The Incident on the Train

The Incident on the Train

• The story takes place on an 8 o'clock train, but the time is already 9:30 PM.
• The narrator, their wife, and their little daughter are on the train, with the narrator sleeping, the wife reading a magazine, and the daughter eating an ice cream.
• A young lady suddenly screams for help, claiming someone is trying to kill her and has a gun.
• Many passengers rush to her aid, asking where the murderer is, but she eventually reveals it was just a terrible dream.

The Aftermath

• The young lady is comforted by the passengers, including being given a cold drink.
• An old man sits beside her and talks to her for the remainder of the journey, which lasts an hour.
• The narrator believes the old man is being kind to the young lady, but the old man reveals his true motive was to prevent her from falling asleep and having another nightmare.