irl's brow. She hated Ezra Longman with an inward fury for what he had
said that day.

"Ye might have a come-be-chance, yerself, Tessibel," warned Mrs. Longman
as she went to bed, clambering up the long ladder to the loft, leaving
the girls alone.

CHAPTER IV

Outside the Longman hut the wind had quickened its pace up the dark
lake, but inside there was no sound save the small snore of the infant.

"Don't hurt you and me bein' friends, does it, Myry," broke in Tessibel
impetuously, "'cause I can't love Ezry?"

"Nope, I wouldn't love him nuther. Ma don't know all that's to know and
I wouldn't a married the brat's pa if I could," and she shivered, for
she knew that she had lied to Tess.

This was the first time Myra had mentioned her trouble, that is, in just
that confidential manner. Tessibel came closer. Had it not been a
mystery since the coming of the brat, who had been responsible for his
tiny life?

"It air some un what ye knows, too, Tessibel," Myra said, shifting her
eyes from her companion's face to the box where the infant lay, but Tess
did not ask the name. Suddenly Myra leaned over and whispered something
in the other girl's ear, and Tessibel started as if she had been stung
by an adder.

"Nope ... it ain't him," she cried, starting up, "he air bad but not so
bad as that."

"It were him," replied Myra, "and he beat me that night on the ragged
rocks and that air what broke my arm. Ye remember?"

Tessibel nodded. She had heard a secret that not even Myra's mother
knew--she felt intuitively that Myra intended her to keep silent. She
did not dare to speak again, fearing the woman above was not asleep. But
Myra, with less fear, resumed,

"'Taint no hopin' the brat will live, and if he does he'll get his
eatin's alright. What brats don't? But, Tessibel, I telled ye this to
keep ye away from the ragged rocks for there air no tellin' what will
happen to ye. And yer that pretty--"

Tessibel stared blankly.

"Pretty! pretty!" she gasped, stumbling over the words, "ye say pretty.
Me--pretty, Myra Longman?"

"As if ye didn't know it," scoffed Myra, "but yer face air allers so dum
dirty that ye can't see nothin' but yer eyes, and yer matty old hair--it
air a shame to live like ye do."

Tessibel sat up. This was her first ambitious moment. Never had lips
said such things to her, and she had always known Myra Longman. Rising
from the chair she disappeared into the outer room, and Myra could hear