" she said. "Ye be here too long."

"I can't. I must go home, Tessibel.... I could hardly get away as it
was. Oh, Tess, isn't he beautiful?... Don't you think the mark will soon
go away? What makes him open his mouth so much? Possibly the sugar rag
is too large."

"Nope, 'tain't that. He be tired, and that air what makes him gape like
that. Wait until he gets some bigness. He air little yet."

"I haven't asked you, Tess," and Teola turned troubled eyes upon the
squatter, "I haven't been able to ask you how you feed him. And where do
you get the milk?... Oh, if I only had some money! When mother is home,
I do get a little. But Rebecca won't give me a cent. Tessibel, where do
you get the milk?"

The babe was still clasped in her arms.

"I crib it from the cows at Kennedy's. They all has too much for their
calves, anyhow."

"You mean you steal it, Tess?" asked Teola fearfully. "Oh, Tessibel! Oh!
Oh, Tess, Tess, how good you are!"

"I ain't good," Tess retorted. "It ain't good to steal, air it? And
squatters ain't never good, they ain't. But the brat's got to eat, ain't
he? If I ain't got no milk, then I has to crib it. See?"

Bitter tears were falling upon the head of little Dan. They were the
mother's first tears since that day when Tess had led her up the hill to
the summer cottage.

"But Kennedy will shut his cows up soon," announced the squatter. "Then
I don't know what to do. The brat air too little to eat fish, he air."

Suddenly Teola conceived an idea.

"If I should put out a little milk behind the house, in a pail, could
you come after it, Tessibel?"

"Yep," replied Tess eagerly. "I could crib it from your yard, if ye'll
let me."

"Yes, yes; that's the way to do," replied Teola, with a faint smile. "If
I can't get the milk out, you go into the kitchen. Simply take all you
can get. Take all you want. My father and mother will be home soon.
They know by this time I am ill. My brother also gets back from camping
at the same time. You see how careful I shall have to be, Tessibel. And
in September, we go back to the city, for school always takes us home
then. If I could only have my own baby. My own precious baby!"

Tessibel grunted. Teola misunderstood her.

"Oh, I am grateful to you, dear! I think that you are the best girl in
all the world. So does my brother Frederick. He says--"

She stooped to cover the child, her voice ceasing.

The babe had been carefully tucked in.

"He's a been sayin' w