The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-16
By HARRY ESTEY BOUNCE.
n airplane manned by an il

a. A y airplane manned by an in.
~ structor and cadet was
\ about to land safely on 9
Texas flying field when another ma
chine. piloted by student, rose just
in front. The instructor, who was
riding in the front seat, made what is
called an Immelman turn in order to
avoid a collision.
Those who saw the accident say
q. that, possessing as he did so perfect
an understanding OF flying, the in
structor must have been certain that
the forty feet between him and the
ground was not enough space in which
to make the turn. 1t was enough,
however, to avoid cleverly the other
machine. His own crashed, nose down.
The instructor. Vernon Castle was
killed"
Thus we'll and simply Mrs. Castle
begins her memoir of her famous hus-
band.
The Civilian Castle.
Certain papers," she continues in
relating the accident, put it that Yer
non Castle had made good by his
glorious self sacrifice Their idea
seemed to be that by his death Vernon
Castle had atoned for his earlier sins,
whatever they may have been. 1t
seemed inconceivable to them that a
dancer-a professional dancer and
man of the stage-could be fighter"
He was not, says his wife, a fighter
In the sense that he liked war. He
was not a soldier of adventure nor any
other kind. He hated discipline and
the restrictions attached to u life in
barracks. He loved above all other
surface things the theatres, restau-
4 rants, cafes and other places OF
amusement. All this he gave up
gladly because his country was at war
i and he was too good sport TO shirk
his share of the hardship and dangers
that are the lot of a soldier"
There was the Vernon Castle whom
all this continent knew, and so did
France of other lands abroad. That
was the civilian Castle, Castle of
Castle House anu The Sunshine Girl
and the whirlwind tour--on which last,
assisted by Mrs. Castle and two or
three couples of their associated in
structors in modern dancing, and ac-
companied by the ragtime orchestra of
one James Reese Europe, whose sur
name seemed geographically misplaced
the's now Lieut.. Jim Europe, band
master in chief to Col. Bill Hayward's
dusSy heroes)--on which, to repeat,
being thus assisted and accompanied,
sat l.
country what hawking and one-step-
/ ping and such could be when taste
fully done.
The Soldier Castle.
And there was Vernon Castle in
English khaki, ornamented with the
airmans silver wings-Capt. Vernon
Castle, this, who bagged his German
airplane more than once in fair fight
aloft, and as an Instructor of pilots
probably did better service. both in
quantity and quality, than any ire
Inendous number of English speaking
instructors did; and who at last in
Texas. as Mrs. Castle has described,
died finer death than most of us who
survive him are likely to be granted.
| And then there was n third. Vernon
Castle himself, tho man inside or be-
hind the meteorc public character.
This man possibly one person knew
for each million who knew the others,
and of course no one knew him as we'll
as the Sweetheart" OF his letters
from camp and front. II is TO reveal
him scmewhat, while the world is still
remembering who, Yernee Castle was
her book. published by Charles scrib-