The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-08-18

when we reached II 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 vie 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
j 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 conc 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 started to walk back to San
Francisco. Not knowing anything abou,
the way, and not caring to ask. because
We did not want to appear what we were
1.-TWO runaway girls--we chose the road
bed Of the railway as the most direct
route and the surest We were not
aware that il also was the favorite route
! 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 But the same kind fate that
thus far had watched over us, kept us
from finding out 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-looking individual, in 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
reassured US in spite OF his rough ex-
terror. When Ike spoke TO us, there was
note III his voice that bespoke at
least the remnant OF gcntility--a touch
| of difference TO our scy. now think il
was and he had dog, an Irish terrier,
that greeted us with friendly wag.
There never is. l think, any need of
being afraid OF a 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 TO San Francisco and cx-
| pected to reach il in the afternoon He
said walking OH the track was dangerous
and he would show us a road, SO he
took US to one Of the pretty red clay
country roads running along the foot
of the sloping hills that form, many OF
them clad with vineyards, the Santa
Clara valley He had been walking
toward San Jose, but now he turned
and walked along with Us. realize
now that he saw we were runaways and
needed protection, even il w didn't
know it. For rough characters passed
us even on the road
Really he was delightful. He chatted
with us in an easy manner and told
us stories. Sometimes. too. we would
run ahead and frolio with the dog
| BABE his master called hirn-but after
a while we began to feel the fatigue
of walking and we're content to have
Babe trot along beside US About
| that time we came to one of the little
streams that crossed the road, and the
man suggested that we might want to
rest. We said We would like to eat,
too, and we sat down and laid out our
fruit and sandwiches on the paper they
had been wrapped in Babe" pricked
lip his ears and scrutinized us and
wagged his tail slowly and respectfully,
as ii not wanting to appear too eager
| am happy to say that the idea OF Just
gobbling up what we had bought with
out offering any of il to the man and the
| dog never occurred to US. We divided
the commissary supplies into four parts
and the man looked on approvinsly ]
suppose he was glad that, although w
were couple oi nttis fools, ~ vsrs
on the level
"How would some nice fresh NH
60 with this outft?' he asked.
We looked ruefully, at each other
We had not bought any milk, w hat
no more money. and we tod hlm 20
THAT'S all right" b. adj s9Abs
will get some for o.
"BabSr ws sxriaimsd vish ~