wn by his own desire,
the student turned and looked at her. First an expression of eagerness
leaped into his face; then one of sorrow settled upon it. He went on to
the cottage without even nodding his head. He would soon come down with
his father, mother and sister Babe, and Tess would see him no more.

She sank down upon the bed beside the sucking child, and did not hear
the hut door open softly.

"Tess, Tess! It's Teola, dear. What is the matter?"

The squatter choked back her tears, and sat up.

"There ain't nothin' the matter," she replied sulkily. "I can cry if I
wants to, can't I?"

"But, Tessibel, I have never seen you cry like that before, never! Is it
money? Here, dear; here is a dollar. Father gave it to me. It will buy
some milk, until I can send more. Oh, let me see my baby again. Darling
little man! Your mother does love you, even if she must leave you. Tess,
he looks worse than he did when I went home last night. You--you will
bring him to the church to-morrow?"

"Yep."

"And, Tess, I left a lot of white cloths on the pear-tree near the barn.
I could not bring them to you before, for Mother only sorted them out to
throw away this morning. Oh, the baby looks so thin and ill, Tess!"

Tears trickled down upon the infant. Teola pressed her lips again and
again to the thin mouth. The vivid mark was offering its crimson tinge
sharply against the dead blue of the rest of the baby face.

"And, Tess," burst forth Teola, "how gladly I would give you a dress for
yourself if I could, and a dress for him! You can't bring him like this
to the church. You don't mind coming as you are?"

"Nope," came the bitter interruption from the squatter. "I don't need no
clothes to have a brat sprinkled. I air a squatter, and squatters don't
give--a hell about nothin'."

Her looks belied the words. With the dignity of a queen, the fine young
head had settled back upon the broad shoulders sloping bare at the arms.
The sweet face gave the lie to the hardened speech uttered from the
grief she had just spent upon the bed.

"Don't speak like that, Tess! Don't! don't!" gasped Teola. "Some day,
after the babe and I are dead--"

Teola had come close to the fisher-girl, her pale face thrust
beseechingly forward. Tess hesitated; then flung out her arms and drew
the minister's daughter into them. Her eyes were filled with awe
indescribable.

"I's a mean brat to make ye say that," she faltered. "I brings the kid
to-morry to th