noon
Finally he thought it was time he should have reached the station , or at least made some attempt to find it ; so he quickened his steps a little , and looked out ahead of him . There was a man standing on the next corner , and Ralph stopped and asked him if he was on the right road to get to the station . The man laughed good-naturedly , and told him he was on the right road to get away from it , and advised him to retrace his steps for four blocks , then to go two blocks to the left , and there he would find a street running diagonally across the town , which , if he would follow it , would take him very near to the station . He would have to hurry , too , the man said , if he wanted to catch the noon train . So Ralph turned back , counting the blocks as he went , turning at the right place , and coming , at last , to the street described . But , instead of one street running diagonally from this point there were two or three ; and Ralph did not know which one to follow . He asked a boy , who was passing by with a basket on his shoulder , where the station was , and the boy , bending his neck and looking at him , said , -- `` I guess this 's the way you want to go , sonny , '' pointing down one of the streets , as he spoke , and then whistling a merry tune as he trudged on with his burden .