must
happen to relieve the situation.

"The best I kin do," growled the old station agent, "will be to fetch
you a bite to eat back from my boardin' house; and then let you sleep
here till mornin'----"

"Sleep alone in a station!" exclaimed Tavia. "I'm not afraid of
anything--but--I don't believe I'd like to stay in this--place all
night. I have a horror of rats."

"Rats! No rats around here. I've got the best cat in the country.
Switch is his name, an' that's him--he's no slouch."

"But shut up alone with a big strange cat----" and Tavia looked at the
animal curled up under the beautifully-blacked and summer-shined
stove.

"Well, you kin do as you please, miss, but there ain't no more trains
your way to-night, supposin' you did have a ticket."

Tavia looked out over the gloom that was quickly descending upon the
little hamlet. Soon it would be night! No one but that station agent
in sight! No place to go, but over the hills to his boarding house, or
perhaps to some farm house; where, should she have the courage to make
her way through the fields up to a cabin, perhaps fierce dogs, that
were already howling and barking, would become more her enemies than
would be the cat, and the solitude of the station.

"And is there no church--no minister's house where a stranded girl
might get shelter?"

"Nice young girls don't often get stranded," replied the old man not
unreasonably, "and if I was you I'd keep my trouble purty much to
myself. You kin depend upon Sam Dixon. If I say I'll do a thing I'll
do it; and no harm will come to you in this here station for a night.
Besides, I come over for the ten o'clock train, and I'm back for the
milk train before daylight."

Something about this speech convinced Tavia she was unfortunate, and
it would be best to keep her trouble to herself, for what would
strangers care about her predicament? Could she deny that it was
through her own fault that she had been thus situated?

"I'm goin' along now, and say," said the agent, "if you like I'll just
lock the office, and give you the outside door key. There ain't no
tramps, but if you should be timid, before I come back, just turn the
key in the door."

"Oh, thank you," Tavia was compelled to say, for this was a
condescension; "I'm sure I shall not be afraid--in the twilight."

"Well, take the key anyhow," and locking the inner office he came out
in the open room. "I'll fetch you a bite--I'm glad I ain't got no gals
to--get lef