The sun., 1918-12-15
Ragtime Who Amused Royal Buffoon
and Valet Tell of Weaknesses
and Lack of Heart

he knew, having a very fair ear. OF
course we kept down to him and COW
, cred him on his breaks. He could
play in the keys of G, d and F--he
: couldn't in b fiat. That's the hardest
key, you know. He was always go.
ing to learn it, but never did.
"'Well, Ragtime, he says-called
me that from the first-'how am 1
making out?' said II anything ever
went wrong with him in the princing
business he could have a job with our
band at any time. That tickled him
to death. After that whenever he
had us to play anywhere or came
across us in one Of the cafes he'd
stand up and grin and tell everybody.
Ragtime says IL I'm ever out of
luck 1 can always get a job with
the band And then he'd guffaw
ut wasn't long before / got to know
the valet. His name was Felix Maka-
ioff, Russian, think he was They
called him the Perfect Valet in Ber-
lin. He sure was a perfect godsend
to Fritz-about half his time was
spent in covering some of Frtz's
tracks or getting him out of scrapes
or raising money for him. Felix was
. NliS hleHVSI ~ pc OIL lIldl CldSS OI ser
want, a blamed sight better gentle
man than his master, If I'm a Judge.
He'd served the Grand Duke Boris and
other notabilities, and he knew the
courts Of Europe from the backstairs
side as plenty Of powerful diplomats
would have given their stars to know
them He spoke four languages per-
fectly, and had first rate education.
"Later-not so very long ago-F'ritz
quarrelled with Felix in one OF his tan
trums and turned him off after nearly
twenty years Of service no other
human being could have given, and
turned him off not only without q pen
sion but without so much an letter of
recommendation. But that's Fritz all
over. He didn't care for his position.
he didn't care for his future RESPONSE
bllites, he didn't care for his father
and mother or for his wife, or his
children or anybody or anything else
under heaven - but himself and his
hobbies, principally sports.
: Valet Quizzed by the Kaiser.
Felix told me the Kaiser used to
send for him all the time and try to
. draw him out about Fritz and what
Fritz was thinking and planning. One
. morning. Fritz told me. the Kaiser sent
for him to shave him. 1t was the
) morning of a big racing meet, and the
Crown Prince was entered to ride his
! own horse. 1t was a steeplechase over
; dangerous course. The horse was a
young one and mettlesome. and the
Kaiser and Kaiserin were wild about
Fritz taking all that risk.
The Kaiser sent for Fritz while
Felix was in the room. Your mother
and ask that you withdraw your en-
: try he said DO your says Fritz.
r Well, can't, that's all; my friends
! know I'm going to ride. and a fine fool
I'd look, wouldn't ~ L forbid your
, riding!' says the Kaiser getting eX-
cited. Fritz didn't say anything-just
knocked the ash off his English cigar
: cite like some dime novel hero. AS
: your Emperor stormed the Kaiser, 4
/ command you to withdraw
= Fritz was going out. Command
away!' he threw out over his shoulder
Emperor or no Emperor, I'm going to
2 ride that race IL lose the crown!' He
did 1t too. And the Kaiser-he way
trampling up and down the room by
: that time--came bouncing over TO
, Felix. 'Mein Colt, you see these gray
l hairs?' he screams. That boy has
been the cause! His doings are going
to bring me to my gravel
: Discipline him, did you say? No
a body ever was able to discipline Fritz
8 since he could walk. He may have
been sent away at times to fortresses
: l don't know. If he was it made no
- impression on his mind. No. 1t wasn't
that he was spoiled. 1t was natural:
? it was in him. He'd have his way,
E he'd do as he pleased, or die,
I'm a throwback. he used to say
OF himself. meaning it in the dog
! breeders sense. No, don't know
what ancestral trait he imagined he
| threw back to. English Characters
l tics, maybe. That was the way he
explained himself, as far as he ever
did.
He had several dogs always.
remember an Irish terrier, an Eng
lish bull and a couple of others, but
= none of German breeds. Can't keep
German dog he'd say. That Irish
man OF mine eats 'em up faster than
D can get EN- And then he'd laugh.
I He used to make a point of saying
- such things where the thirty-third de-
n gree Germans, especially army men,
e could hear.
! Detested by the Army Men.
[ Naturally the army men detested
him. Their name for him was Cock
] ney Fritz'-they made no bones of IT.,
/ either OF course they'd been brought
g up to hate anything English. He
wouldn't smoke a German made ciga-
4 rette, although you could get them
e as good as any in the world. His
were made for him in London. So
< were his clothes and his shoes, and
, everything else a man of his taste
Y uses that could be made there.
know. Felix came by any quantity of
I clothes through him of course. The
, last time l saw Felix he told me he
. had enough clothes saved up to last
y him the rest OF his life.
Yes, sir-Fritz loved England. He
! used to slip over there incognito a
r lot oftener than the public ever knew.
r He'd take Felix along and they'd see
I a big prize fight, or attend the Henley
= crew races. or some other sporting
! event. Then they'd do a show and
] London by lamplight and come home
next day. Fritz used to say again and
s again that he'd love to live in Eng
q land
u are n uvos Paris tbav uara xyeItin0