“I feel sorry for him,” he explained. “He look so scared and—lonesome.”
A little sob broke from Dorothy but she immediately checked it.
“Oh, go on, please go on!” she begged. “What did you say to him?”
“I ask him if he is all alone,” the Italian responded, more readily than he had yet done. “He say, yes, all alone an’ he want to go to Desert City.”
The two girls started and stared at each other.
“What did I tell you?” cried Dorothy radiantly, then immediately turned back to the man. “What did he do then? Please tell me quickly,” she begged.
“I tol’ him nearest station to Desert City, Dugonne,” he paused and regarded the girls beamingly as though proud of his knowledge, and in spite of Tavia’s warning pressure on her arm Dorothy could not stand the delay.
“Of course we know that,” she said. “Please go on!”
“He say he no have money to buy ticket——”
Tavia gave a little exclamation of pity and this time it was Dorothy who held up her hand for silence.