"I know it," returned Frederick, promptly. "Still a man can't _always_ please his mother. Why, darling, what kind of a world would this be if mothers picked out their sons' wives? A poor place! I can tell you." "But yer mother air awful good and loves ye just like Daddy loves me," argued Tessibel, "an' when ye don't do right, everything goes wrong. If Daddy Skinner ain't to know--" "Nor anybody else," cut in the boy, growing moody after his sharp retort. "I won't have any one know about it. Tessibel, I want this more than anything else in the world. I love you--I love you, and you love me. Then why not? You do love me, don't you?" "That air why--I do what--ye want me to, I s'pose." And as the halting words fell from her lips, the student crushed her to him. "I want you, dear," he breathed warm in her ear, "and it won't have to be a secret over a year, not much over a year, darling, and I'll----I'll----Oh! You will, Tessibel? You will?" "Frederick!" she acquiesced, weakly. "Oh, Frederick darlin'!" And for some time after her sudden consent, they sat on the rocks close in spirit--close in thrilling nearness. Perhaps twenty minutes later, Tess drew from the boy's arms. "Daddy air callin' me," she said, softly. And she went back to the shanty with the words, "I'm goin' to be married tomorrow," ringing in her heart. CHAPTER V A GOSSIP WITH "SATISFIED" The next day, directly after the midday meal, Tessibel went to see Mrs. Longman, whose triple tragedy had made the woman an invalid, with broken nerves and useless hands. Every few days since the drowning of Myra Longman and Ben Letts and the baby, the squatter girl had carried to the sick woman some little offering to gladden her lonely existence. As Tess walked along the rocks, the image of Frederick Graves persistently pervaded her thoughts. Before the going down of another sun he would be her husband. Of course, just now she couldn't leave Daddy Skinner and Andy Bishop, but by the time Frederick had a home ready, Andy would be free from the charge of murder, and Daddy would live with them. Tess never paused on the rocks between her home and the Longman shanty that she did not think of Myra, and thinking of Myra brought the vision of Teola Graves. A lonely little heart twist followed for the dead baby who had been born in her hut. This day she did not hesitate as long as usual. She must return quickly to Daddy Skinner and help keep guard over Andy Bishop. Waldstricker was coming at two o'clock! Rounding the lake point, on which stood the hut of her squatter friends, she spied "Satisfied" seated on the bench near the doorway. Tess waved her hand, and the old fisherman signaled in return. "Ma thought ye'd be comin' soon, brat," was Longman's greeting. "I air brung her some salt-risin' bread," Tess announced, sitting down beside the fisherman. Longman moved his pipe to one corner of his mouth.