hat do I want with cake? No, ma'am, I
don't want no cake nor nothin' but you, an' I air goin' to have ye,
too!"

He got up slowly, as if to make more effective his menacing words.

"If ye put on yer things like I says," he continued, "there won't be no
trouble, brat. But if ye don't--" he moved toward her, "ye'll wish ye
had."

To this Tessibel couldn't reply. Insistent, in her panting heart, was a
constant call for rescue. She looked steadily at Lysander and he glared
back at her.

"Tess," he threatened, "ye know me well 'nough not to come any monkey
shines on me. I says again, get yer hat, fer I'm goin' to take ye one
way or t'other."

"I told you I couldn't," she answered. "I'm not any longer a little
girl. I've got to work. I want to learn things and take care of my
baby."

She couldn't have said anything that would have fired the squatter's
rage any quicker. Her baby! What did he care about the brat?

"Ye don't have to work no more fer Young," he retorted. "I ain't goin'
to have my woman keepin' house fer no professor, an' ye can make up yer
mind to it 'out no further clack." In one bound, Sandy rounded the
table. "If ye won't do what I tell ye, then, I'll make ye wish ye had.
Ye throwed up at me once, ye brat, ye, I never had no kisses from ye!
After today ye won't be able to say that."

A strong hand shot out, guided by a powerful arm. Fingers clutched for
her, but Tess, eluding them, slipped to the window.

"Sandy!" she implored. "Sandy, don't touch me, don't! Wait!"

"I won't wait," snarled Letts. "I air waited years an' years, an' I
won't wait no longer."

At that moment there seemed no escape for the girl, who was holding out
her hands to keep off the brute facing her. The very quiet of the day,
the singing of the birds, and the shrill chirping of the crickets, only
added to her sense of isolation. She glanced hopelessly from the huge
squatter out into the summer air.

"Ye can't get no help," said Sandy. "Ye might's well give up!... God,
ye're all the sweeter fer havin' to fight like I been doin'!"

By a motion, extraordinarily quick for so big a man, he clutched her
bodily, and dragged her to him. She lowered her face against his chest
and buried it under her curls.

"I air goin' to kiss ye, my pretty wench," muttered Letts. "Gimme yer
lips, gimme--"

In the scuffle neither heard the step on the porch and neither saw the
tall form loom in the doorway. Sandy wrenched at the red hair, drawi