The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-01-26
ALBERT PAYSON TERHUNE

would not. in such a casa calmly APP
rrcpriate the cash.
Ny food was always LETT, wrapped in
paper, on the shed shelf Two nights
earlier jt had been wrapped IN poster
announcing the Montgomery County
Fair at Rockville. a bare SIX miles
away This would be the third day Of
the fair
Where a country fair is held there
i always "a chance for WltiluS man
10 pick up an odd dollar or so % run
ring eTTaudS, holding horses, helping
with the tents or any Of dozen sucn
My mind was made up To the fair
I would 90
This resolve was by no means as
rash as il may seem There Is an old
saying that NO place IS 50 safe or so
lonesome as IN crowd" And il is
/ true Local Conss ables may be on the
lookout for petty thieves at such places
but IN the ever-shiftInE thrOngs no one
thinks OF looking for q big criminal
il was the last place on earth that
the police might reasonably expect me
/ to frequent. Besides, a solid week had
elapsed since my escape from Washing
ton. BY this time il would be the sea
ports and distant cities THAI would be
most closely watched FOR me-
The morning was sIiI young as,
after & six-miie tramp, j mingled win
The fair ground crowds BronZcd coUn-
trymen. sporty folk, pale-1aceU, SfiIlE-
eyed crooks eIbOwed me once l came
face TO face with Matthews himself.
His jaw dropped and he SLID away ID
the thTong, avoiding my - - s--,-,
The bulk Of the crowd dFitled from
SPOT 10 spot, like some huge tide Auos
pending an opportunity 10 IND a DIT OF
work, I let myself DRIFT with them
OF a sudden are Idly WoviDE human
atoms concentrated and swept more
rapidly toward a Tar end of ttSe Grodn4S.
T. in their midst, was drawn along like
a leaf IN a stream
HlH
the heads OF those around me soon
saw the magnet OF attraction Il was
an enormous yellow six balloon
wholly inflated. and tied now oE cI-E
one stout rope TO q deep driven post
on the top OF the post was this sign
PROT CTfapoCO GrImOiuIr JudlSUule1
King of the Air. VIII Positively Make
His Esong-Heralaea Balloon Ascension
al 1G-39 a. m Today
As We uriggIed closer 7 could see the
/ ''ur0fessCT'-a dapper little man with a
huge mustsChe-standInE IN dTanalIc
attitude on the trampled earth beside
the car OF his struggling balloon
a little space all around the car had
been rOpCd OF by the fair officials
Against three sides Of these ropes the
crowd SIrCCd- on the fourth was a
line Of automobiles filled with EaTly
appareie5 merry makers from ueiEnbor-
iuE country houses and from Washing
ton.
7 found myself in the front row Of the
gaping country folk With real cur--
oSitv I eyed the towering bulk Of the
balloon. 7 had never before seen one at
such close quarters
There was something vaguely tnTTIfE-
ing in the Suerr@rle Of the SUeEEEEr
mouStrouS yellow thiu-. looming high
as house above us r. had ON awe
some IUearrlIE look as ~ strained NJ
its basket cords Ike some blind nam
moth
The round wicker car that rested on
the earth below IL seemed uEdulv fra gle
and fimsv by comparison with the vast
Eas-fIIcd bag thar was 20 serve as its
motive power I was filed with an in
stinctive aversion 20 the whole weird
C0utrivauce
I remembe- reading less than a
month earlier about q balloon ascension
near This very spot where the gas bag
had collapsed so feet above the earth.
hurting the aerouaut and his two pas
seuEers 60 earth unr=coz uizehIe.
The memory did not enhance NV de-
light at viewing the aerial creature
And from mutteTed "reminiscences here
and there IN the crowds about me.
son present who recalled the EruesOue
ira Eedy-
Beside the Professor stood n stout
Eashiiy dressed man. evidently his man
aEeT-
Ladies and - --le-neu-'- the fat man
was believing -EofesSor GTim0Idi is
q bout 10 MAKE - promised ascension.
Tt has always p. en- the professors Gus
tom 10 invite one or Two members of
E1S audience {. company him upon
his flights IT is "a thoroughly delightful
. and perfectly safe experience and
like last month"; Queried a malice
laden voice from the crowd
The fat man Redeemed but FASTENED
on GlSreEaTdIuC murmUT that rose
from the bystaude-s-