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 lanes. There's fire here, and when ye're warmed A can direct ye on yer way intil the toon!"

With glad steps she groped her way to the door. A flood of light seemed to meet her when she opened it, and she hurried up the steep stairs to where the signal-man held open the upper door.

"Coom in lassie an hae a soop o' ma tea. 'Tis fine and warrm!… Coom in and let me offer ye some refreshment, an' if A may mak sae bold may A offer ye all A hae that'll warm ye? Coom in ma'am. Coom in ma leddie!" he said in a crescendo of welcome and respect as he saw Joy's fine motor coat and recognised her air of distinction.

Glad indeed was Joy to drink from the worthy fellow's tin tea-bottle which rested beside the stove; glad to sit down in front of the fire. Then indeed she felt the magnitude of her weariness, and in a minute would have been asleep.

But the thought of her father, and all that depended on her action and his knowledge, wakened her to full intellectual activity. She stood up at once and said quickly:

"What place is this?"

"The signal-box of Castle Douglas Junction."

"And where is that? I think I have heard the name before."

"Tis a toon as they ca' it here. The junction is o' the Glasgie an' South Western, the Caledonian, the Port Patrich an' Wigtownshire, the London an' North Western, an' the Midland lines. But for short there are but twa. One frae Kirkcudbright, an' th' ither frae Newton Stewart."

"In what country are we?" Seeing the astonishment in his face she went on: "I am an American, and not familiar with the district. We came from England this morning—from Westmoreland—from Ambleside—and I am confused about the Border. I had to drive myself because my—we got into trouble for driving fast, and I had to come on alone. And then the fog overtook me. I went