order to keep out of the cruel storm, when
his eyes rested upon the white face of a poorly clad woman. She stood
motionless as a statue, voiceless as the Sphinx, with the cold rain
beating upon her uplifted face, until Patsy cried "All aboard." Then she
pulled herself together and climbed into the train. The conductor,
leaving his white light upon the platform of the car, stepped down and
helped the dripping woman into the coach. When the train had dashed away
again up the rain-swept night, Patsy found the wet passenger rocking to
and fro on the little seat that used to run lengthwise of the car up
near the stove, before the use of steam heat.

"Ticket," said the conductor.

The woman lifted her eyes to his, but seemed to be staring at something
beyond.

"Ticket, please."

"Yes--y-e-a-s," she spoke as though the effort caused her intense pain.
"I want--to--go to Chicago."

"Yes. Have you a ticket?"

"Yes."

"Where is it?"

"Where's what?"

"Where's your ticket?"

"I ain't got no ticket."

"Have you got money?"

"No. I do' want money. I jist want you to take me to Chicago."

"But I can't take you without you pay fare."

"Can't you? I've been standin' there in the rain all night, but nobody
would let me on the train--all the trains is gone but this one. I'd
most give up when you said, 'Git on,' er somethin'."

"Why do you want to go to Chicago?"

"Oh! I must be there fur the trial."

"Who's trial?"

"Terrence's. They think my boy, Terrence, killed a man, an' I'm goin' up
to tell th' judge. Of course, they don't know Terrence. He's wild and
runs around a heap, but he's not what you may call bad."

The poor woman was half-crazed by her grief, and her blood was chilled
by the cold rain. She could not have been wetter at the bottom of Lake
Michigan. When she ceased speaking, she shivered.

"It was good in you to let me git on, an' I thank you very kindly."

"But I can't carry you unless you can pay."

"Oh! I kin walk soon's we git ther."

"But you can't get there. I'll have to stop and put you off."

The unhappy woman opened her eyes and mouth and stared at the
conductor.

"Put--me--off?"

"Yes."

"It's rainin' ain't it?" She shivered again, and tried to look out into
the black night.

"Don't you know better than to get onto a train without a ticket or
money to pay your fare?"

"Yes; but they'll hang Terrence, they'll hang 'im, they'll hang 'im,"
and she moaned and rocked herself.