When Deforrest Young came around the corner of the house, Tessibel was standing on the lower step of the porch, her hands full of flowers. To his adoring eyes, the girl typified the unfolding life of the spring. Strong was she, like the sturdy trees, dainty as the flowers she held in her hands. To his passionate desire as unresponsive as the sullen lake on dark days, yet grateful for his kindness as the field flowers to the sun after a hard rain. She was a child with a woman's heart, but the woman's heart closed to him by the secret of Boy's paternity. Her smiling lips greeted him. She dropped the flowers and two arms stole around his neck. Young drew her very close. How dear, how very dear, she had grown in these last studious years! "It seems ages since you went away," she said, and pointing to the flowers, "I hoped to get these all on the table." "My dear," interjected Young, "you're the rarest blossom of them all." Tess was used to his compliments, and she loved them, as she loved the birds and the friendly sunshine. "For that, sir," she laughed, "you'll have to help me pick 'em up." While they were gathering together the scattered bouquet, they heard a stamping down the stairs. "Boy couldn't hardly stand it till you came," smiled Tess, opening the hall door. A small avalanche of concentrated eagerness piled out of the house. "Uncle Forrie! Uncle Forrie!" cried Boy, swarming upon him. "I'm awful glad you're home." * * * * * "Now, then," said the lawyer after dinner, "I think our little mister here ought to crawl into bed.... Well, one more romp, then bye-bye. Eh?" "One more romp!" screamed the child. His mother carried him away half an hour later, and when she went to Andy's room, she found Young there talking to the dwarf. "I've such a lot to tell you two," said he. "Now we're all comfy, I'll begin." "Will it please Andy?" asked Tess. Deforrest shook his head. "I'm afraid not!... Bennet won't have to stay long in prison and he still insists he didn't do the shooting and that Andy did." The latter groaned, and a shadow fell over Tessibel's face. "I wish something could be done," said she. The lawyer considered the end of his cigar. "Well, I can't think of anything right now," he sighed.... "I suppose you've heard Lysander Letts is out of prison?" Young asked the question as though it amounted to little, but he knew by the sharp cry from the girl and the upward lift of the dwarf's head that they both dreaded Sandy's return to Ithaca. "But I don't want you to worry. I'll send him back if he comes around here." Tess shook her head despondently. "Oh, I hope he'll let me alone!" "I'll see that he does," said the professor, rising and straightening up. "Well, I'm going down to write some letters. Cheer up, Andy! Maybe something'll turn up."