ly. The
red-brown eyes battled an instant with the blue, stopping Madelene's
progress. Frederick, stung to action, reached forth and grasped his
wife's arm.

"Madelene!" he exclaimed. His tone brought flashing eyes upon him.

"You think I'm going to stand tamely by and watch you come here to see
her?... You both think I'm a fool, I suppose. Well, I'm not such a fool
as I look!"

Defiantly, the speaker surveyed her husband up and down. "I knew very
well you intended coming here. That's why I asked--you to take me today
and why I--followed you. I've had hard work to make myself believe you'd
leave me for--"

Her scintillating look swept again over Tess from head to foot. Her eyes
drew down at the corners; so did her lips. It dawned dazedly on Tess how
much Madelene looked like her brother. Then, suddenly Mrs. Graves
laughed, a note of triumph riding in her tones. She faced Frederick and
throwing out both hands, disdainfully, at the squatter girl huddled in
the chair, cried,

"My God, look at her! If you've any eyes, you'll see ..." and turning
upon Tessibel, "Were you trying to pass off on my husband a spurious--"
The scorn in the contemptuous tones of the shrill voice stung like a
whip lash.

The appeal gathering slowly in Tess' eyes was but a dumb response to the
other woman's taunting, bitter words. She could not have spoken had her
life been at stake. She crouched down in terrified shame.

Then like a flash the meaning of his wife's words rushed over the almost
stupefied man! God! and he had not known! Tessibel, her new light of
coming motherhood, cowered before him like a stricken thing. He sprang
forward during Madelene's hesitation and grasped his wife's arm again.
He was so furiously angry his tightening fingers brought a cry of pain
from her.

"Hush!" he cried peremptorily. "Hush!... You're crazy!... Haven't you
any heart?... You've gone mad!"

Madelene shook off his hand.

"Yes, I'm mad half crazy. And you've made me so. Ever since I married
you, you've had this girl in your mind morning, noon and night.... Now I
know it! Oh, what a fool I was! I--I suppose possibly the next thing
we'll know you'll be claiming the--"

Frederick shook her roughly.

"I said to stop it," he gritted. "Come away this minute."

Madelene, crying now, was struggling to pull herself from Frederick's
grasp.

"I want to talk to that woman before I go," she screamed in desperation.
"Let me go, Fred! I _will_ speak to her