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Updated: June 13, 2025
Now and then, far back in the forest, an owl whoo-whooed in croaking tones, and in a nearby tree a family of baby birds twittered continuously in their sleep. All the daisies in the meadows, all the nodding buttercups in the fields, seemed to be blossoming in Tessibel's heart at one time. She was in Frederick's arms, and the whole world could offer her nothing more.
It fell upon the red-haired girl and soothed her. Tess knew that Teola would be expecting her, and that Frederick would turn his face away when she presented the child for baptism, but no cloud gathered into the downcast eyes, for Tessibel's faith had grown since she knew that Myra's prayers had been answered.
A large lump rose in Tessibel's throat. "I air goin' to ask God to hold me here, Andy," she choked brokenly. So when night closed the grey eyes of the winter day, and darkness descended on the Skinner shanty, a red-haired squatter girl and a wee dwarf knelt in the glow of the hut lamp and petitioning lips framed in whispers a simple prayer for their protection.
His own love for Tess, his great desire, pleaded with him to believe in both the boy and the girl. Tessibel's soulful expression went far in giving back to Deforest Young the hope that had made his days brighter and filled the future with promise. "May I stay with you to dinner, Miss Tessibel?" he said, shaking his shoulders. "I did not understand ... In fact I had forgotten about the banquet.
"All right," replied Tess, leaning her chin on her hand. "Gowan an' blat it out." "I suppose you know my good old father was murdered," the visitor asked her after a slight period of silence on his part. Andy and what he had told her about the brawl in the saloon raced through Tessibel's mind. "I heard 'bout it," she replied, nodding.
"And I was wondering if you wouldn't like to earn the reward offered for Bishop's capture," Waldstricker finished abruptly. Tessibel's foresight had discounted the effect of this announcement. To save Andy, she must deceive Waldstricker and persuade him to leave the search of the Silent City in her hands.
"Tess air awful smart," sighed Longman, "an' she air awful good, too. She sings fer ma 'most every day. I heard her only yesterday, somethin' 'bout New Jerusylem. Ma loves Tessibel's singin'." Then, for perhaps the space of three minutes, they lapsed into silence. At length, Jake Brewer spoke, "Be ye goin' to let her marry the Student Graves, Orn?" he asked.
She could not eat. Frederick, too, was but toying with his breakfast. He was wondering just what Madelene was planning to do in the country. It would be even harder for him there than in the city. With Tessibel's face always between them, he could not make a lover's love to her anywhere.
Truly it was Tessibel's first day and first night! "He air to be hanged dead?" she asked, the painful shiftiness of her eyes settling questioningly upon the minister's face. "Aw, he air good, Daddy Skinner air, gooder than ye be, with ye cross and ye crown that ye sing about. Gooder than all ye whole church, if his gun did kill the gamekeeper.
He cut and clipped the words as though he hated them, yet finished his explanation determinedly. As keenly as a darting flame, it burned into Tessibel's soul. "Tell me ... more," she breathed dizzily. "It'll only mean you and I will be apart for a little while, Tess," stated Frederick. "When I get back home, I'm coming straight to you, and "
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