The story starts with the description of  Evline's thoughts and behaviour.

She sits looking out the window ,she is tired. Few people pass. She remembers the period when she played  in a field with her friends , her brother and sister and how her father hunt them from the field with a stick. Her father was not bad  and besides , her mother was alive.

She and her brother and sister is grown up and her mother is dead and also some of her friends. Everything are change, she can leave her home. Her father is agree towards her departure, but she isn't sure about this. She thinks in a far land she will be respected. She is scared by her father, he is agressive , she hasn't somebody that protect her. She is alone with her father. Her brother Ernest is dead and her brother Harry work in a Church as decorator and he is away from home. Another problem is her father  doesn't give her money because he thinks she speand money without thinking because she hasn't a mind. She must work a lot and  takes care  of two children.

Subsequently  she meets Frank and  discovers a new life with him, she wants to go with him to Buenos Ayres where he has  home. There are two abstacle for her plain: her father , she remembers the moments with him when he isn't aggressive, He tells her a ghost story and he goes with her and her brothers and  sisters to make a pic nic.After that there are the most obstacle , her promise to her mother to stay with her family until this is possible.

She decides to leave with Franch but she isn't not sure about her decision infact when they are at the station and  when is the moment to come up to the ship she clutch the iron in frezy , he rushes beyond the barrier and calls to her to follow. He is shouted at to go on but he still calls to her . she  sets her white face to him, passive like a helpless animal ans she doesn't leave with him.