Tess of the Storm Country

house, covered with a thick growth of ivy; one bay window

ing the evening paper. "Babe" was arguing with her mother that all little girls should

dinner-Teola following his example

hat's

father?" inqui

he paper says there isn't the slightest h

ot and refused the request. But the night before last the girl was discovered ascending, like a squirrel, the thick growth of ivy that covers the stone structure of the jail. For nearly a month she has been tramping the Lehigh Valley railroad tracks after dark, reaching the jail at midnight, and holding converse with her father on the stone sill of his cell window, two stories above the ground. The girl

unted, as he f

inner cell," said he. "Such goings on! The

ed to see him," ventured Babe, who h

all the love those people have in the

to-morrow-I wonder if they wi

he remembered that he had promised her that he, too, would pray for her Daddy. The sympathy he had felt in his heart, throbbed again as he tho

subject abruptly, "why can't we hav

n keep your sticky hands from the curtains and furniture. But I suppose, if you will have it, nothing I can say will

able Teola followed her

he toffy pull, do you supp

he edge of the tiny ringlets that clung to

a capital chap. He's a great favorite at the

er to-morrow evening

ng a meeting at the fraternity, but we might co

lliant eyes into Frederick's face, "you and Mr. Jordan hav

ped and kissed h

. I want to go to the Skinner trial to-

nder if his daughter will be permitted to see hi

on him that he was going to the court simply to see the squa

neliest child in the world. I wi

la in dismay; "then, too, I don't kn

hed Frederick, and after he was gone Teol

e light streaks in the east. From the lighthouse to the ragged rocks the lake was covered with the ice and snow of an early winter. Beyond, the little waves curled up and washed over th

ers,-she had made elaborate preparations for the reception of her dear one, when he sh

e and the student and herself were the principals-wh

ld bring "Daddy" home to the hut-and i

the webby meshes of the net now dry and shrunken from disuse. One leg was missing from the stove, but three red bricks shoved under the side

l of fifteen couldn't run barefooted in the open with impunity. She had found a pai

ed in through the holes that Daddy had cut in the soles on the ro

er this she would be a model housekeeper. He should sleep in the morning until she had prepared his breakfast, and her finger

spent it happily, for ever vividly into her mind came the w

that she had been caught by Daddy's enemies in her nightly scrambles up the ivy at the jail,

Lehigh Valley tracks. They passed the line of huts, making an

numbers to see how the humped prisoner looked before his condemnation, for all believed that the fisherman would hang. It

way of others from the row, it would be but another act of revenge upon the part of the townspeople, for h

locomotive sent the

ster Graves said as how he were a cussed pap of a cusse

hat the humps on his back just riz u

he jedge made the parson speak out w

y Longman. "But why wer

, I guess. She 'lows as how her Daddy comes

too," grunt

wled in rage at not being able to attack the squatters. The dog snapped viciously at all strangers-and more than this would he have done if he had had an opport

them an invitation to stop. Tessibel answered their knock and e

lance at the three stolid faces, the post of

" replied

he first time he had ventured into the presence

omin' hom

eading voice as her eyes fell

Ezry, "he air

her in lightning rapidity swept the shadow of the rope, snatching her father from her-and God. The student had not limited the power of the cross; but Tess had d

Jake Brewer, "the jedge ain't sa

had been filled with petitions, hurled at the feet of the Almighty: Tess, in her ignorance, had juggled with the sacred name of Jehovah, expecting the fulfillment of her prayers just as a boy, filled with ecsta

ered, holding no grudge against E

ep

e to-morry night?" she

lid, letting it fall slowly over the blur

his squint gaz

r faces, but smiled radiantly. What did they knew about it? What did fishermen understand of the student's God ... of the faith that would bring Daddy home to her in spit

been so beautiful before. During the past two months the girl had grown into a woman, into a

s vicious delight. The first thing to do would be to ply the scissors to the red curls. Ben could see that the hair was clean

remarked Jake Brewer abruptly, the de

t?" said T

cked daddy of a wickeder gal, and the jedge made him tell as how ye was so

ted expe

wiggled yer fingers to yer nose a

ominie had caught her stealing berries and like all the weaker ones in

ith reluctance-he dared not remain. After Skinner had gone the way of all squatters who