ye of Ben followed the blue one in its twisting search for
the minister's daughter. Teola Graves had lost her sparkling beauty; had
lost the vivid coloring and the shy expression of youth that had rested
in the dark eyes until the death of Dan Jordan. From her face Ben's one
eye turned to the beautiful squatter, and he settled back with a firmer
resolve that she should be his. Tess stood thinking rapidly. She made no
attempt to introduce the strange trio.

Then she allowed her fingers to come in contact with Teola's shoulder,
pressing into the girl's mind some message.

"Ye be a-goin' to see the sick woman to-day, ain't ye?"

Tess could scarcely utter the words. Would Teola understand what she
wanted to impress upon her? Her fingers sought the shoulder again.

"Yes," came the low answer.

"Might I ask ye to take her a bit of fish, what I promised her? I has
company now, and can't go. And I thought as how if you was a-goin', ye
might do it for me."

She stooped and raised the grape-basket in her hand, tendering it to
Teola. The white lips became paler--the young mother understood.

"It air a nice day, and the sun will do ye a heap of good," explained
Tess. "If I didn't have company, I wouldn't ask ye."

Ben Letts stared sharply. Ezra Longman stupidly shuffled his feet upon
the floor. Teola accepted the basket, and answered Tess with meaning:

"I'll take it for you, if you will wait until I return with the money.
The fish are to be paid for, aren't they?"

"Yep; come back when ye can. I allers need the money."

For some minutes Tessibel stood in the door, watching the tall figure of
the Dominie's daughter as she struggled through the brambles surrounding
the mud-cellar creek, until she was lost to view.

Tess took a long breath. Ben and Ezra must go before the babe returned.
She set herself to rid the shanty of the two men. Without speaking, she
took the Bible, and repeated slowly aloud some of the passages she knew
best. Both fishermen stared at her in admiration. To read and not spell
out almost every word was more than Ezra's own mother could do, and she
was the best-educated person in the settlement.

"'But I know ye that ye have not the love of God in ye,'" read Tess.

Ben Letts broke in upon the girl's voice:

"Tessie, will ye row on the lake after the goin' down of the sun? I'll
take my fiddle.... Ye like my fiddlin', don't ye, Tess?"

"Nope," she replied, her eyes still upon the book. "'I am come