Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-15

at the clubhouse of the Royal Yacht Squad
ron, or you may just as well remain at
home. Frank had the advantage of belong
ing to the best known American yacht clubs:
still we might have had difficult time, if it
had not been for the prestige of the Kaiser
and the good offices OF our German princelet,
who was still with u.s.
| 1t was in the full tide of the reign Of Ed
ward the Good. 1t is matter of history
how much the King admired the beauty. the
cleverness, and the adaptability of American
women. He was monarch with an amiable
penchant for being amused-and for pretty
face. But our transplanted roses in these
British gardens sometimes show their thorns,
when it comes to welcoming a sister bloom.
The Dowager Duchess of Pimlico, who hailed
from Texas and had a villa at Cowes, and
was one of the Kings little circle, became
highly indignant at Helen's presence in
England To her all other American women
were rank outsiders, and nobodies at home.
"a most pushing woman, my dears.' she
said to some of her British cronies at tea on
the terrace of the club at Cowes. 3She would
not stop at anything to get into Society here
and at home. am sure she will have the
Royalties on board that yacht hear these
Railways have paid Elizabeth Oakhurst a
small fortune to get them in.
| All of which the King had to hear, which
also was put into instant social circulation.
1t is rather amusing to note that part of the
dear Duchess's fears came true.
The Alova was anchored in the Solent-
and certainly Frank Railway had good cause
to be proud of her. There was nothing that
could come up to her in those waters, The
Kaiser came to pay Uncle Edward q visit,
and one of the German racers was entered
in the regatta. When the ruler of the Brit
| c1, fn ba nd RI
escort him to Cowes on the royal yacht,
the Kaiser evidently told his august uncle
something about the beautiful American
yacht, or perhaps Lady Oakhurst-
the lese majesty-had put proverbial flea
| into the royal ear. am not going to- discuss
! it. At any rate, the next morning Frank
Railway, at breakfast on board, was inter-
rupted by visitor bringing message from
| the King, stating that it would be his Maj
esty's pleasure to visit the Alova in the stay
at Cowes. This may not have been the
greatest of surprises to us.
Lady Oakhurst and Helen came down
| from London later The day for tie royal
visit was fixed, and we allowed the news to
percolate through Cowes. A noble lord, a
prominent member of the Royal Yacht
Squadron, gave a luncheon for Lady Oak
hurst and Helen that afternoon at the club.
The Railway star was indeed in the aScen-
dant. The preliminaries were all arranged.
A list of the guests was sent, as is the
custom, for kingly approval. The !perusal
of it may have surprised Edward the Good;
but no comment was made.
WHEN the royal yawl set out for the
" Alova that afternoon have good rea-
son to believe that the Duchess of Pimlico
and her little circle, who were on the terrace
at the club, had their feldglasses focused on
us, and that they were guessing.
Frank Railway, quite at his ease, stood
at the gangway to receive the King. And my
coup! We had spiked the enemies guns and
taken the wind out of their sails. The visit
of the King of England, prince of sportsmen,
to Frank Railway, American yachtsman, on
board the Alova, was one of inspection only
and by courtesy of the owner. One sports
man was calling on another. The rules of
the New York Yacht Club as to the recep-
ton of distinguished foreign visitor pre-
vailed, just as if we had been in American
waters. And it was stag party. 1t had
no social significance The honor conferred
on Frank Railway was one in which he
shared as the representative of his yacht
club and of his nation.
There were about twenty men in the en-