The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-16
Her Memoir Love Story Such Could Be Written Only
by the Sweetheart of His Letters From Camp and the
Front-Reviews His N1eteoric Career as Dancer and
His Heroic Work and Death as Army Aviator

one else and could outsit any one at q
party, requiring very little sleep and
despising more than anything an idle
moment He seemed absolutely tire
less, and more alive than any one I
have ever known
| Lew Fields. at Grossmiths instance.
gave him a small part in About
| Town., and on the road Castle was
Grossmith's understudy. He never
had thought of stage career and
never did take 1t seriously, but with
Fields in several productions he caught
on with the public WELL His first
dancing in public, Mrs. Castle thinks.
was done with Lolita Faust in one of
Fieids's shows. When he was playing
In "The Hen-Pecks" he met Irene
Foote in New Rochelle-at a swim
ming party, as well as she remembers.
She Wanted to Go on the stage.
She wanted to go on the stage. She
says he was very nice about il. But
he finally did take an interest and help
her, and she made an inconspicuous
debut in Fields company. In March,
1911. they were engaged. Father Foote
liked Vernon but felt that actors as n
class never had any money and
that little of it was fairly essential.
He also had objections on principle
to international marriages. This one
took place in May.
I'VE pooled our interests, and
though we could not live very roy
ally Vernon somehow managed to
save moe money than he had ever
done before, or, for that matter.
than he ever did afterward." says
Mrs. Castle. For my first Christ
mas present he bought me a dia-
mond ring that must have cost
nearly $500. 1 had never had any
1ewelry before. Then after Christ
mas came proud days OF hanging
onto n subway strap gloveless SO
that all might see.
How different from that later
Christmas when he was in France
flying and I was on the Pacific
coast in the midst of a much and
often delayed movie serial. We
had hoped to be together. i have
his letter:
i don't know how am going to
buy you a Christmas present. One
can't. get anything here. tried to
fly to Versailles for one so that from
there I could get into Paris, but
couldn't do 1t. 1t will be terrible
If when Christmas comes you don't
get anything from me-"
Their First Dance,
After Mrs. Castle Joined 1.-The Hem
6
the show as an encore 10 one OF Yer |
non Castles songs She thinks II was |
the first time they ever did dance to-
gether, publicly or privately. and they |
never rehearsed 1t, although they
wrote 1t out in advance, as later be- |
came their practice. Necessity made |
us dancers, and it was not until we got |
to Paris that necessity urged u.s."
The Vernon Castle thus Intimately
portrayed Is simply care free, blithe-
some, full grown boy, irresistibly lik-
able and utterly irresponsible In any
business way. When they contem- |
plated going to Paris, largely on their |
own hook, In response to an offer Of |
engagement from French manager: |
'He was interested in every
thing. and to go abroad on the lit
tie money we had saved seemed
quite all right. I, the more practi-
cal Of the two, was caught and de-
ceived by his enthusiasm. Then,
too, he thought 1t would be anus
Ing. and he loved being amused,
Just as he loved to amuse. To the
theatre he went. no matter how Ill
he was. He never quite got over
the beginners love of the theatres
back stage.
1.-THE people he met there all in |
terested him and they worshlpHsd |