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Andy stirred perceptibly beneath her. "Then there air Daddy's room," Tess continued, "an' this room air the kitchen an' the dinin' room an' the parlor, an' all the other rooms.... An' an' it air my room, too." "My God, but you're a cute kid!" he chuckled. Tessibel's laugh rang out deliciously fresh and free, and Burnett caught it up and sent it back in one loud guffaw.
"Perhaps you'll care before I finish," said the elder grimly, and he included the girl in his baleful glare. "I think you both will." Tessibel's mind flew to Boy. What could these two men do to her darling? She went forward toward Waldstricker, her eyes raised appealingly to his. "Won't you make Mr.... Mr. Graves keep away?" she petitioned. "I don't want him here."
He had said that the cross and crown would save her daddy had said to pray to the God of whom she knew so little, and his words had given birth to a great faith within her. Tessibel's fingers were stained with Frederick's blood and shudderingly she looked at them in the candle light. Frederick lay where she had dropped him, his fat white belly sunken and misshapened.
"Oh, God help me to come back to ye!" he moaned dully.... "God help me!" A moment, Tess fought the uprushing tears. "You are coming back, Andy, remember that," she said quickly. Then, she lifted her friend to his feet and kissed him. "Here, sir," she said to the officer, "take him!" Infected by Tessibel's faith, Andy ceased to weep.
There had been for him but few hours since that last evening upon the ragged rocks, during which Tessibel's face had not haunted him, the brown eyes, sometimes smiling, more frequently shadowed with tears. Impotent remorse possessed his days and filled his wakeful nights with anguish.
The shock had hurt her flesh, and made her sore and lame. She started dazedly toward the door, "Satisfied" trying to stop her flight, but the strong young body, mad with grief and newly found despair, slipped through the friendly fingers, and the night, Tessibel's night, gathered her into its arms, till she was lost in the long shadows of the pine forest.
The approach to the hut had been shovelled recently and the snow was banked high on either side. He hurried along the path and knocked at the door. A stir in the shanty told the lawyer the dwarf was seeking the attic. After an instant of quiet, he heard Tessibel's voice. "Who air there?"
She wanted to hear them from Frederick! Miss Waldstricker whirled suddenly to bring him into the conversation. "Mr. Graves.... Ah, yes, of course, you know Miss Young, and this and this is Miss Skinner, Mr. Graves." Then Frederick bent over Tessibel's hand, and her fingers shook in his.
Sandy followed her with his eyes, his face growing crimson as he gazed at her. "I air here for two things," he continued. "To find out the name of that man Waldstricker asked ye 'bout " Tessibel's low voice stopped his impudent speech. "I couldn't tell ye that, Sandy, not even if ye killed me," she murmured. "What was t'uther thing?" "I air goin' to take ye away with me fer my woman.
In front and to one side, Tessibel's new privet hedge shone a dark, dusky green, and the flower beds were beginning to show orderly life through the blackish mold. The shack itself was rather more pretentious than most of the squatter shanties. It had two rooms and was thoroughly battened against the storms. Coming into the path, Orn met his daughter and went with her to the house.
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