Scenery Startling--So's Thermos

[Page 1] US ON A BUS Scenery Startling--So's Thermos (Charles G. Griffo, news editor of The Star, is on a 6,000-mile trip by Greyhound bus through the Southwest, with four of his children. His wife is staying home with the other two children. Here is his 12th story.) By CHARLES G. GRIFFO Albuquerque, N.M. - The exquisite beauty of the Painted d Desert at sunset and the shimmering jewel-like panorama of this city at midnight were the unforgettable sights coming from Flagstaff to Albuquerque. From miles away you can see the flickering lights of the city dancing like stars in the desert. Griffo BUT A LEAKY thermos "It's soft drink," Martha whispered. "Shut up," I said, and the emergency was over. Our friend got off here and we'll probably never see her again. It was on a downtown tour of Albuquerque that we caused nervous prostration bottle came close to ruining the trip. We were in the Painted Desert country when a woman seated in front of us made an astonishing statement. "It's raining in here," she said. Rain in the desert would have been something. "It's not raining outside," she added perplexed. I was quick on the draw. The two thermos bottles were in the luggage rack above her. The tops of both had come loose and liquid was dripping down. MARTHA, the 14-year-old, dug a towel out of our bag and mopped up the mess. "It's only water," said, roting that the few drops had dr.pped on the lady's leg, staining her hosiery. to at least one woman clerk in an Indian trading post. THE POST WAS the typical outlet for ceramics, jewelry, Squaw dresses and other items made by the Indians to be retailed to tourists by the traders. The sight of all five of us walking into the store with Gregory, Chuck and Mary wearing their cowboy hats, and Martha with a glint in her eye for a new skirt and blouse, must have been too much. We immediately became the focal point of the clerk's attention. "Can I help you?" she says, "Please don't touch the merchandise." "No, I'll look around," I added, "We won't touch the merchandise." THERE WERE SIGNS on each table saying that patrons Turn to Page 24, Column 7.

[Page 2] Us On A Bus Concluded From Page 1 should caution their children not to touch the merchandise. clerk around, asking again if she could help and one could see that she put us into the category of a bull in a china shop. It was Chuck who hit the nail on the head. "Let's get out of here, this is no fun," he said. We got out and purchased Martha a skirt down the street. It wasn't a Squaw dress or made by the Indians. It was from a national chain and was probably made in New York City. We left Albuquerque at night for Denver, Pike's Peak and Mount Evans and the last leg of our trip. IT'S EASTWARD HO now, and home. We'll see Pike's Peak at daybreak and spend the day in the mile-high city. I thought I had problems chaperoning four children until I met a recently-disWAC coming from Flagstaff to Albuquerque. She had flown from Tokyo to San Francisco and was en route to Missouri. Her duffle bag with all her luggage had been lost somewhere between Japan and the United States. She had missed her bus somewhere: in California and had to pay a $6 cab fare to catch it. Her only luggage at the time I left her was a 6-footwing spread model airplane she was taking home to her 12-year-old brother. Trying to manage that airplane was a much more tedious task than taking care of the Griffo kids.