It 'Rains' -Soft Drinks on Bus in Desert Country

[Page 1] It 'Rains' -Soft Drinks on Bus in Desert Country By CHARLES Desert at sunset and the shimmering ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The city at midnight were the unforgetable to Albuquerque. From miles away you can see dancing like stars in the desert. But a leaky thermos bottle came We were in the Painted Desert the seat in front of us made an astonishing statement. "It's raining in here," she said. No Rain Outside 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," I said, noting that the few drops had dripped on the lady's leg staining her hosiery. "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 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. "Don't Touch Merchandise" 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 add, "We won't touch the merchandise." There were signs on each table saying that patrons should caution G. GRIFFO of the Painted exquisite, beauty, panorama of this sights coming from Flagstaff the flickering lights of the city close to ruining the trip. country when a woman sitting in I their children not to touch the merchandise. The clerk followed us around, asking again i if she could help and one could see that she put 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 national chain and was probably made in New York City for Denver, on the last leg of our We left Albuquerque at night I trip. Eastward Ho! 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 recentlq-discharged WAC coming from Flagstaff to Albuquer- que. She had flown from Tokyo to San Francisco and was enroute 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 $6 cab fare to catch it. Her only luggage at the time I left her was 6-foot-wing 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. Manila rope is about two thirds stronger than rope made of soft fiber jute.