Tess of the Storm Country | Page 8

woman pettishly,
"we might all been better off. It ain't 'cause of the brat, air it, Tessibel?"
She shot a glance at the infant's box.
"Why 'cause of the brat," asked Tessibel sharply, "why 'cause of the
brat?"
"He air a come-be-chance, ye know--"
"That ain't no fault of his'n, air it," demanded Tessibel. "Nope, 'tain't
nothin' to do with the brat. I loves him, I does, come-be-chance or no. It
don't make no difference to me."
Myra pressed Tessibel's bare toe with hers in loving fellowship.

"Ye allers was a funny gal, Tessibel," ruminated Mrs. Longman. "Now
Ezy says that yer takin' a likin' to such things as toads, lizards and
snakes, shows as how ye needs some one to help ye. God'll make ye a
happy mother if ye'll keep yer nose low in the air, and not think too
much of yer betters."
Ezra, then, had told his mother of the student. A frown deepened on the
girl'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 the splashing of water and the shuffling of feet as Tessibel
stood first on one and then the other, washing her dirty face. She
mopped the long red hair in and out of the wash-basin, and Myra was
not prepared for the vision which Tessibel made in her new state of
cleanliness. The impetus of being good-looking by an effort of her own
had blackened the copper colored eyes. The long fringed lashes dripped
with pearls of water while the skin had reddened from the vigorous
rubbing, but it was very, very clean.
"I wants yer comb, Myry Longman," said Tessibel slowly shaking
herself like a big dog.

Myra hesitated.
"Ye got too much dirt in your hair yet," said she, "but if ye'll take care
of yer mop, I'll be givin' ye a comb to yourself."
Tess did not deny the accusation of her filth. She took the comb and
drew it through the wet locks. Myra was regarding her critically.
Tessibel--was beautiful. In the last year Ezra's sister had seen the
change coming. The complexion had whitened under the perpetual dirt
and the long eyes had gathered an expression of knowledge, while their
color