ut their men the squatter
women also would disappear from the shores.

He rose with a sense of coming evil stealing over him for the man seated
opposite was a tower of strength and his own position in the town had
been weakened in the late church conflict. The reins of affairs were
being swept from his hands. He could not speak out more emphatically
than he had against Skinner. On all sides, friends were rising
mushroom-like to rescue the fisherman from the hangman's noose.

If he himself could gain a few strong friends he would be able to sweep
the squatter from the face of the earth.

As he walked toward the Rectory after leaving Professor Young he set his
teeth hard, these thoughts rushing through his mind, and inflaming his
desire to rule in Ithaca as he always had. Even his anxiety about
Frederick was obscured by the multitudinous plans that one after another
were born in his brain. He closed the library door of the Rectory with
an annoyed air and dropped into an arm-chair to think.

* * * * *

Professor Young sat long after the departure of Dominie Graves, looking
at the bundle of papers in his hand. He had not dared to venture to the
Skinner hut, although his heart called constantly for the red-haired
girl who was holding the shanty home against her enemies. He knew that
Tess was living as best she could, existing on the meager fare allotted
to her kind. Young had seen Tessibel but once since her father had been
taken to Auburn Prison and his face flushed as he thought that in a few
days he would be able to tell her that her "Daddy" had received a stay
upon his execution, that he honestly believed the shadowing rope would
never seek the beloved head again.

It was only of late that Deforest Young would allow himself to admit
that Tessibel Skinner had a stronger hold upon him than he ever thought
possible for any woman to obtain, much less a child of such a race. He
knew now that his life's interest lay in making a woman of her, a woman
such as only Tess could make, with her deep primeval nature and splendid
soul. If the girl could but return his love in part, it would place him
in a position to help and educate her, but his great growing love gave
birth to a fear that he might not be able to awaken in the squatter girl
a soul affection for himself. Nevertheless he would spare nothing to
elevate her. He expected a hard task to prove Skinner not guilty, and
every hour he hoped t