"Nope."

"Oh, what a coward I am! Frederick has forbidden me to come here."

"That air 'cause he air a good bloke," snorted Tess. "But if he
knowed--"

"I can't get my breath when I think of telling him, Tess."

"He ain't to know never, then?" bounded from Tessibel's lips, the
passion in the tones lowering the voice almost to a whisper.

"No," replied the young mother; "I can't tell him."

The squatter just caught the next words, "But I am going to die, too,
Tess."

The conviction in the statement made Tess spring back.

"Ye ain't yet. Ye ain't goin' yet!"

"The doctor says I am very ill here." Teola placed her hand upon her
chest. "I've had three hemorrhages. People ill like I am never get well.
I don't want to--either," she ended brokenly.

She looked so forlorn, so thin and ill that Tess went awkwardly to her.

"I takes care of the brat if ye goes before him," said she.

"Thank you, dear," drifted from the depths of the child's box. "And
forgive me all the sorrow I have caused you."

"I has forgivin' ye," assured Tess, seating herself. "I were--sorry
about the student, though."

"I know, I know; and perhaps God won't forgive me, for I've been so
wicked! I make up my mind every night, when I can't sleep, that I will
tell; then in the daylight I am afraid."

Tess did not answer.

"I shall think every moment of the day about you two here. Oh, my
precious baby! If I could only take him with me! That mark will never
disappear," she concluded, rubbing the tiny red forehead with her
fingers. "If he only goes when I do! God couldn't be so cruel as to let
him live, with his face like that, and have neither father nor mother."

"Nope," replied Tess with decision. "He'll take the brat, too."

"Will he die soon, Tess?"

"Yep."

"Why do you think so? Why?"

"He air too thin to hold out much longer. He don't eat, nuther. He don't
do nothin' but smack all day long on them sugar rags, like a suckin'
calf. And there ain't no makin' him eat."

"But he doesn't cry much," argued Teola.

"That air 'cause he air so weak. Ma Moll were here with the hoss doctor,
and they says he air to croak dum quick."

Teola raised her head, startled.

"Oh, I didn't know you had had a doctor. I was going to speak about it
to-night." She dropped her eyes, reddened, and then added, "But the
horse doctor, Tessibel?"

"Squatters allers has the hoss doctor--they air cheaper."

"But he can't die!" Teola moaned. "Not now--not