngrton recently a member of the eyes following: " me, thoughts of the
British Embassy and a Congress- folks at home would pop Into my head,
man from one of the Western states After that I'd dance like an automaton,
were discussing the success achieved I'd be thinkin? not of being as grace
by the citizens of America In England ful as I could, but of the reception I'd
and by Englishmen In America. The get from home folks If I waited until
discussion finally reached a stage the war was over to go back. Even
where the Congressman was asked to my own mother wouldn't want to have
name the two best-known English- anything to do with me. And could I
men In America. blame her?"
"Why, Freddy Welsh and Vernon Why Freddy Welsh Is not at war Is
Castle." the Westerner promptly re- more or less an unexplained mystery
',e- to most of the sporting fans. He was
A few days after that, the news- pracitcally penniless when he won the
papers of America carried two stories, championship title In London, July 6.
prominently displayed. One was on 1914. in order to meet the titleholder
the first page of most of them. The he had to agree to terms which re
other was the leading topic of the suited In his getting no money out of
sporting page. the match.
The first-page story carried the an- With a fortune In sight, he rested op
nouncement that Vernon Castle had for a few weeks. The war started In
met his death fighting for his coun- the meantime and then came this let
try In France. ter to a friend In America:
The sporting page story said that "Just when It looked as though I
Freddy Welsh the day before had sue- would pick up more than 50.000 In
ccssfully defended his title as light- music hall engagements alone, the
weight champion pugilist of the world war, and it Is a real war, started. All
and had received for his few mln- plans are up in the air. Don't be buv
tes' work approximately $20,000. prised if you hear I have gone Into the
The contrast struck home Instantly, army."
England's most famous society But he did not go Into the army. In-
tfancer an aviator with his comrades, stead, he came to America, where In
his countrymen, fighting battles In the the course of the past two years he has
clouds above the blood-stained fields of made a fortune defending his title. It
France, courageously giving blow for is said that he offered hie services, and
Mow, facing death like a soldier and was turned down on account of his age.
meeting death like a man. Others of his friends add that a great
The Call of Personal Fame. part of his earnings is sent home to
England's most famous prize fight- help the English soldiers and his coun-
r, the lightweight champion of the rv-
World in America making money.
The report of Vernon Castle's death
Welsh, incidentally, is an old type of
prizefighter. He is quite a student of
came In the form of a letter from literature. He and Elbert Hubbard
Lieutenant Lewis Sloden, in France", to were intimate friends, and at the time
Miss Mildred Francis, a former actress, the Fra met his death on the Lusi
Eoth Sloden and Castle were members tanla, they were planning a business
of the Royal Flying Corps, and, ac- partnership. Welsh was to have taken
cording to the former, the great danc- over Emerson Hall on Hubbard's East
ing master met his end while flying Aurora farm in Erie County, N. T.. and
over the German lines. This report of establish there a Health Home- In con
his death has never been officially nection with the other industries of
confirmed, but many of his friends in the Roycrofters.
America are inclined to accept it as The death of Elbert Hubbard Juet
true. when the two were planning the Health
When he first announced that he farm 8,1(1 the beginning of hostilities
was going to war a great many of just at tho t,ma 1,6 saw a oHune
those who had seen him accepted it f head ln English music halls, were the
either as a Joke, or else as a yarn by Jast two event in a sequence of hard
his press agent. After years of hard luck In the career of the lutl "shtert
uuuut wjiicn xie once saia:
"I've had my pockets full of rabbit
work he had reached the position
where a fortune loomed just ahead.
His inefcme was at the rate of more
than J100.000 a year. Slight of stat
ure, not strong. a ballroom pet, there
wasn't the slightest suggestion of the
heroic in his make-up or his demeanor.
He knew that he would be Ill-fitted and. gave m the le" hind Bhoe
muie.
feet, four-leaf clovers, and such like,
but they all go on strike when I get
them. If It were raining rubles and
diamonds. I would catch cramps In both
hands. When they were handing out
horse shoes, somebody made a mistake
of a
for trench work, and so he attended
the Curtiss aviation school at New
port News, Va., until be had won his
flying certificate. He bade farewell
to Broadway, to the fortune waiting
just ahead for him, and to his wife
and dancing partner, Irene Castle, and
sailed for England. He promptly en
listed, and just as promptly was sent
to the front, where he is reported to
have met his death.
"When the war came with Its series
of disasters to British arms," he ex
plained, "I had to forget that all my
friends, all my interests were Ameri
can; I could not forget that I was an
Englishman.
"Why do I leave America when for
tune is smiling upon me? Because I
am an Englishman, and England ex
pects every man to do his bit. Of
course, I may be unable to return. Oc-
The friends of Welsh eay that he will
be able to show his critics ln America
and England documents to prove that
he offered his services to his country,
but that he was turned down.
They admit, however, that he will
have to do a lot to explain away the
contrast between the fighter who left
his country to come to America for a
fortune, and the dancer who left a for
tune in America to fight and die, if
need be, for his native land.
The Scarlet Runner
(Continued From pse 5.)
Eloise, the rose of hope blushing in
her cheek.
"I can't tell you yet," he answered.
"A good deal depends on Prince Peter
casionally an aviator meets with dis- and Scarlet Runer, and a good deal on
aster. In that case I will simply have my uncle and a house agent. I'll write
the satisfaction of having done my you what I'm doing and what you must
duty and the subsequent proceedings, do the moment I have anything den
as one of your American poets wrote, nite to say."
will interest me no more." Eloise was bewildered, but she was
On the night before his departure, a woman of tact, and knew what it
he went around to tell his best friends was wise to be silent,
good-by. Half an hour later Christopher, din-
My consclene makes me go," be nerless, but too excited for hunger, was
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V; ;Y:Y
A
Vernon Castle, Famous Dancer, Who Left Money-Making Opportunities
Behind Him in America and Went Back to Fight for England.
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Freddie Welsh as He Looks in the Ring.
don's in the car, found Prince Peter
jubilant, just back from the Dalvanian
Embassy. He had gone there . in his
valet's clothes and insisted on seeing
Anastasia, whose cousin he pretended
to be. The maid had permission from
Mme. Rudovics to go out on Friday
evening: Valda would pretend some
slight indisposition, keep her room all
day and leave the house, well veiled,
in Anastasia's hat and cloak. After
wards the woman would do her best
to follow unobserved, and a rendezvous
would be made somewhere in the ncigh-
tlon. Evidently the occupant of ths
room beyond the wall had learned it,
too.
In 10 minutes the two men. thus di
vided by bricks and mortar, were able
to come to an understanding. Chris
topher was assured that he was talking
with the Prince: Mirko was informed
that he was talking with Christopher
Race. Also Christopher was able,
roughly, to communicate his plan to
the prisoner, and learned to his de
light that there was a good prospect
of success. Mirko indicated the posi-
borhood after dark, with Scarlet Run- tlon of a large wardrubivhich stood
ner in waiting. Then It was not likely
that Valda's absence would be' discov
ered till morning, and by that time
she and her lover would be far on
their way to Scotland.
As for Mirko's presence in the house.
Anastasia had been able to say noth
ing definitely, but she did know that
since morning one of the rooms had
been closed on the plea that part of
the celling had fallen, and no one was
to go in until workmen should havo
come to repair the damage. On hear
ing this Peter had been thoughtful
enough to Inquire the position of the
locked room, and had learned it was
at the back of the house on the sec
ond floor, and on the right of tfie
corridor which ran down the middle
of the three upper stories.
"Good!"- exclaimed Christopher, "I
thought they'd put him there, for
knocking on the wall would do no good
if he tried It. There's an empty house
on the right, you know. The one on
the left's occupied. I can imagine old
Rudovics Inviting the Prince Into the
room, as if for a secret meeting with
some emissary from Dalvania. then
quietly turning the key. Rather smart
idea that about the fallen celling. And
as the room's at the back, and the old
fashioned wooden shutters (which all
the houses In Queen Anne's Gardens
have), are probably nailed fast, your
poor brother's as much a prisoner as
if he were at Portland."
Next morning at 10 o'clock Christo
pher Race was at the door of Messrs.
Leonard and Steele, estate and house
agents, at the moment when It opened
for business. He Informed the man
ager that he had been empowered by
James Race, of Hyde Hampton, to take
No. 36 Queen Anne's Gardens, for three
years (the shortest term permissible),
if Immediate possession could be given.
The agent thought there would be
little difficulty about this, and became
certain of It when there was no at
tempt at cutting down the high rent
asked for the old house, unlet for sev
eral years. A telephone message waa
sent to the owner, papers were signed,
a check in advance for a quarter's rent
was paid, and presently Christopher
found himself In possession of the keys
of 36 Queen Anne's Gardens, the house
adjoining the Dalvanian Embassy, on
the right-hand side.
About 10 o'clock that night, having
given all necessary instructions con
cerning Scarlet Runner to the chauf
feur he trusted. Christopher unlocked
the front door of his uncle's newly ac
quired town-house and walked in. He
had with him. in a golfer's bag. a pick
axe, one or two other handy tools, and
an electric lantern. To begin work, he
chose the back room on the second
floor, which, acording to his calcula
tions, was separated from Prince Mir
ko's prison only by the house wall.
With a small hammer he tapped lightly
once, twice, without receiving an
answer. Then he was rejoined by a
responsive rapping on the other side.
At first the knocks seemed to him
desultory and Irregular, but in a mo
ment he realized that words were being
formed by taps and spaces, long and
short, according to the Morse code of
telegraphy.
Long ago Christopher had learned it
at Eton, when he and another boy had
Mid.
ficAflAt T?imni- Tat, Tr.fn..t.. , v. f v .n p.inA XTlpWn Londonward with a slcned check in
acmethlajc la the audit of a racing toward Hyd Hampton with uncle's was enough, for old James Race and Elolso now, Christopher flew back his pocket; and. calling at Lord Wan- sought means of secret communlca-
in his room against the dividing walL
and suggested that Christopher's bor
ing operations should be conducted be
hind it. When the bricks should be
loosened Mirko would pull out the
wardrobe and be ready to push it back
into place in case of danger.
All night long Christopher worked,
refreshed with bread and wine from
his bag, and by early dawn he had dug
a hole through which he could spealc
to the Prince. Until this moment h
had outlined his plan but vaguely, and
what Mirko heard now amazed him.
While London slept, and the old
houses ln Queen Anne's Gardens
kept their wooden eyelids closed, four
persons, who had stepped out of JL
closed carriage round the corner,
walked quietly to the door of No. 38.
There were three men and one woman;
and, having pushed the long-unused
electrics bell, they were almost Imme
diately admitted Into the dark, unfur
nished house.
"Is all well so far?" asked Elols
Dauvray whispering, ln the dim cor
ridor. "All is well so far," answered Chris
topher Race.
It was not until after 10 o'clock la
the morning that the absence of little
Lady Valda and her maid was discov
ered by Mme. Rudovics, for she was a
late riser by habit, and the girl had
posed as an Invalid the day before.
Under Valda's pillow a note had been
slipped. "I have gone away to marry
Prince Petr of Ialvanla. We love each,
other." And that news had sent tho
Ambassador ln haste to the door of tho
closed room, where no work had yet
been begun upon the fallen celling."
He unlocked the door, and knocked
by way of courtesy, two men tall Dal
vanlans both, ln his own private serv
ice standing on guard as usual lest
the prisoner should attempt an escape.
Each time since Mirko's capture Rudo
vics had himself brought the Prince's
meals in this fashion, twice within 12
hours, bearing also a hundred apologies
for his "necessary but regrettable
harshness." Not once before had the
Indignant Mirko answered the knock,
but now his voice responded with a
cheerful "Come in."
"Congratulate me." he continued, as
Rudovics fell back upon the threshold,
aghast at whaf he saw, "and let me In
troduce you to my dear wife, the Prin
cess Eloise. We thought a wedding at
the Embassy an excellent plan, and
have been married for an hour."
A thousand thoughts raced each other
through the Ambassador's head as ha
stood staring first at the pale, smiling
girl, the two priests, the registrar, and
the hole In the wall by which they and
Christopher had entered. He thought
of his daughter, and was forced to hope
ln the circumstances that she was
the younger brother's wife by this time.
He thought of his own chances of ad
vancement in Ialvania under a new
King. He thought of Turkey's probable
attitude towards a struggle in which
Valda's husband would be engaged, ast
well as his brother; and be thought of
nine hundred and ninety-seven other
things, all ln tho space of one long
moment.
Then he bowed and said slowly:
"Graciously allow your host to bo tho
first who offers your Royal Highness
and his bride all possible good wishes.
(A New Adventure Next WoeTci