Tess of the Storm Country
en had intended-Ben didn't know just what his intentions were. He stopped short when his eyes fell upon Frederick's log. It took a long time for a thought to be born in the dense brain of the
gged curtain-all was quiet. He quickly ran his long arm into the openin
long in the direction of his log, but Ben, gorged with the instincts of an inquisitor, snatched him up as he was about to escape. After divesting Frederick of all the ornaments which nature had given him, the man allowed him to hop about, grinning, as he watched the rapid leaps of the toad. Frederick had forgotten th
he hole in the log, and with but a hasty glance at the dirty cu
times seen the minister's son who lived in the big house on the hill and not even to herself had she mentioned that he was her ideal of manhood-he was as far above her as the
ger as he noted the absence of a fire, and spoke rather mournfully, but Tess cut him short. The lithe young form bounded squarely upon the bible-back of the fisherman. She drew back his shag
supper when I loves ye like this. Daddy, I could
fingers from his hair. "I air tired, Brat, and there be netti
irl softly, "square where I does my eatin's." And square on "the bill" the
inner presently, his mouth full of bread and fish, "and ye'd best duck yer h
red lips to spread wi
y, ye air, and I loves y
ckly and cam
o her eyes met his, "Can't I go nettin' to-
e and the pleading in the eyes so like her mother's. He d
Don't ... now there be a kiss ... sit
lf. She had turned back to her place at the table an
ther, Tess," cautioned Skinner, rising from t
in. Thrusting his powerful head down between his shoulders, he pulled lazily away at the oars unt
d many kisses, "square on the bill," she watched her father's bent shoulders, rising and falling with the motion of the oars as long as she could see him, and turning, scudded through the underbrush which grew in profusion near the forest-up
ra, and she must never, never again look at the student Graves. She felt that to see his face, even from a distance, would cause her to drop dead before him. Every muscle tingled and her ey
ringing over the lake in glorious ton
the pe
or the
ds upon her chilblained feet, for she had never known the luxury of shoes. She had also seen the dying and
soul, while Myra Longman could hear only the songs of angels in the exquisite tones which fell, pure and sweet, from the red lips. Tess k
ered that day by the word of a fisherman, and the woman's heart grew larger and larger, until the squatter girl felt that it was going to burst. Something crawled over her bare foot and
on't dare carry him even a little way for fear he'll
rd beside the roc
Longman cabin, she raised
the pe
or the
d the door and
man. "The brat air sick to-day. He does nothin' but squall so that
, who resembled her mother, but was smaller
esponded Tessibel
p and his fists opened out as Tessibel began to sing. This t
shermen and the small members of the family slept on rope beds, let down from the ceiling. But Myra's child, still too te
Myra when Tessibel had seated herself again. "I air alw
Tessibel, "and Daddy can row fast
h the permit to shoot, that's what I fears
, for Ezra was going a crooked path, while Myra, well-the brat slept in
ed in color, Tessi
heres decent," the woman broke in sharply, afte
was pleading, "it a
nly of ye to-night, Myra, look at the mess that Ezry's a mak
y no one," said Tess sullenl
d what's more, yer better off with a man what will look aft
shook h
o use; don't li
ther; "if the right woman gets him, Tess, he'll make her
ered perceptibly, and Myra thought she r
r her, ma, d
in the woman pettishly, "we might all been better o
lance at the
asked Tessibel sharply,
ome-be-chan
Nope, 'tain't nothin' to do with the brat. I loves him, I do
's bare toe with hers
n' to such things as toads, lizards and snakes, shows as how ye needs some one to help ye. God'll m
own deepened on the girl's brow. She hated Ezra Long
warned Mrs. Longman as she went to bed, clambering up