Tess of the Storm Country

calle

ile

calle

satisfied was he that his name had been

dy's bed, she glued her eyes upon the student's face, the fringed lids sprung to their fullest capacity

ied fish mixed with inferior grease, the ant-covered bread, the confusion of ragged bed-clothes, and lastly of all, the other Fre

rick, entered her already riven soul. The instant before a mingled sensation of shame and embarrassment had swept over

id chokingly, coming

ntity of Frederick the student, was lost in Frederick, the toad, her one little friend, to whom she had told all her sorrows, and had been ruthlessly torn from her. Already she could feel the short front legs growing stiff, and the throat which had so often grunted for its supper, was falling into a curve. The great mutilated back which had lifted and then receded with every breath was still, and Frederick la

want?" she a

calle

e said hysterically, huggi

e t

-him and Daddy, and-Dadd

d with its burden of curls lay relaxed upon the lifeless

d shrieked through the broken window and the cracks between the shanty boards. A storm played with the water, casting its grayness into white capped rollers which beat upon the

per, Ezy says,-Daddy S

ers must be most avoided; they had no hearts; they killed men and broke the laws simply for their own gain. But here was a girl magnetically drawing him toward her. Dirty? Yes, and barefooted, wild-eyed and untaught, but suffering-and such suffering! Frederick Graves, l

, who shot the gamekeeper t

l looking fearful

the law," replied

had no spirit to thwart a

, "take their life in their hands, and other people's too. Don't you think that

didn't seem quite just to Daddy. She drew down the red lips at

student. "You lived here with your f

e and hangs to this here shanty till Daddy comes back. Aw,

ips, fearing to

k shook

ith a fatherly air. "It

he would have hanged Orn Skinner for the murder of the gamekeeper. But to

uly hair which shrouded her face in its new state of cleanl

nly through the beating of the wind, c

I'm here. I missed you on the wa

She had feared the minister since the time she had talked off his warts wi

ie, looking sternly at her, and s

ner is the man who shot Stebbins to-night. You he

uous, for the minister well

father's got himself

lifted

she replied, not daring to rise,

nd on his son's shoulder. "He was right glad to have the

The rifle was gone-Daddy Skinner had taken it with him. She was too young

hang, do you hear?" shouted Graves. "Hang by the neck till h

et, ridiculously tangled in the rags of her dress. The dead Frederick was forgotten, falling with a great thud upon the floo

from her heart to her face, Tessibel learned her first lesson in suppressed emotion. She

sibel's first da

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

young face dr

ill ye? Well! ye

ered shoulders-the wild eyes lifted a mo

, that cares for the dyin', ta

r, against which the stiff body of the

nstantly lost its dignity. Tessibel forgot her lesson-forgot all save the taunting face of the m

o kill ye," and deep into the face of the mini

body and thrust the gasping preacher outside the door. Th

ng Christ and His cross-and by your prayers you may save your father, and also save-poor little Tes

udly-his words had taug

r sorry I hitted yer Daddy's face, ca