The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-06

to any boys recorded so he felt sure
they were safe, as both boys were old
enough to take care of themselves
After this reinsurance he went home
and went to bed.
AT he awoke and went to tell his
employer that he would be absent from
work that day. Then he went home
and got his breakfast. Mrs. Fraser,
tired out with her nights watch.
showed signs of giving out and Elsie
had to do most of the work. Mr.. Fra
ser told them that his employer had
said that if nothing was missing the
boys would soon reappear.
Leave 'em ayone an dey'n come
home, Vaughn der tails behine en-"
lispe5 the baby, but this wise saying
did not reassUre any one in the least
that they would.
When the hunt began there were
dozens of clews. They sprang up in
every direction from this, that and the
next PERSONAL perfectly probable, but
only few proved of any value. One
boy said that Dick had told him he was
going to sea; another that he had seen
Dick and Roy loo ding provisions on to
a wagon All hat day and part of the
next night the fathers of the two boys
searched in old barns, among the hills,
along the water front-in fact any
where 1t was possible for them to go.
They hunted in almost every place but
the right enc.
Another night passed fruitlessly. In
the morning an old Chinese workman
came to the Frasers to shingle the
barn. He was very fond Of Dick Mrs.
Fraser always spoke to him IN "pidgin
English" which he used.
TOY" she said to him, what you
think? My boy gone away?"
A puzzled look came into his face
and a long drawn "awe!" escaped him.
"When he gO?" he asked
HE go Thursday, Toy" said Mrs.
Fraser.
Toy put on one of his comicaI stares.
Then he said, HE go Thursday?
fingers. Saturday, play. Sunday he
come back"
It was after school on Thursday.
Dick Fraser was standing on a cor
ner feeling very much at odds with
the world in general. He had been kept
after school and wasn't used to it. 1t
took UP such a lot of time from play
when that happened.
He had come out with Roy Peterson,
who had the reputation of being the
worst boy in the school yard.
Dick" said Roy, II want to go some
place"
"where do you want to go?" said
Dick.
I'm going to Stockton to visit my
grandfather on his ranch. Want to
come. too? Well have to hurry up if
we catch the boat"
Now Dick had no idea how far Stock
ton was and thought he would be at
home by evening, and as he had never
been there he thought he would like to
go. So the two boys started. They
caught the quarter past 4 narrow
gauge train from Oakland to San Fran
cisco and thence took the steamer to
Stockton.
Everything combined to deceive Dick,
who had Travelled very little, and it
was not until nfghtfafl that he began
to have secret misgivings as to the cor
rectness of his calculations. For sup
per the cook gave the boys some sage
pudding which Dick remarked tasted
like indiarubber,' and he thought
with regret of his mothers nice dinners
at home and wished he hadn't come.
That night the boys had very little
sleep and toward morning the steamer
struck a fog bank and ran into the
mud several times. By the time they
reached Stockton the day was dawning
and they were quite unfit for the long
walk to the ranch between Lodi and
that town. However, they started.
After they had walked about mile
Dick said, Roy, I'm going home on the
first boat that leaves here"
'S'posen [ won't let your" said Roy.
you haven't got any money"
mo, but I'll get some man to trust
me and I'll telephone right back to my
father" said Dick.
Now Roy was not nearly as bad a
boy as he was made out to be. and he
had begun to think that perhaps his
mother was worrying about him, so he
said: ''All right, Wen go back. Per-
hapS 1t is too long, anyway"
When they reached Stockton they
found that the next boat did not leave
until evening, SO they had to amuse
themselves as best they could. All
that day they walked the streets, pick
ing up cigar wrappers, of which both
were making collection, and doing
anything they could to occupy their
time.
That night the boys slept on the
cotton bales in the lower deck, and
when they awoke they were in the har-
Dor of San Francisco once more.
When Toy saw Dick coming he called
out to Mrs. Fraser at the top of his
voice, "He come, he come" and when
Dick came into the back yard he said
to him, You fader got whip dis long
inside fer you," stretching as far as he
could reach with his arms.
When Dick went in the house he
gave his mother a regular boys bear
hug and said, Anyway, I didn't run
away, and I'm SO glad to get back"
When he had related the story Of his
Elsie said, IT'S the very
thing for my story
Yes" said Dick. that's one reason
I went. 1 thought perhaps I could
find something for you to write about"
And Elsie wrote her story and to-day
is riding her wheel back and forth to
school, and what is more, 1t looks better
Than III ever did before