The New York herald., 1921-05-15

lugllfstS nave 10ot In the grave at lnlTly-
five. And aviation, the swiftest game of
all. the one that makes harshest demands
upon mind and nerves and muscles, what
place had aviation for middle aged adven-
turers much less old timers:
My back was to the entrance of the
smoking room and / didn't see this Dick"
person come in, though ] heard quick
step or two. The men sitting with me
went to their feet instantly, which was odd
enough in itself, and there was a pleasant
babble of:
We'll Dick. how do you find your an
cient self, hey? How's the old boy this
evening, ready for the little jump to Chi?
All set?'
This | knew without turning was pure
piifie These chaps had evidently got in the
habit of treating some flying kid as if he
were an old timer. 1t was some sort of
local joke. wheeze they had grown accus-
toned TO and liked to try out on the inno-
cent bystander. Not very funny, Of course
but well enough TO fill a chink in the talk
of a duh evening.
Just couldn't be better" drawIed a voice
that certainly didn't sound youfg. There
is that in voices which betrays age. This
one was not the bleating of a spikehorn.
1t was the full, matured challenge of the
old buck SO | turned Mt once a little
dizzy in the place where my intelectuals
are supposed to be.
Standing in the doorway was this flying
person called Dick" and he looked as if he
had stepped out Of the pages of "Pickwick
Papers all except his twentieth century
tailored clothes. He was old, if we can call
anybody with white hair, white mustache
and beard and we'll past sixty, old. / sur
veyed in blinking amazement. Did they
call this person flying man? Was this
the daredevil who had winged in from a
corner of Kansas, driving his own ship?
The lad that was going to do Russia
before he was seventy-that is. in year
or so?
Standing there he was almost roy-poly,
a well nourished apple dumping with frost
ing He is not the fraction Of an inch more
then five and half feet tall, and this
sixtv-siX inches finds it necessary to sup.
port $50 pounds of good solid flesh His
cheerful, round face is as pink as baby's,
and his eyes, keen as they are, and shrewd
with the accumulated wisdom of years, are
as blue and frank as a baby's. They regard
one through gold-rmmed glasses. looking
out through these windows upon a world
which their owner evidently finds pleas
ant place to linger. 1t is a kindly gaze. 1t
is the kind Of gaze that marks the modest
man, the man modest almost to the point
of shyness. Lots of first rate doers are
that way I couldn't get Mr Pick,cick out
Of my mead somehow. When you looked at
this person Dick" you simply had to think
Of old port and baron of beef and coach
and four rollicking along the Brighton road.
But, bless me. lfr. Picktcick would have
been nowhere with this lad nowhere at ALL
Meet Mr. Charles Dickinson of Chi
cago" somebody said by way of introduc-
ton. He's our flying kid. You must make
him tell you about himself, but you will
have to pry it out Of him.
Now, what die you boys want to do
that for?" drawled Dick. "You know ]
just naturally hate TO talk about myself.
You've betrayed me into the hands of the
Phiistines, YOU young devils, and I'll ger
even with you sooner or later. / don't
know anything Of interest ~ the public.
I'm no public character at all"
Don't you believe him." said Post from
q corner "IIe has done more for aviation
than any man in America Isn't that so?'
You emitted mouthful. Gussie," came
chorus from the leather chairs Speak
up, Dick Don't be 50 damned bashful !"
Mr.. Charles Dickinson of Chicago was
indubtably bashful. even IL the qualifying
adjective be omitted. and there was no way
to get anything satisfactory out of him
about his flying adventures until l had
drawn him out of the chatting group and
into another room. After some persuasion
he loosened mp The conversation went
about like this
These chaps seem to think lot of you
rs a man and as flyer
"Oh. they arc all friends Of mine. | have
flown some. its true"
MAY ! ask how old YOU areg"
sixty three"
! revealed my amazement. doubtless. for
Dick" grinned.
"'Tis n bit unusual. isn't itf' he asked.
Fact rs. 7 don't know Of anybody my age
or anywhere near IL that can handle
plane or Is willing to take chance 'Tisnt
supposed to be an old mans game, you
know, but that's nonsense mans az old
as his nerves. That's all. If your nerves
are good 7 don't see any reason why YOU
shouldn't be flying at eighty. | expect TO
he. As far as know haven't rot n nerve
In my body
How long have you been flying?"
About eleven years" said Mr. Picl--