“What a foolish thing to do!” she accused herself. “I probably won’t have enough money to take me where that man is going, and I’ll land in some town stranded. Then Dad will have to come after me and I’ll get the parental ha-ha!”
The train was still moving slowly and Nancy could have changed her mind, but though she was not certain that she had done a wise thing, she had no intention of turning back. Walking through the train she caught sight of the stranger and slid into a seat directly behind him. The man picked up a newspaper and fell to reading.
Peering over his shoulder, Nancy Drew observed that he turned to a page on which there was a reference to the Willoughby robbery. He read the item through and then tossed the paper aside.
Presently, the conductor came into the coach, taking up tickets. Confronted with a situation which might prove embarrassing, Nancy Drew dug down into her pocketbook. By rounding up all the nickles and dimes, she found that she had exactly six dollars and eighty-five cents. Not a great deal, but perhaps it would take her as far as she wanted to go.
To her relief, the conductor paused beside the stranger before coming to her. She heard the man explain that he had not had time to buy a ticket.
“Where to then?” the conductor demanded gruffly.
“Winchester.”
In relief Nancy settled back into her seat. Winchester was a large city some fifty miles from River Heights. She knew she would have enough money to take her there and back easily.
When the conductor came to her she had her cash fare ready and received her ticket without attracting the attention of the man she was following.