of relief, Tess subsided in her chair, and she was
not sorry when the signal was given for the company to leave the table.

CHAPTER X

A VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCES

Frederick Graves had just left Tess at the shanty door. He had found it
difficult to explain away his conduct on the evening of the musicale at
Waldstricker's.

"It were awful," sobbed Tess, after Frederick had mollified her anger
somewhat. "I wanted to die! Ye looked like some big man I didn't know 't
all."

"Silly baby," laughed the student. "There were so many people there who
know my mother--" He paused and kissed the upraised, tearful face
passionately. "I didn't think you'd care. I supposed of course you'd
understand. I'm awfully sorry you didn't. You'll forgive me, darling,
won't you?"

Tess snuggled nearer him. She wanted to forget how unhappy she'd been.

"Sure, I don't care now,--such a awful lot," she sighed.

Later in the evening, when he came into the hall of his home in Ithaca,
he was greeted by his young sister, Babe.

"Fred," she called softly, "come on up, mother wants you."

For some minutes after taking off his hat, he remained in the lower hall
considering just what to say to his mother. Shaking his head dismally,
he mounted the stairs and went reluctantly to the front room. He hated
scenes with his mother. He hated everything about the house, hated even
the thought of going back to school. He wanted to take Tess away from
the lake--make a home for her--to be with her always. How dear she had
grown day by day since he'd married her! His very being fired at the
memory of her clinging sweetness.

When he opened his mother's bedroom door and walked self-consciously
forward to turn up the light, a fretful voice from the bed halted him.

"Fred, if you're going to make the room bright, please bring the screen
forward."

He dropped his hand from the gas jet.

"It doesn't matter," said he, sulkily, and he moved to the foot of the
bed. "Let it stay as it is.... Babe said you wanted me."

Mrs. Graves settled her glasses on the bridge of her nose and looked at
him.

"Yes! I did tell her to send you in. What's the matter? Anything?"

"No." The answer was brutal in its curtness.

"You've been with that Skinner girl again." The woman sat up in bed and
exclaimed angrily. "I can tell by the way you act."

A sudden fury took possession of the student.

"Of course, I haven't been to Skinner's," he contradicted roughly.
"Didn