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Mrs McGillicuddy panted along the platfor her suitcase Mrs McGillicuddy was short and stout, the porter was tall and free-striding In addition, Mrs McGillicuddy was burdened with a large quantity of parcels; the result of a day’s Christ The race was, therefore, an uneven one, and the porter turned the corner at the end of the platforht

No 1 Platform was not at the one out, but in the no- in several directions at once, to and froe offices, tea rooms, inquiry offices, indicator boards, and the two outlets, Arrival and Departure, to the outside world

Mrs McGillicuddy and her parcels were buffeted to and fro, but she arrived eventually at the entrance to No 3 Platform, and deposited one parcel at her feet whilst she searched her bag for the ticket that would enable her to pass the stern uniforate

At that moment, a Voice, raucous yet refined, burst into speech over her head

“The train standing at Platform 3,” the Voice told her, “is the 4:50 for Brackhampton, Milchester, Waverton, Carvil Junction, Roxeter and stations to Chaders for Brackhaers for Vanequay change at Roxeter” The Voice shut itself off with a click, and then reopened conversation by announcing the arrival at Platforham and Wolverhampton

Mrs McGillicuddy found her ticket and presented it The ht—rear portion”

Mrs McGillicuddy padded up the platfor into space, outside the door of a third-class carriage

“Here you are, lady”

“I’ first-class,” said Mrs McGillicuddy

“You didn’t say so,” gru pepper-and-salt tweed coat disparagingly

Mrs McGillicuddy, who had said so, did not argue the point She was sadly out of breath

The porter retrieved the suitcase andcoach where Mrs McGillicuddy was installed in solitary splendour The 4:50 was noteither the fastercar Mrs McGillicuddy handed the porter his tip which he received with disappoint it more applicable to third-class than to first-class travel Mrs McGillicuddy, though prepared to spend ht journey fro, was at no tiant tipper

She settled herself back on the plush cushions with a sigh and opened her azine Five azine slipped from Mrs McGillicuddy’s hand, her head dropped sideways, three minutes later she was asleep She slept for thirty-fiveher hat which had slipped askew she sat up and looked out of the hat she could see of the flying countryside It was quite dark now, a dreary misty December day—Christmas was only five days ahead London had been dark and dreary; the country was no less so, though occasionally rendered cheerful with its constant clusters of lights as the train flashed through towns and stations

“Serving last tea now,” said an attendant, whisking open the corridor door like a jinn Mrs McGillicuddy had already partaken of tea at a large department store She was for the moment amply nourished The attendant went on down the corridor uttering his monotonous cry Mrs McGillicuddy looked up at the rack where her various parcels reposed, with a pleased expression The face towels had been excellent value and just what Margaret wanted, the space gun for Robby and the rabbit for Jean were highly satisfactory, and that evening coatee was just the thing she herself needed, warm but dressy The pullover for Hector, too…her mind dith approval on the soundness of her purchases

Her satisfied gaze returned to the , a train travelling in the opposite direction rushed by with a screech,her to start The train clattered over points and passed through a station

Then it began suddenly to slon, presunal For soan to h with less veheain At that moment another train, also on a down-line, swerved inwards towards the effect For a ti a little, now the other Mrs McGillicuddy looked froes Most of the blinds were down, but occasionally the occupants of the carriages were visible The other train was not very full and there were es

At thestationary, a blind in one of the carriages fleith a snap Mrs McGillicuddy looked into the lighted first-class carriage that was only a few feet away

Then she drew her breath in with a gasp and half-rose to her feet

Standing with his back to theand to her was a man His hands were round the throat of a woling her Her eyes were starting froested As Mrs McGillicuddy watched fascinated, the end came; the body went limp and crumpled in the man’s hands

At the saain and the other began to gain speed It passed forward and a ht

Almost automatically Mrs McGillicuddy’s hand went up to the communication cord, then paused, irresolute After all, what use would it be ringing the cord of the train in which she was travelling? The horror of what she had seen at such close quarters, and the unusual circumstances, made her feel paralysed Some immediate action was necessary—but what?

The door of her compartment was drawn back and a ticket collector said, “Ticket, please”

Mrs McGillicuddy turned to him with vehemence

“A woled,” she said “In a train that has just passed I saw it”

The ticket collector looked at her doubtfully

“I beg your pardon, madam?”

“A h there” She pointed to the

The ticket collector looked extremely doubtful

“Strangled?” he said disbelievingly

“Yes, strangled! I saw it, I tell you Youat once!”

The ticket collector coughed apologetically

“You don’t think, madam, that you may have had a little nap and—er—” he broke off tactfully

“I have had a nap, but if you think this was a drea I saw it, I tell you”

The ticket collector’s eyes dropped to the open irl being strangled whilst a man with a revolver threatened the pair from an open doorway

He said persuasively: “Now don’t you think,story, and that you just dropped off, and awaking a little confused—”

Mrs McGillicuddy interrupted him

“I saw it,” she said “I was as wide awake as you are And I looked out of theinto theof the train alongside, and aa wo to do about it?”

“Well—madam—”

“You’re going to do so, I suppose?”

The ticket collector sighed reluctantly and glanced at his watch

“We shall be in Brackhampton in exactly seven minutes I’ll report what you’ve told ?”

“This direction, of course You don’t suppose I’d have been able to see this if a train had flashed past going in the other direction?”

The ticket collector looked as though he thought Mrs McGillicuddy was quite capable of seeing anything anywhere as the fancy took her But he remained polite

“You can rely on me, ht have your name and address—just in case…”

Mrs McGillicuddy gave hi for the next few days and her permanent address in Scotland, and he wrote them down Then he withdreith the air of a man who has done his duty and dealt successfully with a tireso public

Mrs McGillicuddy reuely unsatisfied Would the ticket collector report her state her down? There were, she supposed vaguely, a lot of elderly wo around, fully convinced that they had unsaucers and secret space ships, and reported murders that had never taken place If the man dismissed her as one of those…

The train was slowing do, passing over points and running through the bright lights of a large town