Evening star., 1926-04-18
HIGH HEELS GRACE
HIKE TO BALTIMORE
Silk FrockS of Women Con-
trast With KnickerS. But
Only Men Last.

To the rythym of the Charleston.
the methodic tapping of high-heeled
slippers on concrete and the swish OF
silken house frocks. yesterdays Wash
ington-tc Baltimore road-walking con
Test went down in history as the
strangest long-distance hiking compe-
tltion in the annals OF local sport.
Leave it to the women--some dozen
OF 'em-to make the eyes OF the con-
test officials bulge in amazemeut! No
wonder those in charge pinched them
sA:vaa to wake up. Imagine, for In
stance, a fair contestant, contessing
10 the age of ''35 plus" attempting
10 make the walk in a black silk
afternoon dress, trimmed in lace;
broad -brimmed Spring hat trimmed In
blue: silk hosiery. high-heeled shoes.
yard-long string of beads swinging
from her neck, and a snappy velvet
handbag hanging from her arm!
When Miss Elizabeth Coleman
smith of Baltimore toed the starting
point at the zero milestone at
p'clock yesterday morning thus at
tired there was a general business OF
aulping and passing Of hands over
the eyes.
It's a joke" gasped one Of the be
knickered feminine contestants.
she won't last to the District line,
Whispered a stalwar-t male hiker,
rarin' to go In his abbreviated trunks.
But She Starts Bravely.
Stolidly the fashionably dressed en-
trant swung her way determlnedly
along the Baltimore boulevard. look
ing to neither the right nor the left.
The District line faded behind her
The morning sun glinted on the
awakening towns ahead Of her and
60 raF officials
;imepieces pushed steadily around the
dial.
The beknickered young lady who
had snickered limped her way to
first-aid station as the scattered
groups of hikers wended their way
through Berwyn and the stalwart
male contestant in latest hiking togs
fell by the waystde not far from
Laurel, to be carried by medical at
taches to a waiting Army ambulance.
But the high heels of the slender
little woman in black silk went lick
ety-splitting along as though they
were carrying their owner TO big
bargain sale around the corner.
Not until Miss Smith was several
miles out of Laurel did her gait. wa
Yer. Officials patrolling the route no
ticed that her hat was beginning to
slip back on her forehead and that
her French heels were tapping more
slowly. An Army ambulance was
coming up the road. Miss Smith
caught a glimpse of II out of the cor
ner of her eye, and braced herself to
resist temptation. Sergt. Jess Lands.
driving the car, slowed up beside her
and mentioned the nice soft cushions
on the seats within.
Termination Too Great.
II was too much, Miss Smith climb.
ed in, wiping a tear from her eye.
IT hate 70 give up like this she
said, falteringly. II went only %
miles. Just think how my friends
will 1ibe me. l think 1 could have
finished the race IL had drunk more
water"
She was manifestly cheered, how
ever, when she found that her COM
panions in the ambulance were three
strapping young men IN running
blistered feet an hour before she had
even thought of quitting.
It wasn't highheeled shoes or
blistered soles that caused Miss Smith
to withdraw. however. II just got
stiff In my limbs" she explained.
Miss Smith said she had a lifelong
penchant for hiking. but before yes
terday she had never undertaken a
long distance walk.
Few of the women participants got
MS far as Laurel Among those who
did were Miss Julia Bryant, who said
she didn't get a wink of sleep the
night before and had never been in
training; Miss Bobbie Roese, Miss
Lola Appleby, Miss Gladys Milton,
Miss Lillian Barran and Miss Cecilia
Stein, all OF Baltimore These all
wore knickers.
All Trail Behind Men.
They outlasted Miss Smith, but
trailed miles behind the men sur
vivors. They were still about is
miles out from Baltimore when the
winning man pulled up, drearily, at
the city hall.
Just when they reached their goal,
IL at all, was not clear last night.
The time limit was O'Clock, and
they hadn't shown up at that hour.
II was late In the afternoon, how
ever. when 1t was reported that some
one had seen Miss Barran Charleston
ing her way along the pike. TO the
entertainment of gaping spectators
and her companions.
II have to Charleston every now
and then to show my friends I'm
still full OF pep" Lillian explained
TO a Star reporter after an impromptu
exhibition at Laurel
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