“Is this your sister?”
“She is, sur.”
“Are your parents aboard?”
“They are not, sur.”
“Are you all alone?”
“We are, sur.”
“You can’t go without your tickets.”
The younger one began to cry the more, and the elder answered, “Mabbe we can foind thim, sur.”
They were bright-looking, intelligent children, and the larger girl gave me such quick, straightforward answers, and it seemed so impossible that children so young should attempt to cross the ocean without tickets that I concluded to let them come, and resolved to get at the truth on the way over.
Next day I told the deck steward to bring the children to my room.