"If I could only see him in time!" she was saying. "Oh, it's
terrible!"

In spite of my interest I would have forgotten the whole incident
at once, erased it from my mind as one does the inessentials and
clutterings of memory, had I not met them again, later that evening,
in the Pennsylvania station. The situation between them had not
visibly altered: the same dogged determination showed in the man's
face, but the young woman--daughter or wife? I wondered--had
drawn down her veil and I could only suspect what white misery lay
beneath.

I bought my berth after waiting in a line of some eight or ten
people. When, step by step, I had almost reached the window, a
tall woman whom I had not noticed before spoke to me from my elbow.
She had a ticket and money in her hand.

"Will you try to get me a lower when you buy yours?" she asked. "I
have traveled for three nights in uppers."

I consented, of course; beyond that I hardly noticed the woman. I
had a vague impression of height and a certain amount of stateliness,
but the crowd was pushing behind me, and some one was standing on
my foot. I got two lowers easily, and, turning with the change and
berths, held out the tickets.

"Which will you have?" I asked. "Lower eleven or lower ten?"

"It makes no difference," she said. "Thank you very much indeed."