“Well,” said the brakeman, slowly, “stealing rides aint a healthy way of traveling, and the company’s disposed to fight men and boys who try it; but I don’t think they ever thought about a girl gettin’ on a-flyin’ and ridin’ for nothin’. I suppose you’ll have to be put off like the rest of them. Likely the rule works same way for hers as hims, and the directions says, ‘Put him off immejiate.’”
“Please don’t put me off—please, please don’t,” said Marion. “I didn’t want to steal a ride, but I had a reason for wanting to get on this train, and so, though I was too late, I jumped on it after it left the depot.”
“A very dangerous thing to do,” said the brakeman, soberly, “and it’s more than a wonder you war’n’t killed.”
“You were not going so awfully fast,” said Marion, “but I’m sorry I’ve broken any rules or done any thing you don’t like. I have no ticket, but can’t I pay my way without one?”
“You can pay the conductor, but I think the first thing to be done is to get you inside. It wouldn’t take much to blow you off this platform.”
He opened the door and gave the girl a seat. The car was not crowded, and, being seated so far back, only two or three passengers seemed to notice her entrance. Among these was a tall, angular woman, who put on an appearance of great astonishment at seeing a bare-headed passenger brought in from nowhere. She gazed steadily at Marion for a while, and seemed about to question her, but contented herself by shaking her head at the ceiling and ejaculating, “Well, I never did!”
Presently, the man having gone, Marion bent over and executed some mysterious movements which culminated in her bringing to light a crisp new bill.
This time the lady said, “Did I ever?” addressing her exclamation, as before, to the car-roof.
“It cannot be wrong to use it,” Marion was saying to herself. “I shall be put off the train if I do not pay my way, and then perhaps no one can ever find Elfie.”
Presently the conductor came through the car, looking keenly to right and left for any new face. His eye fell upon Marion, and, looking rather curiously at her disarranged dress, he demanded her ticket.