The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-01-14

when we reached Il we found the house
grim, dark and closed tight. Vainly
we tried every door. All were locked.
There was no sign of the manager from
whom we had expected such an eager
welcome. There was not even watch
man on the premises.
OF course we were bitterly dsap-
pointed But were not frightened, and
] know we did not cry. We hadn't
money enough left to pay our way back
to San Francisco by train, but we could
pay for our room, supper and break
fast, and, as we had come by rail in
less than two hours, we thought in our
innocence that we easily could walk
back next day. ! believe the distance
is forty or fifty miles
Children either are afraid OF every
thing or of nothing. We were of the
latter kind. So the next morning we
paid our hotel bill and with the little
money we had left bought some fruit
and sandwiches to take along for lunch
con, and startf d to walk back to San
Francisco. Not knowing anything about
the way, and not caring to ask, because
we did not want to appear. what we were
two runaway girls--wc chose The road
bed Of the railway as the most direct
route and the surcst We were not
aware that it also was the favorite rolite
for hoodlums, who would steal ride
on local freight Until discovered and
put off, and then tramp the roadbed
until the chance to steal another ride
offered. BIT the same kind fate that
thus far had watched over us, kept lis
from finding ont what a hoodlum at his
worst might be-
We had not walked very far out of
San jose when We saw man coming
along the track toward us He was a
rough-lookine individual il fact hood
lum, but not quite as ragged as the
average tramp probably because little
younger for suppose that even in
trampdom youth still takes some pride
| in appearances Two things about him
reassurcd us i'll spite Of his rough ex-
terror When he spoke TO us, there was
a note in lis voice tEat bespoke at
least the lnant Of gentility-a touch
OF Difference to our sex, now think it
was; and lie had dog. an Irish terrier.
| that greeted Us ,,iin ifilndiy wag.
There never is. | t.inll, any need Of
being afraid Of man with friendly
dog, for dog reflects the character of
the master. The man asked Us where
we were going, and listened with an
amused smile when we told him we
were walking 10 san Francisco and ex-
pected to reach it in the afternoon. He
said walking on the track was dangerous
and he would show lis road. So he
! took us 10 orc of lile pretty red clay
country roads running along the foot
of the sloping bills that FORM many OF
them clad with vineyards, the Santa
| Clara valley He had been walking
toward San Jose, bat now he turned
and walked aloag with Us. realize
now that he saw we were runaways and
needed protection, even if we didn't
knox it. For rough characters passed
lis even on the road.
Really he was delightful He chatted
with IT'S in an easy manner and told
Us stories Sometimes, too, we would
run ahead and frolic with the <dog
Babe his master called hiin-~but after
a while we began to feel the fatigue
of walking and were content to have
Babe trot along beside us. About
that time we came TO ono Of the little
streams that crossed the road, and tlit
man suggested that we might want tr
rest We said we world like to cat
too, ard We sat down ard laid out on
| fri. and sandwiches on the paper they
had bcen wrapped in, ''Rabc' prickec
up his cars and scrutinizcd us anC
waggcd his tail slowly ard respectfully
as II rot wanting TO appear too eager
| am happy to say that the idea OF jus
gobbling up what we had bought with
OFT offering any Of it to the man and TIL
dog never occurred to Us We divide,
the commissary supplies into four part
and the man looked on approyingly.
suppose he was glad that. although W
wcrc a couple Of little tools, We wcr
on the level
"llow would some nice fresh mil
90 with this o,.tfi,?' he asked
| We looked rucfully at each other
| We had not bought any milk, we ha'
no more money, and we told him Sc
"That's all right he sad Babe
! viii get somc for US
"'Babc " We exclaimed with on
voice