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"He air to sleep.... And ye ain't no business a-wakin' him up, nuther." Suddenly a dread flashed into Teola's mind. "Tessibel, he is.... There is something the matter with him!" She was fully dressed, tremblingly holding the post of the bed for support. "There is something the matter with him!" she gasped again. "Nothin' that air a-hurtin' him," soothed Tess.
"If ye don't shut up, I takes the brat to Ma Moll.... Now, then, drink this tea, and eat this bread. To-morry ye has to go home, ye know." "But my baby, Tess! What shall I do about my baby?" The nervous whining in Teola's voice brought Tess over to her. The squatter forced the soiled blanket over the young shoulders.
For Teola's new burst of agony settled a solemnity upon Tess which she could not throw off. Forgetting her squatter position, she slipped her hand between the white fingers of the weeper. Teola did not care if the girl's finger-nails were filled with black soot, did not care if the squatter were covered with a dirty, ragged dress, or if her bare feet were calloused from the rocks.
The cry of "Fire!" rang out upon the night air, startling Dan Jordan and Teola Graves. The volunteer fire companies were gathering from all parts of the town, and Dan stepped on to the Rectory veranda as a hose-cart rolled by. In an instant he was back in the drawing-room. "Sweetheart, sweetheart," said he, with a strangling kiss upon Teola's pale lips, "I am sure it's our fraternity house.
It was Teola's secret, not hers. "Ye couldn't go on a-trustin' me the same as before ye knowed of him?" Her head inclined toward the infant in a large-eyed question. Frederick shook his head. "No," he ejaculated; "no! Nevertheless, I would save you from worse. The more I think of it, the more I believe that you were honest in your desire to know God and the truth.
She was hardly able to utter the words. "Then why do you weep, if you love him and he loves you?" Tessibel's eyes settled upon the babe, yawning in the sun. Young followed her gaze. "The child has separated you?" he said slowly. "Yep." "Why?" "'Cause 'cause " All Teola's perfidy rushed over her in a twinkling. All the student's suffering stung her as if she had been struck in the face.
"I will be answered," insisted the student. Then, centering his eyes full upon Tess, he added: "Tessibel Skinner, it is yours!" Teola's lips were pressed closely together. Spasms of pain drew them down at the corners, making the girl resemble a woman twice her years. With a sudden inspiration, she turned upon her brother. "Frederick, Frederick," she stammered. "Don't blame her too much.
"Why, father, what's the trouble?" "I was making a clerical call on Mrs. Robman to-day," fumed the Dominie, "and that girl of hers, and a saucy one she is, too, burst into the room, and, mother, what tale do you think she told before us?" Frederick glanced at his sister, but Teola's eyes were upon her empty plate. Mrs. Graves shook her head.
"Haven't you kids finished that toffy? Better let me help, too." There was a noticeable tremor in Teola's voice as she replied: "We've finished, Frederick, and you can carry the butter and those plates." "I've something important to tell you, Teola," whispered Dan. The girl did not answer, but the student knew that she would listen to him in some future time.
Tess was a human being who sympathized with her, and sympathy was as necessary to Teola's soul at that moment as breath was to her body. In the spasmodic whitening of the other girl's face Tess realized a desperate heart agony. "Ye air sick," she said at last, an enlightened expression widening her lids. "A woman's kind of sick, ain't it? Eh?" "Yes," answered Teola, flushing deeply; "yes."
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