The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1920-12-24
The Popcorn Man
By cECILLE LANGDoN
90 1880. Western Newspaper Union !

NE outside population to the village.
ais machine was run by little sleaIu
sagine. Ii had CHEEKY whistle and
Alled the air with an appetizing flavor
-and the Old fellow who passed out the
tsalted bags with their buttered con
Asnts gave satisfactory value for
money received.
He rarely spoke to anybody and was
usually almost developed in long
Nuen coat, a down-drawn slouch hat
,and he wore long bushy whiskers.
mo fact was discovered that they
Were false
-'Makeup7 Yes" he freely admit
ed 10 the curious and suspicious
Hown marshal. "Why not? 1t gives
me q picturesque Identity, don't you
seer
Il was during the second week Of
me reign Of the popcorn man that
HIlda Brewer came down town one
evening driving the family automobile.
THE town band was giving concert
and. parking the machine al the curb,
she, like others, stroiled about taking
In friends acquaintances and the live
u strains of music. When she saw
Elsie Dover at little distance she
Immediately Joined her. She liked Ill
gie and they were real friends. She
liked Elsies brother. Fitch Dover, too
but she had not told anybody that, not
even himself. Her first question was
regarding him. He had been in the
city for month and Hilda was eager
TO learn how he WAS getting along.
"Famously, he writes" said Elsie,
although he Is dreadfully mysterious
He hasn't yet told MS what he Is work
ing at. though papa thinks it is in
some secret service position. Fitch
wrote last week to him limiting that
We had better look on Tor him soon.
- he had commission TO execute al
Easton"
I shall be glad TO see him." admit
ted Hilda. I'VE miss him up at the
house
The two girls finally separated and
Hilda was on her way back to the
auto, when Whit from the corn pop
per revived early juvenile days and
made her feel hungry. She approached
the pepper which the nondescript op-
orator was moving to and fro, placed
her nickel on the shelf leaf and just
then her eyes met those of the pop
.rOrn man. thrill, tremOr, a shock
nj the fairly impossible traversed her
xrame.
s'F1tchW she gasped invoIuntarily
The popcorn man cast sharp.
alarmed glance all about him. Don't
aspeak my name, don't recognize me,
ilDn't tell anybody am here" he
whispered quickly. when | give you
a paper bag take ii home and keep 1t
Aafely till come and see you. Here.
Pretend 1t is popcorn"
Hilda was all In a culver. 1t was
only by CLEAN from those magnetic
eyes OF Fitch Dover that she had rec
ognized him, despite his grotesqur dis
Euise. Here was mystery. secrecy, in
deed She went back TO the auto
Somehow she was greatly interested
and disturbed. Was Fitch in any dan
,ger7 She did not start up the ma
chine, she knew not why, and when
Fitch. through for the evening, COW
cred the popcorn wagon with a heavy
piece of canvas and started away,
SLOWLY and at distance she followed.
AS he turned into another street an
auto circled past her. Two men we're
I'm 1t. They halted as they neared
Fitch, sprung out there was a scuf-
ife. They seemed to knock him sense
less. picked him up. flung him into
their auto and started up again.
All of a sudden then Hilda Brewer
felt herself to he the center of a vast
adventure. She did not try TO an
salyZe its merits. Her pulses beating
tumultously. she had but one idea
TO keep her captive lover in sight until
she could secure aid or rescue. Now.
courageous to face any peril for his
dear sake. she knew that she loved
him. -. a." ...
II was apparent as the two men left
the town behind that they noticed the
pursuit At all events they speeded
up terrifcally as they struck the open
road. Hilda all In a flutter could only
think of keeping them in view. As
they turned sharp curve they were
momentarily lost TO. view. She shud-
dered and shrnnk down as a crash
echoed out Circling the curve she
brought the machine to a halt. T.. g..
The other machine lay overturned
in a ditch the two men under II.
FLUNG free from It, Fitch revived from
his first assault and was staggering
wildly about Vaguely and then won
deringiy he recognized Hilda.
"Get TO the nearest telephone, sum.
mon, the police at Easton," he qua
vered and sank to the ground from
sheer shock and weakness.
What story he had TO tell when
back to normal in day or two. The
real popcorn man had been the leader
of a gang of burglars who were in
Testing the district. giving them tips
ms TO prospective places to loot, com.
municating with them through notes
In the popcorn bags and posing and
acting up to the average peddler.
uftoh had ponturpd him and had as