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Ebenezer uttered a groan and wheeling quickly went from the room. Later in the day, when they were alone together, Deforrest sat down beside Tessibel. "Now, you can tell me all about it, child," he said. "Yes," whispered Tess; and she did.
Later, by a few moments, when Deforrest Young opened the door and stole in, she smiled wanly at him. "My little girl's had a good sleep," he said softly, coming forward. Then, he took her hand and stood looking down upon her, his whole soul in his eyes. "Tessibel," he hesitated, "do you remember what happened last night?" Tess stared at him, a little pucker between her eyes. Last night?
Yet she had no censure in her heart for Deforrest Young; indeed no bitterness for Frederick Graves; only a deep, deep gratitude to the one, and a great, overwhelming love for the other. And while thinking of what an empty void her life was becoming, Tess saw her father's head turn and his lids lift heavily. "Daddy!" she murmured, but if he heard, he did not heed.
"Hasn't she a wonderful range?" "Very," replied Waldstricker, and he, too, turned to look at the squatter girl. Tess was striving to listen to Deforrest Young, but her disturbed mind was where Frederick stood with Madelene Waldstricker. Her whole loving heart desired him to come and speak to her. "I never heard her sing like that before," Madelene was saying to Frederick.
Her confession had taken her mind back to the huge figure on the bed. "I wanted to go with Daddy," she sobbed. "I didn't know I thought I couldn't live without 'im." Stooping, Deforrest gathered the mourning little one into his arms, and seating himself in the big rocker, pressed his cheek against her hair in sympathy.
She looked up, and recognizing her visitor, got quickly to her feet. "Hello, Tess," said Sandy, coming forward a little. "Nice day, ain't it?" Tessibel's fear of him since his roughness to Boy was very active. She had suffered in anticipation, for he'd threatened to come again, and she knew he would. Now he was here she didn't know what to do. Deforrest wasn't home and Andy was out with Boy.
But Lysander had a wholesome fear of Deforrest Young, and he didn't venture down the lake until the second day after he'd heard Tess had returned from Auburn. On his way along the railroad tracks, he concluded he'd better go to Brewer's and find out just how the land lay. The talk in the Rhine saloons, the night before, had been that the dwarf'd returned from Auburn, pardoned.
He had been balked at every turn he'd taken against this red-headed girl, and instead of helping him, Deforrest was aiding her. He did not intend that Madelene should suffer any more, and he imagined his own home life would be more peaceful when Tessibel Skinner was wiped from its horizon. "If you'll have it plain," he cried triumphantly, "she's going to be sent to a reform school!
Through the efforts of Deforrest Young, the dean of the Law College at Cornell, he'd been pardoned and sent home. The gigantic squatter removed his pipe from his mouth and smoothed the thready white beard, straggling over his chin. "Nope, I hated 'im," he muttered. "He done me dirt 'nough. If it hadn't been fer Tess an' Lawyer Young, he'd a hung me sure."
Waldstricker thought a moment, inhaling the smoke the while. "The girl, Tessibel, who sings at church might be of great assistance to me," he said presently. "How?" interjected Deforrest. "Why, she goes among the squatters daily and would be likely to know if Bishop sneaked into any of their huts. If I can interest her in the reward I've an idea she'll be of service to me."
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