Wayside Friends

Now that Austin had cut his last shore cable, had crossed the bridge away from home, he began to plan for himself. It was now past noon, and he was both hungry and cold. When he thought of his penniless condition a chill of apprehension came over him, for he had no mind to beg. He continued his search for work on this side the river, but with as little success. Though he could hardly have told why, he had kept on toward the railroad, and was approaching it where a small station stood. He had no money with which to buy a ticket, yet he hoped that in some way he might be able to follow the road to where he could find work.

The station had no depot, and there were only a few houses nearby. A box car had been set beside the track and in it was a tiny waiting room with a fire burning. A couple of men sat idly by smoking and talking, scarcely noticing when the boy came in. Austin was thoroughly tired out, more hungry than he had ever been in his life, and chilled to the bone. His feet had been wet all day, and he had not a dry stitch of clothing on him. Setting the suitcase down, he sank upon the rude bench at the side of the room and hardly moved for a long time. The early twilight of the gloomy evening came on, and still he sat, with a thoughtful, far-away look in his eyes. He did not know what to do next.

After a while the ticket agent came in. Seeing the boy sit in such a dejected position and without moving for a long time, he guessed that he was in trouble and in need of help.

“Where are you going, sir?” he asked Austin kindly.

“I hardly know. I have been looking for work among the farmers all day and none of them want to hire me, and I hardly know what to do next,” said Austin.

“Do you live near here?”

“Yes, I have walked from home today; but I do not want to go back if I can avoid it. I want to find work.”

“Had some trouble?”

At this question Austin looked around, and seeing that they were now alone and feeling certain that the man was kindly disposed toward him he told him all, shielding neither his father nor himself. It was so evident that he told the truth that the man believed him.

“Have you any means, or any way of making your expenses while you are looking for work?” was the next question.

“No sir, I have no money, and only want to get work. I have a friend at the next town whom I am quite certain would help me if I could only find him.”

“Have you anything about you that you could sell if you got into a pinch?” again asked the man.

“Not a thing—unless it would be this,” and he held up a pocketknife, which had been a gift of his mother’s.

“If you will give me the knife I will give you your supper and a ticket to the next station,” tactfully proposed the man, not wishing to make Austin feel like a beggar.

Accepting the offer, he was taken to a little restaurant and given a good supper, and before much time had passed, he had a ticket and was aboard the train bound for the town where his friend was at work. Austin had taken opportunity while waiting for the train to change his clothes, and he now presented a much better appearance than when he was sitting by the little boxcar fire.

When Austin left the train it was dark, and had been for some time. He had been so tired as the train bounded along that he hardly sensed his position. Dimly he had wondered where he would sleep that night. Now he stood for a moment on the little station platform wondering what he should do next. He did not know where to find his friend and was not certain he was here at all. This had been his only hope of finding work, and now he realized it had been a very forlorn one. Since he was here he must find the man or stay out in the cold all night. He saw the light of a hotel across the street. Going there, he asked if they knew his friend, but none of them recognized the name he gave. He inquired about other hotels and boarding houses, and was directed to two or three, which he visited with as little success. Standing again in the outside darkness he pondered what to do. He thought perhaps his friend might be known at the livery stable, and going there he asked again. The stableman knew no such a fellow, and by the flickering light of the lantern he saw the look of disappointment and concern that crossed Austin’s face.

“Where are you going to stay tonight?” he asked.

“I do not know. I wasn’t looking for a place, as I was hoping to find my friend,” the boy replied.

“Every boarding house in town is full; some folks will have to sit up at the hotel for lack of a bed,” the man said. “I have no idea where to tell you to go.” Then after a moment’s thought he added, “I could fix you a place here in the barn where you would be comfortable, and welcome.”

“Thank you, sir; but, to be honest, I have no money to pay for even that bed,” truthfully replied Austin.

“Well, a fellow can’t stay out in the cold a night like this. Prepare to roll in and maybe you will have better luck tomorrow,” good-naturedly replied the man. Taking an armful of rugs he went to an oat bin and spread them out and left Austin to get to rest as soon as possible.

Though this was a unusual bed to the boy, and the surroundings new and strange, so weary was he that he was soon fast asleep. It was morning when he wakened, but not yet light. He heard the man in the barn with the horses, so jumping up hastily he dressed and went out to help him, with the hope that he could remain and work about the barn, though this was not the kind of work he had wished for.

“Have you need of a hand around the barn?” he asked the man after a while. “If you have I should like a job.”

“No, I can manage all there is to do very well,” was the discouraging reply.

“Do you know of any work around here I could get?”

“Not a thing. You are quite too young to stand the work in the oil fields, and that is about all there is to do this time of year. I shall go over to the house now for my breakfast, and you look after things while I am gone and then you may go get yours,” said the man, who felt genuine pity for the boy.

Austin enjoyed the warm breakfast and the kindness of the housewife who gave it to him. Before he left, the man handed him almost a dollar in change, another act of kindness.

Taking his suitcase again in his hand Austin proceeded on his uncertain journey. The money the stableman had given him would be sufficient to carry him to the village where his grandparents lived, and as he had heard that Wilbur was there, he decided to cease looking for his friend and go on to his grandparents’ home and get assistance from his brother. He thought this would be only fair, for Wilbur had borne no responsibility, while he himself had given all his wages for the support of the family.

“Why, Austin!” exclaimed his grandmother when he came to her door. “Can this be you! I did not know you intended coming. How did you leave the children!”

“Everybody is well, thank you,” primly replied Austin; for he was always a little afraid of his sharp-spoken grandmother. “Papa thought he could get along without me for a while, so I am looking for work. Do you know where I could find Wilbur? Perhaps he could help me get something right away.”

“Will is in town somewhere; I see little of him. You come in and spend the night with us, and hunt him in the morning.”

Austin spent a pleasant evening with the old folks; but he told them nothing of the trouble between him and his father, lest they might detain him and send word to his father where to find him. The next morning he found his brother, who was as surprised to see him as the grandparents had been.

“Hello, kid, how are the folks?” he greeted him in a jolly tone.

“All right. Papa thought he could get on without me for a while, so I am looking for work. Do you know where I can get any?”

“No, I do not know of a thing. There is not much around here that is light enough for a kid,” replied Wilbur, who felt his two years’ superiority very much.

“Well, then, could you let me have some money to keep me till I do find work? I am completely broke and have not been able to get a thing to do.”

“I’m sorry, Austin, but I am in the same fix. I lost on a game last night, and it left me in bad shape. I would let you have it if I could.”

Austin did not remain with his brother long. He felt sick at heart to think he had so soon turned to the very course his mother had warned him against. From the flippant remarks Wilbur made it was plain he was sowing his wild oats with a reckless hand.

Though in the village where many of his father’s people lived, Austin felt as lonely as he had the day before in the little box car beside the railroad. Thoughtfully he walked down toward the depot, wondering what to do. He had no heart to look for work. At the depot he met a young fellow of a friendly disposition who seemed disposed to talk with him. It took but a little probing by this smooth fellow to get from Austin all his story; for the boy was entirely unacquainted with the ways of the world. And to his new friend the whole thing seemed a joke. He confided to Austin that he was in nearly the same predicament, but that he knew a way to ride about the country without funds. Austin had heard of such things but did not know how it was done, and showed some interest. So the young man proceeded to explain to him the tricks of his trade, for he was by profession a loafer, a tramp.

Austin knew that what the young man did was wrong; but he was so kind and engaging in his manner, and seemed to be such a friend just when Austin needed a friend very much, Austin consented to go with him on his next trip, which he intended beginning that very afternoon. Presently another young fellow of the same type as Austin’s newfound friend joined them, and the three boys waited at a convenient place for boarding a boxcar without being noticed.