Tess of the Storm Country

a girl of sixteen, and little Babe, the spoiled pet of the family. Besides a beautiful town rectory, he owned the lake farm and held the titl

everal years there had been a continual fight between the pastor and the fisherman-Orn Skinner answering the minist

me day he would rid his summer hom

he long lane leaning on the arm of hi

rat jumping upon me as she did. Sh

was full of sympathy for the primitive

ather, "then I could file a request to take what belongs to me. Hall said only to-n

all complaint, but the minis

houted, "they have no moral right there wha

t were not for just such people as the Skinners that the Christ had suffered. He felt an incentive rising in his heart to seek guidan

er all these years," hurled forth the minister,

stand how you came

crying," replied

d me back to ask about the plans for the new church, and if I had not whi

whistled, his mind going back to the girl in the shant

irl scented something unusual in the angry tones of her father's voice. She f

s the

ged his shoulde

ing m

al friendship during the past two years. Teola's f

ed decidedly. "You have bee

that no one can have any ideas but himself. It sort of makes

tter?" insisted

," replied Fr

n the sq

es

ht where they are?

lone in the shanty. Father doesn't seem to realize that th

an instant bef

dirty," she

k reflected, "but never

ou in t

with f

hat did

d words from the minister talkin

quatters have got to go. I'm not the only one who thinks that way. If they had the insti

view. There's no buying them off ... I've tried that. Now that Skinner is arres

rs. Graves; "those people

ill be more so before I get through with her and her

nd unhappy than he had ever been before. He looked out upon the lake. The wind was still rolling the water into white crested waves, and his eyes could scarcely outline the sm

The dog at Kennedy's farm beyond the tracks heard them, too, and bayed loudly. Then as they grew more distinct he bounded toward the fence, capering madly about, to scent the i

"Ye air glad to see Tess, ain't ye?... Tess air glad to see

ight. The girl hugged the large head with an admonishing appeal that Pete must go back to his kennel-and st

ith a torn calico skirt. Once she sat down and gathered her feet under her wet dress to stop their stinging pain-and here alone

r face, "that there air a God who'll help my Daddy ... I wants to find my

between Daddy Skinner and Jehovah. Both to her were the reigning powers of the earth. Daddy she had always known, but the other-Frederick had said it was good to pray. She rose stumbling, and at three o'clock in the morning entered the city

and took a long breath. Up near the roof line a faint light flickered ... some one was moving to and fro. Tessibel could distinguish a rounded shadow on the ceiling of the cell, and tears choked her, as she saw cast upon the wall the shadowy outline of a large humpbacked

e wall, and seven times it faded. The eighth-a grizz

w-Daddy

er's ear above. Tess saw the pictured humps pause, and as she whispered the name again, Daddy Skinner came

Daddy," she breathed, "and Tessibel ... air sorry ... for all

, his dark teeth chattering together-the grizzled head making a sharp picture of misery in the barred window. Emotion in her father was new to T

y Skinner," she cri

at the ivy, but he dared not speak, for the guard walked outside his door in the hall, and the sound of a voice would bring danger to Tess. Once he strained his face to the bars-saw her climbing frantically, and the sight made him dizzy. He could only wait-wait the inte

ll, Daddy," she breathed. "Te

Tess had wanted quieted her suffering a little. It was the same old Daddy whom she was going to sa

, shivering and sha

the gamekee

d shook the

e didn't mea

im if he had not committed a crime, and for no instant did she doubt his word. She kissed

et her go, fearing she would fall to the hard stones below, but he knew

down again?"

t goin' to hang, 'cause some one

air

oss was beared for us ... and I says to Him to-night, and I says every day till ye come back to the shanty ... that He lets ye fr

and took his arms away. Tess slipped down the cre

re, Daddy

g and his eyes closely shut as if he were stumblingly