oung
helps me with my songs an' she's learnin' me to sew, too. Why, I git my
five dollars every Sunday jest as reg'lar as Sunday comes. I ain't never
knew how far a fiver could go afore. We won't be needin' nothin' this
winter, Daddy and me won't, dear."

She gave a delicious giggle to which Longman added a chuckle.

"That air good, brat," he replied. "There ain't nothin' like home
comfort in this world."

"An' ye see, 'Satisfied,' I ain't lettin' my Daddy fish much now, only
'nough fer us an' fer Professor Young an' Ma Moll.... Daddy ain't very
well."

"He air gettin' old," sighed Longman, taking up his pipe.

"No, he ain't," contradicted Tessibel, quickly. "He air got somethin'
the matter with 'is heart. Mr. Young had a doctor fer him, an' he says
he mustn't work. Now I got my singin' he don't have to.... Why,
'Satisfied,' I air savin' 'nough money to get a new bed an' a overcoat
for Daddy. A bran new overcoat, too! Nothin' second-hand, ye bet! He
ain't goin' to git no cold this winter, bless 'im!"

Longman allowed one of his thin arms to fall around the straight young
figure.

"That air nice, Tessie," he returned admiringly. "Ye be a pert brat, you
be!"

Tess paused a moment or two.

"'Satisfied,'" she hesitated, going back mentally to her former unspoken
query, "do ye know the Waldstrickers?"

Longman nodded.

"I knowed the old man who was murdered--young Eb's father. Made some
stir in town when he got shot!"

"Eb's been home quite a while now," observed Tess thoughtfully.

Longman's head and shoulders moved several times in affirmation.

"So ma read out'n the paper," he then said, "an' Bishop's lit out from
the coop, too, ain't he?... Funny how he done it!... Bigger men'n him
stay there all their days.... They'll find 'im, though, them prison
folks will, poor little duffer!"

Tess caught the sympathy in the squatter's voice.

"I air hopin' they don't," she sighed quickly.

An inquisitive, almost furtive expression shot into the fisherman's
face.

"When ye goin' to git married, Tess?" he hesitated.

Tessibel shook her red curls, flushing.

"Oh, I ain't knowin' jest the time yet," she parried. "Ye know,
'Satisfied,'--"

"Don't ye ever see much of the student nowadays, eh?" the squatter cut
in.

Because of its sudden palpitation, Tess laid her hand over her heart.
Oh, if she could only tell her old friend that that very night she'd
belong to Frederick forever! Passion leapt alive into he