r eyes, and her
cheeks flushed.

"I air a lovin' him, 'Satisfied,'" she murmured.

Longman made a nervous movement with one hand and shook his head.

"Tess, I been goin' to tell ye somethin' fer a long time," he stammered,
almost inaudibly. "Ye won't git miffed with a old friend, will ye?"

"Sure not, 'Satisfied'," asserted Tess, gently.

"It air 'bout Student Graves," explained Longman.

A glint of gold flashed from under her lowered lids and a slow, deep
scarlet ran in waves upward from her chin.

"What 'bout the student?" she demanded, dropping again to the bench and
placing the basket at her feet.

The squatter looked down. It was hard to say what he must with the young
face so confidently questioning.

"He air a goin' round with a nuther girl," he barked presently. "I been
hearin' an' so air ma--"

Tessibel rose, startled, and once more took up the basket. Some
gossiping tongue had been reviling her dear one.

"It air a big lie, 'Satisfied'," she uttered breathlessly. "I don't want
to hear nothin' against 'im uther. What tongue told ye that only wanted
to make ye feel sad fer me." She paused, then turned, but whirled back.
"When ye love a person an' love 'im hard, lies told about 'im don't set
well. Ye know they don't, Daddy Longman."

"Sure, I know it," replied the squatter, in quick-spoken sympathy. "Only
ma and me thought as how ye ought to know the things we heard."

Tess was standing rigid, gazing stormily defiant into the weather-beaten
old face. Wasn't she going to be married to the student that night! And
how many, many times Frederick had told her he loved but her; that no
other woman could ever take her place!

"I ain't goin' to believe it, if the hull hellish world tells me so,"
she flashed forth tempestuously. "Now I air goin' to give the bread to
Mammy Longman, 'Satisfied'."

Longman stayed her with a word.

"Ye ain't mad at me, brat, be ye?"

Tess stretched forth impetuous fingers.

"Nope, only I love the student, that air all! An', 'Satisfied,' I air a
cussed brat to be swearin' when Frederick says as how it air wicked. I
keep forgettin' when I git mad."

The squatter sighed, making a quick shake of his head and several weird
clicks with his tongue. Moodily he watched the bounding youthful figure
until it disappeared through the shanty doorway. Fully ten minutes
passed before Tess reappeared.

"Ma were satisfied with the bread, eh, brat?" asked Longman, in a
cuddling tone. "