as Myra Longman had gone with Ben
Letts. To Tess it was but another answered prayer, showered from Heaven.
She felt no thrill of grief; she was only glad that the pale, sick
mother had had her wish.

She took the paper awkwardly, and scanned it with painful embarrassment.

"I can't read the writin'," she said, handing it back. "Will ye tell me
what it says?"

"Oh, I can't, I can't, Tessibel! I am so ashamed, so miserable!"

Tess silently handed the paper to Professor Young; then she slipped
forward and stood close to Frederick, rapidly considering his face with
forgiving eyes.

Young turned to the student.

"Shall I?"

An acquiescent nod gave him permission to lift the note and read:

"Dear Child:

My daughter is dead. Frederick will tell you. If you can forgive me
for all I have done against you and your father, will you come here
to us, and tell Mrs. Graves and myself of the past few weeks.
Frederick has told me that he loves you, and of your sacrifice for
Teola. I can only say at present that we thank you.

Yours in grief and gratitude,
Elias Graves.

P. S.--When your father comes back, I shall ask you to give
him the title of the ground upon which your house stands."

Professor Young read it slowly, word by word; each breath taken by the
four people could be plainly heard in the silence that followed.

Frederick broke it.

"Tess, will you come to our home, and tell Father and Mother
about--Teola?"

The name slipped into a whisper from his lips, and, leaning against the
hut door, he burst into boyish, bitter tears.

"Forgive me, please," he murmured; "but it was so awful! And what she
must have suffered!... And I didn't know--we none of us knew." He lifted
his face, swept them with a heartrending glance, and finished. "She died
in the church to-day with the baby."

"She air happy to be with the man what she loves, ain't she?" said Tess,
softly.

Frederick grasped her hands, her brilliant smile easing the pain that
like a knife stabbed his heart.

"You think she was happy to die, Tess?... Tell me all she said.... Did
she know she was going away?"

For an instant the rapid rush of questions daunted Tessibel. But she
sorted them out, commencing from the first one to answer them.

"Yep, she air happy," she said positively; "awful happy. She wanted to
go to her man i