the second plate of the savory food
was placed before him. "I suppose I shall be hungry sometimes before I
get to Oklahoma, but I don't expect to 'hobo' it."

"Then how do you expect to get along? You say you haven't much money."

"I guess I don't just understand what it means to 'hobo' it," admitted
Bob.

"No, I guess you don't. It's the name they give out West to travelling
when you don't have money enough to pay your railroad fare, and have to
beat your way, riding on freight trains."

As Bob heard this explanation of the term, his eyes sparkled with
delight, and he said earnestly:

"I'm glad you told me about it. I'd never thought of trying to steal a
ride on a freight train."

"For pity sake! How did you expect to get away out there?"

"Walk, unless I could earn money enough in one town to take me to
another."

Bob's conversation, which showed such a remarkable ignorance of the
world, especially in view of the fact that he was a New York boy,
suggested to the waitress that perhaps he had run away from home.

Determined to find out, she banished the sympathetic smile from her
face, and becoming very severe, leaned across the table and gazing
straight into Bob's eyes, asked:

"Look a here, kid, you haven't run away from a good home, have you?"

The unexpectedness of this question took Bob by surprise. Under the
searching gaze of the girl's eyes, he felt just as he had when the
magistrate had glanced at him, and his voice trembled a little as he
replied:

"No! Oh, no, indeed!"

But his manner was not convincing, and the girl continued her
interrogations, but on a different tack.

"Your folks live in New York?"

"I haven't any."

"Then where have you been living?"

"With my guardian."

"What do you do?"

"I used to deliver groceries for him."

The stress Bob laid upon the word "used," led the girl to inquire:

"Did he fire you? Or what?"

"No. I left him."

"How long ago?"

"Just this afternoon."

The close questioning of the waitress was making Bob very uncomfortable,
and he determined to tell her the real reason he had left, especially
as she was so kind and seemed to know so much about traveling in the
West. Having reached this decision, he told, with many hesitations, the
story of his experiences.

With quick sympathy the girl listened, and, as he concluded, exclaimed
tenderly:

"You poor kid! I'm sure glad you happened to drop in here. I've got a
sister living out in Chicago,