At break-of-day, aroused from a fitful sleep by the gnawing of their hunger, they dragged themselves down to the hotel office to scan the morning papers for some chance to find employment.  But even this early there were several fellows ahead of them eagerly copying addresses from the want columns.  While they waited for their turn to look into the paper, several lodgers came down stairs.  “Are you looking for jobs, my lads?” they were addressed in a friendly manner by one of these early-risers, who was a rather small fellow and whose clothes and general appearance were somewhat above the average of the other inmates of the hotel, and as the twins nodded assent to his query, he continued:  “Are you strangers in Minneapolis?” And as Joe affirmed this question he in a still more friendly tone added:  “It’s a hard matter for strangers, expecially if they are not dressed in style, to find employment in this city at this time of the year.”  His confiding conversation so impressed the thoroughly disheartened twins that upon his further questioning, they recounted to him their experiences since the moment they climbed into the empty box car that brought them to Minneapolis.

[Illustration:  They stopped in front of a brilliantly illuminated restaurant and watched with famished countenances diners enjoy toothsome dainties.]

The fellow listened attentively to their story of misfortune and then asked them to give to him their correct name and home address.  Joe, thinking that at last they had found a sympathizing friend, cheerfully furnished the stranger with their correct names, and gave to him as the address of their home the name of their lone prairie siding, Rugby, North Dakota.  Then their newly made acquaintance pulled out a notebook into which he carefully wrote their addresses.  Next he proposed that they wait for the appearance of his pal, who was yet on the floor above them, when all of them would go out and eat breakfast.

“A man’s stomach is his best friend”, and no sooner had the fellow invited the starving lads, who for more than thirly-six hours had not tasted a solid bite, than they overwhelmed their friend with proofs of their gratitude.

A little later their benefactor’s partner, a medium-sized, clean shaven and neatly attired fellow, came down the stairway.  Their friend called him aside and they held a hurried conversation.  Then they joined the twins and all went to a nearby restaurant.  While the lads made away with a quantity of food that caused the astonished waiter to gape with surprise, their two benefactors, while they rattled silver dollars in their pockets, explained to the lads that Chicago was a far better city for them to find employment in than either Minneapolis or St. Paul, and that if the twins would join them on a hobo trip to that city they would see to it that they would not suffer until a job was found for them.

It was just like hanging candy before a baby, and Joe and Jim without a second thought accepted their offer.  After they had settled for their breakfasts, they took the agreeably surprised youngsters into a clothing store and bought for each of them a serviceable outfit of clothes, and it now was not a matter if the boys would go with the strangers, but if the strangers would accept the boys, soul and body.