The Secret of the Storm Country

el's M

ismissed her fear for Andy Bishop and had turned her attention to her own wonderful secret, her marriage to Frederick that evening. She went so nervously from

out,

little while. I air goin' to ride with Frederick." She leaned over him and cupped his bearded face with her

baby, the squatter had never ceased to marvel at her loveline

y, "or I wouldn't be lettin' ye run 'round wild on the ro

' don't open to any knock lessen ye know who 'tis," and

h, pal?" remarked Andy, pr

reed Orn,

eau, now, ain't

's face darke

But when a girl air fell in love with so

never hurt her,"

adn't!" mumb

, and he, her husband, her own forever and forever. This night-ride would be her cherished secret until Frederick gave her permission to tell Daddy Skinner-until the whole world should know. Her mind was busy with the events of the last thirty-six hours. She was cogitating

as all she had

ung man sprang to the ground. In anot

d low, kissing her. "Oh,

e expediency of his act were set at rest. She was deeply essential to his happiness, to his progress. To know she was his wife, married to him, so that none could separate them, would make his absences from Tessibel much easier to bear. He had in the past feared Deforrest Young. Now that fear was being set at rest. He never had worried that Sandy Letts would win Tess any more than he had been apprehensive of Ben Letts before the drowning of the

med filling her throat. Happiness hushed her voice, and gratitude

countryside, the shimmering moonlight, it seemed like nothing real. And she remembered, as in a daze, Frederick taking her in his arms after the minister had married

ning for hours, mostly in silence, a deep brooding expre

see the fisherman's face. The dwarf was quick to r

in' yet, Orn," he r

uch of a world," gru

d a little farthe

Tess," he answered. "We go

mouth wrinkled

r all right, but I wish

soon," assured An

mained silent. Then Orn S

Tess loves as a dog has for a million f

' Sandy Letts, even if he does m

arried to Sandy. But that ain't sayin' a honest squatter airn'

ding alone on a small country inn porch, some

ut within herself. Her heart fluttered with new emotions, new desires, ambitions to make herself worthy of the man she'd married. Her ey

ported her through the mystery of immeasurable joy. She would never again be the old Tessibel. She was Frederick's wife! Her breath came in s

rick saw her distinctly a

he whispered tumultuou

" murmured Tess. "It air la

mised Frederick tenderly,

s he said his low, "Good-night, my darling," and unbarring the door,

d he stretche

he stammered. "Be

yes, Tessibel

sick," she falt

hielding breast and sob out her joy. But she couldn't

rms, Daddy Skinner," she told him. "

oments, the fisherman, after dropping the door-bar, seated

e, kid?... I love ye better'n all the world, and everythin' in it.... Wel

in' with her beau," piped t

led back through the

with 'im, Andy," she s

ubbed lovingly over the

songed. "I'll rock my babe a bit. Ye s

she had promised Frederick, and Tessibel would rather have died of gri

she whispered. "I didn't see Sandy

vingly to him and for a long time he swayed ba

" said he. "Crawl back, Andy

ed with a "Good night, brat,"

above. And later by half an hour, Tessibel was dreaming of the young husband who that day h