The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-06

ONDON. April 5.--(Special)-It is
beginning to look as If that
- adventurous American novelist.
Jack London, would ge $4,000 in pocket
before many months have passed. BY
the same token an intimate friend of
London looks like parting with SIM
liar amount as the result of an evtra-
ordinary bet which he made with the
author of "The Call of the Wild" lit
tie over two years ago.
But then, London's friend deserves to
lose his money, for the wager he made
was against the resourcefulness and
determination of an American girl, and
everybody knows that an American
girl, when she is on her mettle, is
practically unbeatable. Jack London
does. anyway, and that is why he un-
hesitatingly staSed 5000 "simoleons' on
the proposition that 1Iilda Gilbert, who
is a typically energetic and uncommon-
ly versatile daughter of Uncle Sam, and
incidentally. good to look upon, could
succeed in working her way around tho
world without any money except what
she could earn on the way.
Mrs Hilda Gilbert. who is now on
the point of leaving for South Africa,
after nearly two years of surprising
experiences in this country and on the
continent, is dainty little woman
with a profusion of Titan red hair,
provoking grey eyes. a peaches and
cream complexion and a trim figure.
She was born in Buffalo, N. Y, where
her father, G. H. Myers, is wealthy
manufacturer. and after marrying in
haste at the age of IA, she repented
at leisure and was divorced four years
afterward. At 10 she heard the west
a-callin, If one may paraphrase Kip
ling, and going out to California She
lived in the open. In time we find ner
with a house of her own in Graham's
Canyon. Glen Ellen, California which
is quite close to the home of the Lon
dons at Wake Robin Lodge. She was
their guest for Two months in the sum
mer of 1909 and then it was that the
wager actually was laid which sent this
pretty and gritty Yankee girl on such
an enterprise as perhaps no woman,
not even an American one. ever en-
barked on before.
"rhe understanding was,v said Mrs.
Gilbert, that was to be given money
enough to take ME across the ocean
and leave me a few dollars after |
got there and that after that it would
be up to me. / was to work my way
through Europe. South Africa Aus
tralia, Japan and the Philippines and
II ! StttCtNtu III dOiii5 81 Wltnti Inree
years from the time of starting Mr..
London was to win $1,000. My reward ?
Well, it's a wonderful experience, of
course, and | may write book about It
after it's all over, and / shouldn't be
surprised, either. If. in case / win out
Mr.. London handed a generous proper
tion of his winnings over to me. Help
from my father in case of need? No,
there was never any chance of that, for
my father disapproves of the whole
thing too much to come TO my aid how
ever great a hole l might get in and
] have been in some fairly deep ones
since Ifstarted on my trip
So off fIilda Gilbert sailed on the
I.usitania on January s. 1911 and since
that time she has done a queer lot of
stunts for the sake of bread and but
ter, if ever woman did. She has
sung, Masked accompanying herself on
the mandolin. in the Paris cafes; she
has been a waitress in London city
tea-shop; she has been nun in The
Miracle" and the manageress of a
beauty parlor in Bond street. motored
through Denmark. Germany and Aus