Tess of the Storm Country Part 51

With no ungentle touch she grasped Frederick's arm, holding the stool in the air.

"Ye air to wait," she said, in low, swift tones, her gaze dominating his flas.h.i.+ng eyes. "Ye'll kill him if ye hit him again.... Wait till I says what I's a-goin' to ... I loves my Daddy, that ye knows--better'n anything in the hull world--better'n G.o.d--better'n--better'n--"

"Better than the child?" demanded Frederick, placing his foot upon Ben.

A grunt issued from the girl's lips.

"Yep, a hundred times better than the brat! And I says this: that I hopes my daddy's neck'll be twisted by the rope, I hopes that I never sees him again"--her voice was raised high above the whistling wind and das.h.i.+ng rain--"I hopes," she finished, "that his soul'll shrivel in h.e.l.l--"

"Stop! stop!" muttered Frederick. "Why are you saying such things?"

"I hopes it all," insisted Tess, bending her head nearer, "and I swears that I hopes it if Ben Letts ain't a liar!"

Frederick's foot slipped from the round, fat body. He took a long breath, brus.h.i.+ng a damp lock from his brow.

"I believe you," he surrendered slowly. "Oh, G.o.d! Tessibel, I believe you--and I love you, in spite of that!"

His glance swept over Ben's prostrate body to the death-like child. Letts sat up with an oath, rubbing the inflicted bruises. Frederick helped him to his feet.

"You go home," he said, piercing the fisherman with his burning eyes.

"And let me warn you against fastening any of your lies upon this girl, for whatever she is, or whatever she has done, I know that you lied to-night.... Now go!" Frederick pointed toward the door.

Letts, muttering threats and curses against the student and the squatter-girl, stumbled out into the storm. Ben's head was splitting with pain. A gash on his nose bled until his torn sleeve was thickened with blood. He staggered out of the rays of the candle, and took the path to the hill. The sound of footsteps caused him to sink down beside the way and wait. Was the student--? No, the person was coming from the other direction.

In the dim light he saw a man dripping with water totter toward him.

Ben peered out upon the wobbling legs, and in another instant had fallen back, s.h.i.+vering with fright and superst.i.tious fear. Ezra Longman, his face haggard and ghastly white, stood directly in front of him.

Frederick closed the door upon Ben, and Tess turned upon him sharply.

"It were a lie he told ye," said she, "and he weren't worth killin'."

"I don't want to speak of him," stammered Frederick, "I came to talk to you. It nearly killed me to-night, when my father whipped you, and I want to save you from such things in the future.... My father gives me an allowance--I want to buy the milk for the little child. Will you let me, Tess?" His face had grown scarlet, his eyes fell before hers. The girl seemed glued to the spot. "It will save you from stealing," resumed the boy. "I can't bear to have you steal."

The tragic tone stung Tessibel. Teola had promised to tell him. She herself would; it was only right that he should know. She took two impetuous steps forward, opened her lips--but again remembered her oath.

"I air a-thankin' ye for the milk," was all she said.

With an embarra.s.sed air, Frederick tendered her a silver dollar.

Tessibel stepped back, hesitant.

"It will make me happier, if you will take it," he urged.

Tess extended her fingers, blus.h.i.+ng crimson, but took the coin from his hand. A sob choked the utterance of further grat.i.tude.

"Professor Young says," broke in Frederick, after a painful silence, "that he is going to bring your father back here before the winter....

But, Tess, I don't want you to live in this shanty. I want you to be a better girl, Tess. Will you? Will you?"

His eyes rested upon the child. The darkness of the night, the ghostly sound of the wind, the swish of the thousands of wet leaves over the roof, roused the romance in the girl until she felt an impulse to tell him the whole painful story; to feel his kisses warm upon her face, to have his arms about her, to kneel with him again, and hear his earnest voice interceding for Daddy Skinner.... But her oath! It was Teola's secret, not hers.

"Ye couldn't go on a-trustin' me the same as before ye knowed of him?"

Her head inclined toward the infant in a large-eyed question.

Frederick shook his head.

"No," he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed; "no! Nevertheless, I would save you from--worse.

The more I think of it, the more I believe that you were honest in your desire to know G.o.d and the truth. He will forgive you your sin, Tessibel, if you ask Him."

"If G.o.d air forgivin'--then couldn't ye forgive, too?"

It took a desperate effort to utter the words. Nothing but her love for him could have forced them from her.

"That's different," reddened the boy. "I wanted--I wanted to marry you some day."

To marry her! She drew a great, heaving breath, more strongly tempted to tell him than before. But, as she struggled with her desire, her face grew paler, and the drooping mouth gathered sad lines.

She did not reply, and the student continued,

"You have one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard, Tess. It is a G.o.d-given gift, and He will hold you responsible for it if you neglect it."

"I air only a squatter," she moaned forlornly, shaking the red curls.

"Daddy air a squatter, too, and if he air a-comin' home, then I stays with him. If he says as how we stay in the shanty, then we stays, even if it air yer Daddy's. I asks Daddy Skinner to give it back, but a brat can't boss her Pappy, can she?... Ye sees, don't ye?"

"Yes, Tess, I see," slowly replied Frederick. "But it's not because of my father I want you to go. You have the squatter's rights, and may remain if you wish.... It is for your own sake. You are sixteen ... But, of course, the--child--has changed your life."

"It ain't changed my lovin' you!"

This was the first open confession of her love. She made it emphatically, almost sullenly. Frederick whitened, and turned his face away. In the terror of the thought that she would lose him again, Tess sank upon her knees beside him. This time he did not thrust her aside.

The strong young hands pressed upon his shoulders, and the sensitive chin trembled. Tess turned her face up to his.

"Don't!" he breathed hard. "Don't, Tess!"

But the girl heeded him not. Of a sudden, Frederick raised his eyes and looked directly into hers. The jealousy that had risen tiger-like in his breast, forcing him from her, and demanding that he should never look upon her face again, yielded precedence to a n.o.bler and stronger thought. He would help the girl with her living secret--help her, and make her better. Long and fixedly he studied the beautiful face, until he had read to the finish the tale of pa.s.sion and longing. The auburn head bent nearer and nearer, the panting lips imparting the sweet breath of youth. Then they both forgot the whistling wind and the falling rain ... forgot even the wriggling, fire-branded babe in its bed.

Frederick's lips closed down upon the girl's, and the dark hair of the student mingled with the red curls of the squatter.

"I shall never let you go again," murmured Frederick, his lips roving in sweet freedom over the flushed cheeks.

"And I ain't a-goin' ter let yer go, nuther," whispered Tess. "I works, fishes and berries the years through--but I air yer squatter."

The child, as if in pain, cried sharply. The student's arms slipped limply from Tessibel, and he stood up.

"I had forgotten it for a moment, Tess. The infant has changed your life and mine.... I have loved you dearly--I love you still. But the child is between us, and always will be ... I must remember it.... Ah! I have forgotten one thing I came for. Here!"

He was holding a small Bible out to her.

"In my temper I burned yours. I'm sorry. I was bringing you this when I heard you cry."