the one supreme passionate moment of Tessibel's life. The sound of
the whistling wind left her ears. The cold night blasts driving through
the window were as the faint breezes of a summer's evening. The
smoldering candle lifted its flame, blazing forth a glory that
surrounded the student with a golden halo. Tessibel had experienced her
first kiss. The nature in her demanded that she know the fullness of
it--the pitying fullness which would bring to her that which it brings
to all loving women dominated by the passion born within them. The blood
of her race, her uneducated primeval race, rose and clamored for its
own. In her untutored youth she could have crushed the lad in her wild
longing for such another kiss.

Pantingly she drew herself from Frederick. Why? Tess could never tell
why! Myra's love for Ben Letts rushed over her overwhelmingly.... The
"brat's" mother knew the sweetness of a kiss, and in it had forgotten
the blasting winter winds on the ragged rocks where Ben Letts had broken
her arm.

Frederick, ashy-pale, struggled for control; a consciousness of the
ignorance of the girl--and his own godly profession broke upon him; and
he sank upon the stool with a sob. His face in his hands filled
Tessibel's soul with remorse. Delicately, with the touch of a lady born,
she rested her hand upon the student's dark head. The small fingers,
used to the drudgery of a fisherwoman's life, lifted the damp hair from
the high forehead. Her woman's sense of the fitness of things rose
keenly to quiet the boy's grief over his indiscretion.

"It were good of ye to remember that Daddy were gone," she whispered.
"He gives me kisses on the bill."

All passion had left her tones. Of course, thought the student, she was
but a child--but a forlorn beautiful child born without--without what?
If he could have known--

The next moment he did know. With abandon, complete and absolute, the
hot blood coursing madly from her heart to her face, Tess threw herself
upon the shanty floor. Frederick Graves drew her quickly to her feet.

"Tess ... Tessibel ... Tess ... Stand up, Tess!"

The last word came out in a shout. He had her in his arms, and she was
clinging to him as ivy clings for life to an old church.

Tessibel made no effort to support herself. She was leaning limply
against him with closed eyes.

"It air good to forget--sometimes," she stammered, "I air a forgettin'
all but the--student."

As on that memorable day when "Dadd