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Show rT7 1 II C1 JkT Oj - I ITU) T) j Si. ' , , ' v- ' I 1 1 1 iij 1 M Mi h4i W ' - ' , ' 8 Si ll MfJs'i i f 'f j V r . , 1 ONDON society, including that por-;l por-;l I tion which is purely fashionable and 1 that which is also theatrical, is im mensely interested in the marriage of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Randolf Littlehales Baker and Miss Ida Adams, the pictures-, pictures-, Que American actress, a During the whole war, they say, there i has not been a more romantic union of manly valor and womanly beauty. She was i thrilled by his war stories he was charmed by her beauty. I Friends of the couple predict that Sir ' Randolf Baker has won a bride who will help him to reach a foremost place, in pub-' pub-' lie life, as so many American wives have ; done for their British husbands. For Miss Adams the marriage is a considerable con-siderable worldly achievement, apart from its romantic side. She was of modest . social origin. Now she becomes Lady J(: Baker, mistress of great estates and old .,: country houses, with every possibility of i: social leadership before her. t: Sir Randolf was formerly member of i;i Parliament for Northwest Dorset and it is i expected that he will run again when the a opportunity occurs. In that case his wife 1 will be expected to help in maintaining his Political interests, as is usual'in England. Sir Randolf Baker is the fourth -baronet of his line and is the-head of an ancient " and wealthy Dorsetshire family. He is forty years old- His paternal ancestors ,", were originally named Littlehales J and )(; came from Shropshire, but his grandfather, ,;. the first Daronet, adopted the name Baker ;j n Inheriting the estates of the Bakers of Dorsetshire through his mother. The yt Baker seat, Ranston House, near Bland-p Bland-p I fM, in Dorsetshire, is a grand old place. f The first baronet, a distinguished sol-tf sol-tf dier. married Lady Elizabeth Fitzgerald, : daughter of the Duke of Leinster, so that his grandson, the present Sir Randolf Baker, is a descendant of what is generic gener-ic L a'ly considered the first family of Ireland. ;j, ' Before the great war Sir Kandolf Baker was an active and popular popu-lar country gentleman. He was a justice o the peace, a deputy lieutenant lieuten-ant and "custos rotu- ( lorum" of the county, a county councillor and so forth. He was at that time a major in the "yeomanry," "yeo-manry," as the British "Territorial" Cavalry are . called. The great war broke out. He went to France in 1314 with the first of the Territorials that . were sent to the front, and did splendid service at a time when the small It Was in the Picturesque Holy Land Campaign That Lieut.-Col. Sir Randolf Baker Won His Second Distinguished Service Honor. overwhelming hordes of the enemy. Then the ill-fated Dardanelles expedition expedi-tion was organized in a hurry with the object ob-ject of taking Cbnstantinople and opening up communication with the Russians. The expedition was composed mainly of Australian Aus-tralian troops and British Territorials, and Sir Randolf Baker was assigned to the force. It is agreed in England now that the Gal-lipoll Gal-lipoll expedition involved the worst slaughter slaugh-ter and suffering of the whole war. For two years the authorities drew a veil over the dreadful details of what happened, and only now is the British public beginning to learn about them. The troops had to land on a narrow beach under the fire of the Turks and Germans, Ger-mans, strongly entrenched in the hills above. There were no small boats sui.- . able for landing purposes, and after much delay holes were made in the sides of the troopships, which were run ashore on Ihe beach. Gangplanks were pushed through the holes onto the beach and the soldiers, loaded with all their arms and equipment, had to run down them under fire. Hur- r dreds of the men no one knows how many fell into tne water, and the wounded wound-ed were left there to drown. On shore the men had to lie out on a sandy beach in hastily constructed trenches, exposed not only to the Turkish fire but to horrible winds and cold. Many wished that they had been drowned at the start with their comrades, and the officers offi-cers had some trouble with men who un-i un-i necessarily exposed themselves to be shot. Sir Randolf Baker served with distinction distinc-tion during the greater part of this dreadful dread-ful campaign and received the Distinguished Distin-guished Service Order, which ranks next to the Victoria Cross. Then he was severely wounded and had to be sent to hospital. In the end the Gailipoli expedition cost over 100,000 men and had to be abandoned without having accomplished anything. Society hears that Sir Randolf Baker's stories of the amazing sufferings and adventures ad-ventures of the men in this expedition bad more than anything else to do with winning his American bride. He recovered from his wound and was then ordered to join the army being organ ized for the invasion of Palestine. In the earlier stage of this campaign the army was practically defeated and brought to a standstill at Gaza, the scene of Samson's exploits in the Bible. General Allenby was then appointed commander-in-chief and proved himself the most uniformly successful British commander in the war. By very skilful strategy he rapidly conquered all of the Holy Land and Syria and incidentally brought ibout the fall of Mesopotamia. After good service with his yeomanry in thi3 campaign Sir Randolf Baker was appointed ap-pointed to a post on the staff of the brilliant bril-liant commander. He took part in the capture of Jerusalem and Jericho and received re-ceived a bar to his Distinguished Service Order, which s equivalent to receiving a second order. Then he was wounded again. By the time the gallant baronet recovered recov-ered the war was over. During his convalescence con-valescence his recovery was greatly aided by the soothing society and sympathetic Interest of the charming Miss Ida Adams. She had known much suffering herself and r . ' " " i. J Ranston, Lady Baker's Country Estate in Dorsetshire. her soft voice possessed almost magic healing powers. The. -result was inevitable. inevi-table. This case is so Interesting that It becomes be-comes appropriate to quote the words of 1 that industrious historian of "Romantic Love and Personal Beauty," Mr. Henry T. Finck, who says: "In the past barbarous times the constant con-stant wars and the unsettled state of social so-cial affairs made it important for women to select men not for their beauty, but for their energy, courage and manly prowess. Desdemona falls in love with the Moor despite de-spite his cole and . ugliness, and why? Othello himself tells us: " 'She loved me for the dangers I had passed, And I loved her that she did pity them.' "And it is on beholding Orlando vanquishing van-quishing the Duke's wrestler that Rosalind falls in love with him. As Celia remarks: Young Orlando, that tripped up the wrestler's wrest-ler's heels and your heart, 'both In an Instant-.' "Women are conservative; and in the , ludicrous feminine eagerness to make immortal im-mortal heroes of the ephemeral victors in a 'boat-race or baseball match we see an echo, in peaceful days,' of a feminine trait imprinted on them in warlike times. "Intellectual supereminence, in war times, was ignored by women. Petrarch's verges made no impression on Laura, and Dante could not even win Beatrice with such poetic beauties as these lines: " 'Whatever her sweet eyes are turned upon, Spirits of Love do Issue thence in flame, Which through hereyes who then may look on them Pierce to the heart's deep chamber every one. And in her' smile Love's image you may see Whence none can gaze upon her steadfastly.' stead-fastly.' . - t I Interesting War Romance " -'" "'x of tke American Staff e rs -Wr - -vVU Beauty, Ida Adams, and ( ' 1- ff Sir Randolf Littlekales y V- . ' 1 'W -V. Baker, Bart., WKicK ( '':,V-';! i ' '-'' Usliers :tke Pretty New ( ' (0': 1 Lady 'Baker ; : f::' - --:" Ranslon' L .Into British ' ' . Sr " : Snspors' ' S s ,i s , This case is so I f ' 1 "I . N ' f ' t ' comes appropriate I itied Dociety t,iat indunous h " js , I s-f , Loie and Personal s ' k. ' Finck, vt ho sa5 s : C , , J j-' s' ' "In the past bar a 1 stant wais and the ': ' - N cial affairs made it "f , i - (- to select men not fi . . ss 4 their energy, courai 1 : vs t v '' Desdemona falls in i; ;' v: ., ' ,v ; N ,' . spite his color an : "' . ,-" ; Othello himself tel jMki:&-? ' if': "'She loved me f( y - J passed, fro0 wGilsMfctia x - . ' And I loved her tha lufi Chakiss. rSS?SMM3 ' x " " - ' "And 11 is 0,1 b , quishing the Duke's f " , falls in love with hi , n ' - ,N t i 'Young Orlando, thr J--. " ; ' ler's heels and you . vCr v stant.' C v ? . "Women are con JJ , V'"-',;' V N ' ludicrous feminine n x SN - n,? 7 " - " t ''''" ? mortal heroes of th xvts,, 1 f echo, in peaceful di , ' r Vi. I ,'.V . x imprinted on them t Xi . .ViV ' . -w "Intellectual suj "". V 'XO't' 4 " ' ' N times, v, as ignored -s - t f' - ""V verges made no lm s -V; .'-' ' - ;S ' - Dante could not e -.ft"3-t?;t ' . ..v 1 ' i such poetic beautie ' tjri. .r-;'r -V " " ' -Whatever her s . s ... - ' ' Spirits of Love do - 1 - ' . v Which through he ?'". -:-ii,: ''iS""';.: " , ' -'"v " - ' ' t J look on them ' . -rV ' V- . : !; ' J HThe American Piercethe hear, I ' r' ,'r ' V'""" J Stage Beauty," And in her' smile I :'I ?:S;;'4 ' ,. ' t ' - f''' Ida Adams, Whence none can A l:l"S'ftitl ?t'; v .-'. j Who Is Now fastly-' V H:iftM 1 ; "--- " Lady Baker, 'V-'-.: 0- v 14 ' "The extraordina I " , 'v' ' f London. tary uniforms she 1 44S;;-4M v '' times and countrn ' 4;S!V.AsS-'i'.s " ' obscure problems I : ; y;J 1 ' LONDON society, including that por- was an active and popu- fZ t " S K N 1 & ' " tion which is purely fashionable and lar country gentleman. V-'il 'A'r,.'!. JX , V'f'&l't- , . that which is a,so theatrical, is im- He was a justice of the V i ' . j t 1'' ' mensely interested in the marriage of peace, a deputy lieuten- JWs-,, , j? L . l K, 'M' Vl i , V V''" Si Lieutenant-Colonel 'Sir Randolf Littlehales ant and "custos rotu- , 3 ' ' ' v I"'' "' '"'U' iHV; 4'' V ?4 6 ' J ' J Baker and Miss Ida Adams, the pictures- lorum" of the county, a -, V4i.Fj i 'V ' I'-fk iV '' "tj"-" ' ' ' ; Que American actress. county councillor and so , Vil ?Vtv?i 1 ' Tt I During the whole war, they say, there forth. He was at that ' Jf ? IWA ? 1 k fW fiT'S I J " i , has not been a more romantic union of time a major in the "yeo- V pf- At' M .'lH t - A--t 'VVl 1 Tit i f manly valor and womanly beauty. She was manry," as the British ? k q"Hlr fSfcY If f 1- I.fe 1 ? H v i thrilled by his war stories-he was "Territorial" Cavalry are &VW 1J1 , charmed by her beauty. . called. LV?V '- V J - 1 Friends of the couple predict that Sir The great war broke '. . - & -X"1" l' 5 Randolf Baker has won a bride who will out. He went to France V , J Vs -"t " - " " riarV ' help him to reach a foremost place, in pub- in 1314 with the first of " r ' ' '.X' . . f ' lie life, as so many American wives have the Territorials that s- " '",'; , ""' ' , " linn. !.! -olll. ..conrlo . WRrfl Sent tO tllO frOUt, ! r-m mi) UliHIM I '- - "The extraordinary infatuation for military mili-tary uniforms shown by women of all times and countries is one of the most obscure problems in mental and social philosophy. When ever an officer, though ever so humble in rank, is present at a ball or other social gathering, all other men, be they merchants, mer-chants, politicians, Iaywers, physicians, physi-cians, artists, students, stu-dents, ministers, are simply nowhere." no-where." . There you have a philosopher's explanation ex-planation of what happened when the fighting baronet met the American beauty. And now concerning con-cerning Miss Ida Adams. When Sir Tonrlnlf Tl.ilfPr hfi- stowed his rank upon this American actress act-ress it was no one-sided p'Srtnei ship. She is quite a remarkable woman, both physically phy-sically and mentally. Her friends say that she had determined to win a much higher ' place in the theatrical profession, and her determination is so great they feel sure she could have succeeded. It is presumed that she sacrifices all these prospects in order to become Lady Baker. Even if Ida Adams were not remarkable as an actress, her picturesque clothes would make her a socinl personage of importance. im-portance. A distinguished English artist has said of her: . "She has a heaven-sent gift of wearing clothes" Concerning her determination of character char-acter a remarkable story is told. She was born in a tiny settlement among the mountains moun-tains of West, Virginia. She played, bare-fooled, bare-fooled, with the other small girls of the village. But ever since she could remember there bad been sorrowful glances and whispers. She was threatened even then that sooner or later she might become blind. When she was five the family moved to Charleston. West Virginia. From there, when she was eighteen, she ran away to ' go upon the stage. She came on to New York. She secured third place from the left in the back row in "Around Town." In three months she was promoted to a part, fighting down every obstacle. She passed through "The Three Twins" and' "The Pink Lady," flashed for a time among "The Ziegfeld Follies" and then won notable success in dancing at the Beaux Arts. Suddenly she was missing. Smart folS who appreciated her asked in vain for her. "She isn't well; she cannot dance now," was all they could learn. As a matter of fact, the veil of dread that had hung above her since she was two years old had fallen. She was going blind. "How long will it take, doctor?" shs calmly inquired of one medical attendant after another. "One does not know. It may be a few weeks or months hardly a year. Why do you ask?" they answered. "Because," she said, serenely, "when that time comes I shall kill myself." But the words of one physician, less final in his judgment than the others, echoed ia her memory. "You are tired, .nervous, overworked. Rest may do a great deal for you." She went to England. She sought out a little, unfashionable inn. She walked every day until she was tired in the green lanes. Staid country folk, passing, looked curiously curi-ously at the young girl sitting or walking with closed eyes. . For five months she had awakened each morning in the dark. The brightest sunlight sun-light had become as twilight to her. Yet one morning she saw a sunbeam lying across the carpet. She flung her arms above her head and danced. Hope was born again in her heart. True, she bumped painfully against tha edge of a table. She could not see well, but she could see better than. she had. One day she met a friend from America, "Run up to London and spend a few days," he advised. . That evening she danced at Ci'ro's. A certain manager, who was about to offer "Half Past Eight" to cheer English audiences, audi-ences, saw her. "We need her here," he said. 'Miss Adams felt uncertain of her steps that night at the opening of "Half Past Eight." At first she was sic.i with fright. The old sensation of groping returned. But she swung into the rhythm of the dance and forgot all else. The next morning every newspaper ia London praised her. Miss Adams had achieved fame overnight. One mark only of her ordeals remained. Her hair had become the color of silver. "I can't read," she said. "I keep a companion com-panion for that. But the danger of blindness blind-ness is quite gone. My advice to girls who are in the slough of despond is, 'Drive out fear. Claim what is your right happiness. Call in your Yankee grit.' " The- same American determination has -carried this bright little American actress to a prominent place in aristocratic society. so-ciety. Where will she' end? Miss Adams, as already remarked, is dis- - tlnguished as a wearer of clothes. She has worn numberless costumes, and her own taste wa3 the principal factor in their creation. Who but an artist in clothes could have thought of this combination: "A gown of two-tone green and rose satin imperial, veiled w.fth flesh-colored chiffon. " The bodice Is of Empire effect in hand embroidery, showing several tones of rose silk picked with steel beads. The sleeves are of chiffon edged with velvet ribbon, reversed, showing satin back and Persian buttons." Of course, hair and complexion matched this remarkable creation. Ida Adams, it is said, can take a piece of fishnet and twist It into a becoming costume, or she can wear the volimrnnns robes of a duchess with oil the air of one to the manor born. Even no perhaps she is thinking how to produce the best effects ef-fects with the ermine trimmed scarlet robes of a peeress, which are generally regarded as exceedingly trying. She is statuesque but slender, nymph-like nymph-like but sophisticated. Her evening clothes have been admired us much a3 her theatrical costumes. Evidently British tilled society is about to enjoy some new sensations in the art of dressing. |