pring.

His burning kisses stung her lips, through which his words tumbled one
over the other.

"You can't!... You shan't die!... Tess, you shan't! I'm only going away
for a little while.... You're mine, Tess, do you hear?... You've got to
live and love me always! You're mine! Oh, my love! Don't cry like
that!..."

The crushing strength of his arms hurt her. Suddenly another picture
shot across her brain, like a searing rocket. She clung to his arm as if
she feared that minute would snatch him from her. Then suppliantly she
lifted not only her face, but also her hands.

"Oh, she won't be like I air been to ye--like--like--"

Frederick heard the anguish in the agonized, girlish voice.

"Not like--not like I air been to ye, darlin'. Oh, God, not that!" she
cried again.

She waited in panting suspense for a fierce denial. Then she struggled
frantically in his embrace. All that was alive within her--all the
super-vitalized part of her soul--seemed scorched by the picture his
significant silence had painted.

"Let me go!" she demanded.

Frederick tightened his arms about her.

"Not yet, not yet! Stay here, rest here, my sweet."

But again seeing that image of the small woman in her place, Tess
struggled and freed herself.

"I air goin' to Daddy now," she whispered. "An' you can go home too,
please."

But he caught her again to his breast.

"You belong to me!" he cried intensely. "I won't go!--I'm going to stay,
Tessibel! I will--I will stay!"

Tess wrenched herself free.

"Ye c'n come again," she promised. "Some other time afore--"

Frederick caught her broken sentence and finished it.

"Yes, yes, Tessibel," he exclaimed. "I'll come back soon, very soon!"

"Sure, soon," quivered Tess, swaying, "go on, please!"

She flung up her hands, crying low in suppressed agony, as Frederick
whirled from her and walked rapidly away. He had not taken ten steps
before he was moved to go back, to take her again in his arms, but
thinking over all that had happened, of how hard it had been to flounder
through his explanation, he shut his teeth and went on.

With super-hearing, Tess listened until the sound of his footsteps died
in the lane.

He had gone--Frederick--her husband! Gone to another woman! No, that
couldn't be! He was hers always and forever. She sank down on the
rocks--on the dear, ragged rocks, where she had watched for him and
prayed for him, where life had been at its highest and best.

She tried