Tess of the Storm Country

its pace up the dark lake, but inside there w

does it, Myry," broke in Tessibel im

to know and I wouldn't a married the brat's pa if I could,

that confidential manner. Tessibel came closer. Had it not been a mystery

ce to the box where the infant lay, but Tess did not ask the name. Suddenly Myra leaned over and wh

cried, starting up, "he air

t me that night on the ragged rocks and

t intuitively that Myra intended her to keep silent. She did not dare to speak a

ht. What brats don't? But, Tessibel, I telled ye this to keep ye away from the r

stared

umbling over the words, "ye say

allers so dum dirty that ye can't see nothin' but yer eyes,

he shuffling of feet as Tessibel stood first on one and then the other, washing her dirty face. She mopped the long red hair in and out of the wash-basin, and Myra was not prepared for the vision which Tessibel made in her new state of clea

man," said Tessibel slowly s

hesit

said she, "but if ye'll take care of yer

y. Tessibel-was beautiful. In the last year Ezra's sister had seen the change coming. The complexion had whitened under the perpetua

. The low brow was covered with small wet ringlets, which turned and twisted here and there in luxurious confusion

air so dum dirty no one can ever see it. W

e. Didn't see nothin' t

ass looking at her own image-spying upon

ust like the snakes that eats the little birds in the spring

lets with but one thought dominating her brain. Students nev

ion of redness. "Don't, ye air tearin' it out by the roots, and it looks lik

rocks over which her bare feet flew with the swiftness of eagle's wings and when he found she could not be induced to stop he would shout in defiance, "Brick top, red head," and such names that went deep into the sensitive little heart. When she reached home she wo

her hair, sopping it first in the pan and then in the deep bucket which Ezra used to give the pig their swill. Once Myra saw the mass of gold

r good for cleanin' it. There air other days and nights, too," she went on sarcastically, "and

and a little later a boat was dragged to its moorings on the

nd didn't come for

tts stood with his squint eyes lowered. He had an exquisite feeling with

d defiantly, for Ben Letts made a move to accompany her. "I ain't afeared of the

t, Tessibel," said Long man,

he fish fresh for the market. Daddy was putting the pickerel and numerous eels in the

carin' for

his head in

air h

ng. It awoke Mrs. Longman upstairs and t

licking his thick lips with his red tongue. "He air where ye won't see

face gathered into a painful pucker, while the two fists which had fought many a hard battle, clenched until the nails entered the calloused skin under each finger. Not one word ca

feet. No one had ever seen Tess like this. Ben leered, the sides of his fa

ed, leaning back against the wall. "

perhaps a whole year without him, but Ben's words made her father a murderer, and murderers went away sometimes never to return. Her Daddy!-and Ezra had said that she could never scratch his face

in't it," she pleaded, "for Daddy,

n yer Daddy's hands and the warden dropped, and the other gamekeeper took yer Daddy a

e. She started dazedly toward the door, "Satisfied" trying to stop her flight, but the strong young body, mad with grief and newly found despair, slip