y Roger lighted,
and he observed Jolly Roger standing at the stove--looking at her as she
did it--a worship in his face which changed the instant her eyes turned
toward him. In Peter's active little brain this gave birth to nothing
of definite understanding, except that in it all he sensed happiness,
for--somehow--there was always that feeling when they were with Jolly
Roger, no matter whether the sun was shining or the day was dark and
filled with gloom. Many times in his short life he had seen grief and
tears in Nada's face, and had seen her cringe and hide herself at the
vile cursing and witch-like voice of the man and woman back in the other
cabin. But there was nothing like that in Jolly Roger's company. He
had two eyes, and he was not always cursing, and he did not pull Nada's
hair--and Peter loved him from the bottom of his soul. And he knew that
his mistress loved him, for she had told him so, and there was always
a different look in her eyes when she was with Jolly Roger, and it was
only then that she laughed in that glad little way--as she was laughing
now.

Jolly Roger was seated at the table, and Nada stood behind him, her face
flushed joyously at the wonderful privilege of pouring his coffee. And
then she sat down, and Jolly Roger gave her the nicest of the partridge
breasts, and tried hard to keep his eyes calm and quiet as he looked at
the adorable sweetness of her across the table from him. To Nada there
was nothing of shame in what lay behind the happiness in the violet
radiance of her eyes. Jolly Roger had brought to her the only happiness
that had ever come into her life. Next to her God, which Jed Hawkins
and his witch-woman had not destroyed within her, she thought of this
stranger who for three months had been hiding in Indian Tom's cabin.
And, like Peter, she loved him. The innocence of it lay naked in her
eyes.

"Nada," said Jolly Roger. "You're seventeen--"

"Goin' on eighteen," she corrected quickly. "I was seventeen two weeks
ago!"

The quick, undefined little note of eagerness in her voice made his
heart thump. He nodded, and smiled.

"Yes, going on eighteen," he said. "And pretty soon some young fellow
will come along, and see you, and marry you--"

"O-o-o-h-h-h!"

It was a little, strange cry that came to her lips, and Jolly Roger saw
a quick throbbing in her bare throat, and her eyes were so wide-open
and startled as she looked at him that he felt, for a moment, as if the
resolut