The Secret of the Storm Country

Meets Wal

ore, for every week she had caught and cleaned a mess of fish and carried them up the ravine to the woman's shanty. But today, Tess wanted to consult the seeress about Andy. S

l, she met Sandy Letts carrying

greeted her. "H

etched his mighty arms, and shrugged the stiffness out of his p

d contact with him, st

e days, Sandy," she answe

o young as he were once. Reckon he air not long fer this world. When yer Daddy

rd directly in front of her

blocked her way! "You shan't say such things about my daddy! I don't want any man but 'im." Noting his unshaven cheeks, loose hanging lips, the li

th, looked down at her. Her straight young figure, glowing face, and flaming eyes under the ruddy aureole of her hai

air a beauty!" he

p of the heavy hands aroused the evil passion

ong arms began to close around her body. His face was so close she had to force her hand in between his lips and her

e cried out sharply. "I'll tel

gging his face with her nails. As well might Sandy try to make love to a cornered wildcat. He threw her from

ll tame ye yet, ye

er ears. The narrow lake shone in the clear light of the dying day like a broad strip of silver set in the bos

xpected appearance, the blood fled from her face, leaving her quite pale and trembling. This was the man who was seeking Andy Bishop as at one time Dominie

singer, aren't you?" he

curled up as if smiling, while the other was rigidly drawn

rmured, dropp

going?" asked t

and run, anywhere to escape from the br

lives over there in the gully." She hesitated, pointing to Mo

first at the little h

he ejaculated, incredulously. "Why, girl, tha

gesting a new idea. "Anyway, Mother Moll always tells m

instant, noting involuntarily the abundance and beau

o with you

awe of the powerful man at her side, confused her. She couldn

plained. "Ma Moll hates stranger

rl's speech except that the

can't realize that God-fearing men and women have s

ared he'd follow her there. Here was a man of whom she was heartily afraid, and as she dar

n the ravine. It was quite close now. Tess knew the witch was at hom

icker eyeing her. She noted both

rposely to see you and

ed she took two su

imed, nervously. "He don't like stran

ugged his should

ust see him,"

this man. He had the same imperious be

nt to see Daddy fer?" H

a lot of money," the man explain

ore replying. This put a di

tomorrow?" she

hen. Tell your

t," mutte

of wild flowers and nipped clean

s, sharply, hur

retorted, "A flower hasn't a

lowers she cherished so tenderly left her dumb. That his statement was false, she knew. To her the flowers expressed

ble as she mounted th

e to her knock. Before pulling the latch str

go first, an' tell Mo

d saw the old woman swaying

ll," she said gently. "I wa

iled a withere

"Yer Moll's allers glad to see ye

ced into t

's come along with me," s

er watery eyes glared at the tall man in the doorway, and he as

it won't be nothin' very pleasant," she gr

ettle from the fire. It was steaming hot, and sh

icker. "I'll tell ye what's doin' in

, glanced darkly at Tessibel, but the girl's unresponsi

he said grimly. "The county

her eyes netted together, almost closing the flaming red lids. Through the narrow slits she was following the stea

day-" She stopped, sank back, then looked again into the steaming kettle. "I see a wee leetle man like this-" She raised the cane b

aldstricker, "and

rested her weight upon its crooked handle and for

n't as smart as ye think ye air.

hen proceeded. "He sets on yer head and lays on ye

teeth, now, in spite of himself, intensel

ir too late. I see-I see-" Lifting one hand, the b

" burst forth the

air stranglin' yer throat till ye can't speak, cu

Her hair, copper-colored in the light from the window at her side, framed in its shining curls a f

er sister-holdin' out her hands pleadin' to some other man-" Again the aged voice trailed into that chattering laugh. "An' I air seein' somethin' else." The old woman rubbed the palms of her horny hands together and pitched forward

s you, long curls like snakes str

flashing eyes, sudd

Tess, roughly. "That hateful ha

t yell left Mot

is, an' this, an' this." Tensely she locked together her bony fingers. "An' hair'll strangle

and dragged her out of the house. On the path he let her go and stood transfixed, as though the length and abundance of the red curls, fal

If there's any power in law or money, I'll root her

d her. Would he try and root Daddy Skinner and herself from their shanty? No, he couldn't! He couldn't! Neither would his long

ed and fled swift-footed away toward the lake. The man watched the flying figure bounding along toward the span of blue water. T

IS TEETH, IN SPITE OF HIMSELF, INTENSELY