early in March," his
brother-in-law announced.

Early in March, and this was but December! He had that much grace then.
He could do something for Tess if the family relaxed its vigilance upon
him a little.

"And there's something else," proceeded Waldstricker. "It's--it's this!"

Then he deliberately made a statement that brought a red fire into
Frederick's eyes. He staggered to his feet.

"You wouldn't, you couldn't do that, Ebenezer," he groaned.

"Oh, ho!... That gets you on the raw, does it, young man?" sneered the
elder, one lip-corner rising to an unusual height. "So you do care that
much, eh?... A while ago you made the statement she was nothing to you."

"I want to be human," Frederick managed to get out.

"Human, eh? No, that's not it! What you want is a few other women on
your staff besides your wife. But you won't as long as you're married to
my sister, and I'm running things. I'll see that none of the members of
my family disobey my law or God's law either."

The big man got to his feet, slipped his hands into his pocket, and
stared at his white-faced, young brother-in-law.

"How does my little scheme suit you?" he demanded grimly.

"I think it perfectly devilish, by God, I do," cried Frederick.

"Oh, you do, eh? So you swear with your other faults?... Does my sister
approve of that?"

"I've never asked her," snapped Frederick, "and if you're through with
me, I'd like to go."

"Have a little talk with Madelene before you go to bed--and, oh, Fred--"
he called after the young man hurrying up the stairs.

Frederick paused, his hand on the banister.

"By the way, I shall want your assistance in the little matter I spoke
of."

CHAPTER XXV

THE SUMMONS

Jake Brewer paused in the lane opposite Skinner's home. The shanty was
almost snowed in. A thin curl of smoke trailed up from the chimney and
drifted among the leafless branches of the willow trees.

Brewer dropped a pair of dead rabbits to the deep snow at his side, and
shifted the gun he held in his right hand to his left. Then, he fumbled
in his overcoat pockets. Discovering what he wanted, he picked up the
rabbits and walked through the path to the hut.

Tess took down the bar at his rap.

"Lot o' snow, Tessie," smiled Brewer. "Here, I brought ye some letters."

Tessibel took the two letters the fisherman handed her.

"They got yer name writ on 'em, brat," said he, knocking the snow from
his boots against the clap boards. "