ung's
doctor comes awful often, an' he says Daddy air got heart trouble."

"He do seem to have a hard time breathin'," answered Jake, trying to be
cheerful; "but if I was you, Tessie, I wouldn't worry. He'll be gettin'
well. He air stronger'n a horse."

Tess wanted to believe her father was better. She couldn't allow her
mind to take any other view of it.

"He air always been right rugged," she said, nodding, "an' if his
heart'd only stop beatin' so hard--" She hesitated and touched Brewer's
arm. "Thank ye fer bringin' my letter," she interrupted herself
irrelevantly.

"That air all right, Tess," smiled Brewer. "Ye see when I go to the
Postoffice fer our mail, I ask fer your'n an' fer Longman's, an' I most
allers get some fer one or t'other.... Nice day, eh, ain't it?"

"Yep," affirmed Tess, dully. She bade the fisherman good-bye and stood
watching him take his way along the lakeside until he had disappeared.

When she turned she caught sight of Andy's glistening eyes looking at
her.

"Jake air a good feller, ain't he, brat?" he asked.

Tess came directly under the ceiling hole.

"Yep, he sure air," she answered. "Andy, I air a feelin' so bad today.
Will ye listen for Daddy if I go out a spell?"

"Course I will, go long," he urged. "Close the door when ye go out. I'll
keep my ears open."

Tess walked slowly along the lake shore path, her head drooping wearily.
She knew the letter in her pocket was from Frederick. To have opened it
even before Andy's loving eyes, or in the presence of any other person,
would have been, in her opinion, a desecration.

Against the high gray shoulder of a ragged rock, she sat down pensively.
It was here she and Frederick had spent so many happy hours and, now,
alone, she had come to read his letter. She took it slowly from her
pocket, studied the picture of the ship in the corner, and whispered
over and over the name under it. It seemed almost impossible to tear it
open. What had he told her? She pressed the envelope to her lips. Her
darling's hands had touched it, his fingers had written her name upon
it. Ripping it slowly along the edge, she took out the contents, and
there fluttered to the rock a yellow backed bill. Tess picked it up and
examined it carefully. Frederick had sent her some money. Tess laid it
down again and placed a small stone upon it. Then she took up the
letter.

For a few seconds her eyes misted so profusely she could not read. She
dashed the back of h