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of his tin plate, and commenced to eat rapidly from her own. Neither boy nor girl mentioned sleeping until the hands of the small nickel clock on the shelf in the corner pointed out the hour of eleven. Then Tessibel opened the subject without hesitation or embarrassment. "It air time fer ye to turn in," said she, banking the embers
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in the stove for the night. "I shall sit up," replied Frederick stiffly. "There air two beds," commented Tess in simple ignorance of all law save necessity. "Mine air under Daddy's--see?" She dragged the rope cot from under the larger bed--a cloud of dust rising white to the shanty's rafters and settling like a soft mist upon the student. "I
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air goin' to sleep here," explained Tess with no mention of the lately exposed dirt. "I only slep' in Daddy's bed cause he wasn't here.... Ye go to bed while I gets the sticks fer the mornin'." Frederick placed his hand on her arm almost timidly. She was so different from any girl he had ever known! "Please allow me
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to get the wood for you." Two rows of white teeth bared themselves in a frank smile. "I's a squatter," she said, "and squatter women allers gets the wood. Scoot to bed." When Tessibel came in from the mud cellar, Frederick lay with his face toward the wall, Orn Skinner's soiled blankets wrapped closely about his shoulders. Tessibel placed the
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leather strap over the staple in the door, and barred up for the night. For almost an hour Tessibel lay thinking deeply, her brain alive with the past rapid happening of events. That the student would ever sleep under her roof was more than she had dreamed. She could hear him breathing evenly; he was asleep with "Daddy's" blankets wrapped
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tightly about his finely shaped head. Through the dim light Tessibel could follow the outline of the great form stretched out on the roped bed. A feeling of thanksgiving swept over her--she was his protector. She had not thought of asking about his crime. Of course he was fleeing from the law, but he could have done nothing that would
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lessen her desire to aid him. If he had murdered, then it was necessary that he should; if he had stolen, it was the common lot of all men in need. The one thing to do was to keep him from the clutches of the law. She felt herself getting drowsy, and soon the even breathing of the squatter and
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the student told that both slept. Tess would never know what time it happened. Suddenly her eyes flew open and through the light of a lantern she saw Ben Letts leering into her face. The frosty air was blowing in gusts through the window which the squatter Ben had forced open. The horror of the situation came slowly over her.
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For the instant she forgot the student sleeping in her father's bed, and Ben Letts had not noticed him. Ben began to speak in low tones: "If ye wants to live, don't holler ... Get up!" Tess crawled out of bed, fully dressed. Frederick slept on, hearing no sound, for the cold room had compelled him nearly to cover his
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head. Suddenly the presence of the student came into the girl's mind; but she only threw a furtive glance at the sleeping youth. "What do ye want?" she demanded vaguely. "First ye air to come with me to the Brindle Bull at Kennedy's--I air got somethin' for him.... He air dead in the mornin' by the hand of the girl
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what loves him." There was unlimitable sarcasm in the vile, low face as Ben hissed this out. "And after that?" asked Tess, edging toward the lower part of "Daddy's" bed. There she could reach for the covering over Frederick, and he would save her. The feeling of the night before that she was his protector vanished. He would-- "Never mind
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after that," growled Ben. "Ye had yer chance at bein' hones' and ye wouldn't take it." Tessibel slipped her feet into Daddy's boots--she was strangely buoyant and unafraid. It was the woman in her rising to that supreme moment when she should call upon the man she loved, and he would answer. Ben was leaning against the wall, his eyes
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having sought for no other person in the room. With the agility of a hare, Tessibel dashed around him toward Frederick, and snatched the blankets from the bed. The workings of Ben's mind were so slow that the form of the student loomed up, before he realized that the minister's son was in Tessibel's cabin. "Ye air here to save
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me, Frederick," cried Tess, the light of the lantern sending a ray into the upturned widening eyes. Letts dropped his under jaw, his body relaxing in fear. He was an arrant coward like the most of his downtrodden race. Then something shifted through his thick brain, and he smiled knowingly. "So the high and the low air together--eh? The Dominie's
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son, and the fisherman's brat--the student--and the--" Before he had finished the sneering words, Frederick had struck him full in the face. Boyish dignity--his father's position--God--everything was forgotten save Tess. He only knew that she was being maligned, and that her holy mission of rescuing him from the frost of a night like this was being turned into evil by
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a squint-eyed fisherman whom he had never seen before. Into the man's fat flabby body crashed Frederick's strong fists. Tessibel stood looking on, her head bent forward alertly. One arm was clasped about her neck--excitement sparkling from the flushed face and panting lips. Once the throat sound that came when she was excited rolled forth; otherwise she was silent. Thrashed
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from side to side, his ragged coat made worse by the severe shaking Frederick was administering, Ben Letts groaned audibly. "Have you had enough?" demanded the student, standing over the fisherman. "Yep, I's a goin' home." Tess laughed low and wickedly. She loved to see the blood oozing from the mark in the ugly face. Every drop matched those dragged
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from the hearts of the brat's mother, who had suffered for Ben, and of the poor little miserable child himself, struggling for life in the Longman shanty. "You'd better go home," ordered Frederick, "and I want to tell you something. If I ever hear you uttering a word about my being in this hut, I'll follow you to the ends
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of the earth, and flog the life out of you.... Don't try any of your tricks on me, either." Frederick shivered as the wind swept cold from the frozen lake to his damp brow. Ben had lifted his lantern and was swaying toward the door. "I'll go hum," said he, "but I ain't done with ye--some day--" Frederick bounded forward
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like a whiplash, but Tess held him back. Ben gave a quick jump and was gone. "He wasn't worth a-hurtin' any more," Tess commented, lighting a candle. "I know he air the man what killed my other Frederick." The name slipped out with loving intonation. Then the boy and the girl turned and faced each other. The shanty rocked in
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the wind like the cradle of a child. The willow mourned its tale of winter over the roof, scraping the broken tin in hollow groans, shrieking now and then as a gust roared through it. For fully three minutes after the going of Ben, Tessibel stood looking at the student. He had saved her from Myra's fate, from a hated
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thing that made her teeth press hard together, and her eyes gather an expression of melting gratitude. "It were--it were--" But the halting tongue could not finish. Untutored as she was, Tess had read the message in the student's eyes. Love teaches in one night its dreadful longing and response. Its domineering power brought Frederick Graves nearer to Tess in
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her rags. It made them equal, even as all are equal in love--and in death. In an instant the girl in the fish-tainted tatters was clasped close to his heart, the bright, beautiful face lifted to his. Then came the kiss, the making of which blended two lives indissolubly together. The paleness of death settled over the boy; the strong
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muscles of his shoulders stood out beneath the whiteness of his shirt sleeves, while his fingers pressed the red-brown head closer to him, his kiss deepening the crimson richness in the squatter's face. It was the one supreme passionate moment of Tessibel's life. The sound of the whistling wind left her ears. The cold night blasts driving through the window
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were as the faint breezes of a summer's evening. The smoldering candle lifted its flame, blazing forth a glory that surrounded the student with a golden halo. Tessibel had experienced her first kiss. The nature in her demanded that she know the fullness of it--the pitying fullness which would bring to her that which it brings to all loving women
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dominated by the passion born within them. The blood of her race, her uneducated primeval race, rose and clamored for its own. In her untutored youth she could have crushed the lad in her wild longing for such another kiss. Pantingly she drew herself from Frederick. Why? Tess could never tell why! Myra's love for Ben Letts rushed over her
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overwhelmingly.... The "brat's" mother knew the sweetness of a kiss, and in it had forgotten the blasting winter winds on the ragged rocks where Ben Letts had broken her arm. Frederick, ashy-pale, struggled for control; a consciousness of the ignorance of the girl--and his own godly profession broke upon him; and he sank upon the stool with a sob. His
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face in his hands filled Tessibel's soul with remorse. Delicately, with the touch of a lady born, she rested her hand upon the student's dark head. The small fingers, used to the drudgery of a fisherwoman's life, lifted the damp hair from the high forehead. Her woman's sense of the fitness of things rose keenly to quiet the boy's grief
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over his indiscretion. "It were good of ye to remember that Daddy were gone," she whispered. "He gives me kisses on the bill." All passion had left her tones. Of course, thought the student, she was but a child--but a forlorn beautiful child born without--without what? If he could have known-- The next moment he did know. With abandon, complete
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and absolute, the hot blood coursing madly from her heart to her face, Tess threw herself upon the shanty floor. Frederick Graves drew her quickly to her feet. "Tess ... Tessibel ... Tess ... Stand up, Tess!" The last word came out in a shout. He had her in his arms, and she was clinging to him as ivy clings
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for life to an old church. Tessibel made no effort to support herself. She was leaning limply against him with closed eyes. "It air good to forget--sometimes," she stammered, "I air a forgettin' all but the--student." As on that memorable day when "Daddy" had been taken to prison in Auburn, and she had planted herself in his arms not to
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be removed, so Tess hung to Frederick. Ben Letts was forgotten, the suffering child in the Longman shanty whom she loved was forgotten; even Daddy Skinner was forgotten. Tessibel had found her man, and all the experiences of her kind could not help her in her hour of temptation. "Tessibel, Tess, we can't forget, stand up." The boy's words spread
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through the dazed brain. Frederick dragged her arms from his neck, forcing her to the stool. "Tessibel, have you forgotten--the Christ, your father and me?" Had she forgotten him? Only him she had remembered--only his voice rang through her like the sweetest music. But she was so quiet now that the boy seated himself beside her, drawing her hands into
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his. "Tess," he began, intensely, bending to look into the flushed face, "Tess--look at me!" Slowly the brown eyes dragged their gaze upward until the boy and girl were staring wide-lidded directly at each other. "Tess, have you ever thought that, some time, we might be more to each other--some time in the future when you have learned and studied
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much?" Wonderingly she drew her hands from his, hiding them in the folds of the torn gingham skirt. "I air a squatter," she got out at last. "You be high--I air low, as Ben Letts said.... But, but," she faltered, finishing her sentence brokenly, "But I's yer squatter." For one bitter moment the Longman child with its old-man face flitted
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across her vision. She shivered, rose hastily, and went to the stove, scattering the lids from their openings before uttering another word. Frederick was watching her critically. "You ought to go to school, Tess," he said presently. "I has to stay here," she replied beginning to stir the embers. "If I left the hut alone yer pappy could fire it,
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and Daddy and me wouldn't have a home.... Ain't nice nights like this to be without a roof to cover ye." Frederick realized this. Had he not been that very night with no place to lay his head, and no kindly hand save hers to give him something to eat? He flushed deeply at the mention of his father, and
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marveled that the squatter girl had not spoken with any hard feeling in her tone. It was what could be expected--so her voice implied; if she left the shanty alone, the rightful owner could then take back what the law would not allow if the squatters remained. "Ye be a goin' to stay here to-morry?" asked Tess later by five
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minutes. "If I may." "Be ye goin' to tell me what ye air hidin' for?" Frederick threw back his head and laughed. He had forgotten to tell her. "Of course. You see I am the freshman class president.... The boys in the upper classes kidnaped me, and kept me prisoner in an unused house at the inlet.... I escaped last
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night, and you brought me here." The story was so tame--so unlike what Tess had expected to hear that she drew a long, disappointed breath. There had been a vague wish within her heart that she were going to be of infinite benefit to him. It was such a little thing to lose a fine supper. His life had not
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been in danger as she had supposed. "You understand, Tess, that it's a disgrace to our class not to have the president there," Frederick burst forth, "even if he is kept away by force. I would rather sacrifice anything than have it happen--only, I do not want to harm your good name, Tessibel." Tess stared at him blankly. "Squatter's brats
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don't have no names.... Ye can't do me any harm." "Oh, yes, I could," insisted Frederick. "What if that scoundrel who was here a little while ago should say that I were here?... It would harm us both." Tess paused in her breakfast preparations long enough to say simply, "Yer Christ wouldn't let him harm ye, would He?" The boy
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swept her with an incredulous glance. Did she so thoroughly have faith in a miraculous interference in human affairs by divine power? The delicate face was lighted with exquisite coloring which came and went in the morning light like the tints of a sea-shell. The bright trustful eyes were shining into his, every motion of the lovely head and body
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bespeaking the blind faith in which the squatter girl lived. Frederick found himself wishing impetuously with all his soul that he could command a faith like hers. His own seemed so dead, so unlike a living faith that he sighed as he turned toward her. "Tessibel," he said honestly, "you are a better girl than I am a boy ...
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I am learning many things from you." Then, looking up with a smile after a moment's thought, he finished: "No, I believe with you, that it is impossible for him to harm one of us if we have faith in God." "So, I can help ye to-morry if ye ain't in Daddy's fix?" Then Frederick understood that she would have
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saved him, even if he had been in danger of his life. "Yes," he replied, "you can aid me.... Do you know where my fraternity is?" Tess shook her head with a troubled expression. "I can tell you where it is! I want you to go there and ask for Dan Jordan and tell him I am here. You must
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speak to no one else about me, or they will come and take me away, and I told you I would almost rather die than not be with my class at the banquet." Tessibel's spirits rose high. She could help him--after all. "How air ye goin' to get into the place where ye eats without gettin' took again?" A flashing
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intelligence leaped into the brown eyes during her question. "I knows how I can help ye." She lowered her voice and began to describe the escape and the final fulfillment of their plan. Frederick chuckled when she had finished. "That's capital. You tell Dan Jordan, then, to-morrow what you have told me. You see the banquet takes place to-morrow night."
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"Yep, I tells him, so I will. I goes to town early to-morry and up to your house.... Come and eat now!" The next morning at eight o'clock Tessibel walked eastward up the long hill toward the college. The "Cranium" fellows were yet asleep. The whole house was tired out from looking for their captured president. The underclassmen did not
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know that Graves had escaped, Frederick's enemies keeping them in ignorance as long as possible. Tessibel turned into the carriage drive toward the fraternity with a fish-basket upon her arm. A man cleaning snow from the flight of steps addressed her. "What do you want here?" "I want to see Mr. Jordan.... He air here, ain't he? I has somethin'
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for him." "Give it to me," ordered the janitor, "I'll take it to him." "Can't! He said as how I wasn't to give it to no one but hisself, and I won't, so there!" "He ain't up yet." "Don't care, I'll wait, then.... Tell him, will ye, that I air a waitin'?" Dan Jordan wondered as he crawled slowly out
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of bed what a girl could want of him at that early hour. He met Tess at the front door, and without waiting for him to speak Tessibel said in an undertone. "I has somethin' to tell ye.... I air Tess the squatter's brat, what ye gived the coffee to at the parson's house. I said as how I has
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somethin' to tell ye!" "Will you tell me now?" asked Dan kindly. "You see, I can't ask you in here--" "I ain't a comin' in," and lowering her voice with a furtive glance she almost whispered, "I knows--I knows where the minister's son air." Dan started and looked at her sharply. She could mean no other than Frederick. He placed
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his fingers on his lips. "You have fish to sell," he asked, "I will take them all. Go around to the back door and leave them...." Then in a lower tone he ordered, "Meet me in five minutes at the bottom of the hill." The last of the sentence was breathed rather than spoken. Dan Jordan turned into State Street
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some minutes afterwards, and he could see the glistening red head of the fisher-girl as she swung her empty basket on her arm and jingled the money in her hand which she had received for the fish. "Tell me quickly where Mr. Graves is," commanded Dan rushing toward her. "He air in my hut," answered Tess bluntly. "Did the boys
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bring him there?" "Nope, he got away.... And I took him there." She described the plan she and Frederick had formed. "Ye see by that way ye can get him to the supper, can't ye?" "Yes," replied Dan delightedly, "and we will never be able to thank you enough for what you have done. Let me assure you that we
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are very grateful to you." "Aw, shut up!" Every white tooth showed in the wide smile, "I ain't done nothin'. He air done more than that for me." The sweet face lighted by the infinite love for the student hidden in her hut spoke its own secret to Dan Jordan and through his recently acquired knowledge of heart emotions, he
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stared vaguely at the girl. Would Frederick--no, no--the minister's son was a better lad than he. His eyes filled with tears and a lump came into his throat. He stood watching the figure of Tess moving away, and regarded intently the great boots, the ragged skirt, the beautiful ringlets and the proud young head set so well upon the sloping
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shoulders. Dan's mind reverted to another girl, no older than the squatter, and with a sigh mournful enough he turned back to the fraternity. * * * * * Tess walked down the lane, running as she neared the foot of the hill. She wanted to impart to the student what Dan had told her. With her fingers upon the
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hut latch she stopped short. Voices came from inside. She dropped her hand--Ben Letts was there or another squatter. Suddenly she opened the door and stood in the entrance. Frederick was seated upon "Daddy's" stool; Professor Young was standing in his fur coat with his back to the stove. The student's face had blanched to the hue of death; an
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expression such as Tess had never seen in human eyes rested in his. He was speaking and the girl's ears caught the words. "I would forfeit my life before I would harm her, believe me!" Two pairs of masculine eyes turned at the opening of the door, and both men were looking into the eager face of Tessibel. The Professor
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did not come forward to meet her; his manner was stiff and formal. For a moment even the student's last words left her mind, and Daddy Skinner rose before her. "Ye be here to tell me about Daddy?" she asked. "You needed me to come more for yourself than to tell you of your father, child!" said Young with accusing
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eyes upon Frederick. A sullen expression flitted across Tessibel's lips. "Ye didn't need to come, if yer a goin' to make the student sorry," she answered haltingly. "Ye has yer own business to mind." Tess was standing between them, her glance turning first to Frederick, then to the Professor. She didn't fully understand his words, but she knew that Frederick
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had been hurt by something the lawyer had said. Young began to button his coat. He had thought the girl worth saving, and Frederick had ever been in his mind as the perfection of young manhood. His throat tightened; he looked at Tess and thought of his love for her. It was almost mastering him. Why should he suffer over
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such a girl, who insulted him even while he was trying to help her? Frederick stood up wearily. Professor Young ought to realize the situation, to remember that some shelter was necessary for him. Tess was stolidly arranging the table. "You do not know how I came to be here," said Frederick briefly. "It is enough that I see you
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here," replied Young. In a temper Tess slammed the oven door loudly. "She found me on the tracks," explained Frederick. "I escaped from the sophomores and she brought me here. I should have frozen to death otherwise--and I did not think that it might harm her." "It ain't hurt me," cried Tessibel coming forward. "He air the one what helped
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me get my Daddy Skinner out of trouble. He air my friend!" The rage of the girl when she wheeled impetuously upon him made the Professor catch his breath. He had been the one who had done all the work, had given her father a new lease of life. He had come now to tell her about the letter, and
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to hear her say that a lad with no influence whatever had done that which it would have been impossible for him to do, to hear Tess give the credit which should be his to Frederick made Young pass his fingers through his hair nervously, and wonder just what the student had done to gain such praise. His own love
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for Tess, his great desire, pleaded with him to believe in both the boy and the girl. Tessibel's soulful expression went far in giving back to Deforest Young the hope that had made his days brighter and filled the future with promise. "May I stay with you to dinner, Miss Tessibel?" he said, shaking his shoulders. "I did not understand
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... In fact I had forgotten about the banquet. I am glad you helped Mr. Graves make his class dinner.... May I stay?" Frederick stepped forward, holding out his hand. "Thanks," he said brokenly; "I shall never forget this--in you." The clasping of the two hands and the smile on the lips of the student made Tess broaden her own.
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"Yep, jerk off yer coat, and eat," ordered she. "Air ye heard about Daddy?" "Yes." Young hesitated a moment. "What is it, Professor?" ejaculated Frederick. "Don't keep her in suspense." "Daddy ain't a-goin' to hang!... He can't!" Her eyes turned to Frederick. "'Cause ye said he couldn't." The boy flushed to the roots of his hair and glanced at Professor
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Young. Again she was giving the credit to Graves--credit the lad so little deserved. Frederick felt this, and muttered: "She doesn't understand yet what you've done, Professor--I'm sorry!" "They've placed a stay upon your father's execution," explained Young, "that will give us a chance to prove him innocent.... I am positive that he didn't kill the gamekeeper. I went to
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the prison last week." "Ye seed him?" asked Tess eagerly, striding close to him. He felt the hot breath against his face and a feeling of longing coursed through his veins. "Yes," was all he said. "What did he say about me?" "Everything good! You will have him very soon here with you, Tessibel." The girl was fatigued with turbulent
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emotions, lonely and heartsick. The shadow of the rope was gone from Daddy Skinner. Like a relieved child she sank down upon the floor and began to whimper. Both men were silenced by the swaying red head. The bacon sputtered in the frying pan upon the stove, spitting the grease to the lids, where it burned away in tiny yellow
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flames. Then Tess raised her head. "What a bloke I air to cry when Daddy air a-comin' home.... We air a-goin' to eat now," she ended, wiping her eyes. Before the meal was over Tess was on better terms with Young than she had ever been before. He outlined to the delighted girl his visit to the prison. "Your father
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says, child," he related, "that he took the gun from the stern of the boat, and laid it on the shore, near where he was hauling the net.... He heard a shot and ran forward and was arrested. He swore to me that he did not fire the gun and I believe him. The fatal step was in his taking
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the rifle at all, because that was disobeying the law." "Ye air my friend, too," Tess said beamingly, leaning over and taking the Professor's hand in hers. Before he could stop her, she had raised it to her lips, kissed it several times, and dropping it again, calmly went on eating. At the "Cranium" Fraternity, Dan Jordan was closeted with
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three little freshmen. Swipes looked downcast. "I want to do something to help," he wailed; "I feel as if it were all my fault that the parson is gone. We can't have any fun without him. It's tedious, too, being cooped up here not being able to go anywhere for fear of being taken ourselves." Dan cleared his throat preparatory
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to speaking. "If you fellows won't peach," said he in an eager undertone, "I'll tell you something and you can help." "What?" "We'll have Graves if you will all do as I tell you." "Watch me," cried Swipes, turning a somersault. When he was in the most harrowing position, Brown gave him a swift kick. "Give him one for me,
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Shorts," whispered Spuddy, but Swipes was on his feet again, ready to listen. There was a general hurrah when Jordan in subdued tones had outlined the plan. "Where are Graves' evening clothes," demanded Dillon; "we must smuggle them into the opera-house some way." "They'll be there all right," replied Jordan; "they've gone in with the caterer's stuff. You'd better send
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your own best togs in a barrel or the sophomores will see to it that you won't have them when you want them.... Now mind, mum's the word." The fishermen of squatter's row did not recognize the stranger who slouched along by the side of Tessibel, the night of the freshman banquet. She was on her way to the city
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with her fish. One after another women poked frowsy heads from the hut windows at the barking of their dogs. But Tess went steadily on, not even heeding her companion who hurried his footsteps to keep close to her. "Ye sells yer fish for a shillin' a pound," said she after a few minutes' walk. The man nodded. Once only
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did he raise his eyes. They were passing a dingy-looking empty house, with a large broken window. Just then, Ben Letts, accompanied by Ezra Longman, met them. The red head of the squatter girl rose a little higher, the lines growing deeper about the narrowed lids. To the fisherman she deigned no good-morrow, nor had she a thought of them
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after they had passed. "He air a new squatter," said Ben laconically, turning to look at the queer pair. "He air her uncle," added Ezra pompously; "he air here to help her pappy out of his scrape." Ben did not answer, but stepped to the tracks with another evil backward look at Tess and her squatter friend. * * *
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* * Forty or fifty sophomores loafed about the opera-house watching the caterers buzz to and fro. Tables had been spread inside for several hundred guests, and the president's chair was decorated with roses and winter ferns. Three little freshmen and Dan Jordan, surrounded by many juniors went calmly in to inspect things. Several underclassmen stood disconsolately inside. "Be on
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your guard," whispered Dan, passing them. The fifty sophomores outside were waiting for something to happen. Graves would be produced--how, they could not tell. The strangeness of the actions of Frederick's fraternity brothers made the affair more unsolvable. Threatening looks were showered upon them as freshman after freshman, guarded by juniors, filed in. Dan Jordan slouched to the door of
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the opera-house, his eyes falling mechanically upon Tessibel Skinner across the street. He heard her arguing with the man from the caf about her fish. Tessibel then crossed to the opera-house. "Does ye want any fish?" she smiled, showing her white teeth. "No," replied Jordan. "What have you?... Eels?" "No, nothin' but bullheads and suckers." Dan looked about, grinning upon
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the sophomores. "There's enough of them here already.... I want some eels--" The sophomores pretended not to hear. They were not interested in fishermen, but kept their eyes open for a carriage that would dash in from the main street with the rescued president within it. "Sling them eels over here," commanded Tessibel, beckoning to the slouching squatter across the
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way. The man with the basket offered the contents to Dan. "I'll take what you have, too, girl," said Jordan in a loud voice, "how much do they weigh?" "Don't know," replied Tess. "Take them in and get them weighed," said Swipes, innocently coming to Dan's side. "Hey there, you old guy," chuckled Spuddy; "drag your fish into the opera-house
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and dump them out.... We're going to have some fun.... If we can't have our president, eels will have to do." The squatter disappeared inside the building. "A pile of fun they'll have without their president," grunted a sophomore. Tessibel gathered her empty basket upon her arm and amid the smiling looks of the students who stood watching her she
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walked away with her head high in the air. But Dan Jordan, with a mighty yell, triumphantly taken up by his classmen, grasped the hat from the squatter's head. The smiling, open face of Frederick Graves was before them. The sophomores never quite puzzled out how the freshman president was in his chair at the banquet, and directly in front
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of him in the place of honor was a huge dish of eels. * * * * * Shaking the snow from her shoulders like a great dog in a storm, Tess knocked softly on the Longman shanty door. Mrs. Longman had gone to the city with Satisfied, and Myra, with the whining brat in her arms, welcomed her. One
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whole week had passed since Tess had seen the student--seven long interminable days since--and now she had come to ask Myra Longman some of the mysterious questions about the kiss that Frederick had given her. Myra relinquished the child to her and the little fellow sank to sleep under Tessibel's crooning voice. His regular breathing told her that he slept;
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she placed him in the box and sat thoughtfully down. "Air Ben Letts been here lately?" she asked after a pause. Myra shook her head. "He ain't got no time for such as the brat and me," she replied bitterly. Tess waited until Myra had ceased scattering the shanty chairs in her rage. "Did he say as how he loved
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ye that night in the storm on the ragged rocks?" she asked presently. "Yep, he did say it, he did," answered Myra. "Air he--air he a-knowin'--how to kiss?" The very word slipping from her lips brought back with a sudden joy that night a week ago, and the never-to-be-forgotten kiss of the student. She could feel again the warm, strong
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lips pressed to hers--the long muscular arms enfolding her. Myra scanned her face closely. "To kiss--yep; but he ain't never kissed the brat." There was wonderful longing and passion in her tones. This was a new thought for Tess. The "Pappy" should kiss his brat--but were they one and the same kisses? She remembered the sweetness of that first caress
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"Daddy" had given her on the stone window ledge of his cell. It was tinged with bittersweet--bitter because Daddy was going away, sweet because she had desired it so fondly. But it had not been like the student's kiss. She was going to ask Myra Longman to solve the first great problem of her life. "Air the kisses what ye
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had from Ben Letts--burnin' ones? Did ye lose the thought of the night and the night things on the ragged rocks?... Did ye want 'em again and again--more and more kisses till they scorched yer face like the bread oven in the spring?" Tess had risen to her feet, had whitened to the small ears covered with the tawny hair.
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Myra had risen also. Both girls were eying each other with intentness. Tess started to speak again, coming forward a step toward the other squatter. "Did ye forget the storm, the wavin' trees and all 'cept--Ben Letts?" "Ye air been to the ragged rocks," moaned Myra, sinking down upon the floor in a heap. In a twinkling the meaning of
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Myra's words dawned upon Tessibel. "I ain't been there with Ben Letts," she replied suddenly. "I ain't got no likin' for the brat's Pa's kisses--" "But ye hev been to the ragged rocks," insisted Myra, settling back with a sob against the box where the child slept. "Nope, I ain't; but I had a kiss, and Myra, it were--like the
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