A mysterious stranger rolls into a small town on the train planning to knock off the bank, assuming it will go off without a hitch. But when he encounters a retired poetry professor, his plans take an unlikely turn. Since the hotel is closed and he can find no other place to stay, the professor generously welcomes him into his home. As the two men talk over the passing days, a bond forms between these two polar opposites, and unexpected moments of humor and compassion emerge. As they begin to understand each other, they reflect on the choices they've made in their lives, secretly longing to live the type of lifestyle the other man has lived, each desirous of escaping his own existence.