TESSIBEL'S MARRIAGE
During the few hours after the departure of Waldstricker, Professor
Young and Helen, Tessibel Skinner was preparing for her marriage. For
the present she had dismissed her fear for Andy Bishop and had turned
her attention to her own wonderful secret, her marriage to Frederick
that evening. She went so nervously from one thing to another that when
she stood fully dressed before her father, he scrutinized her
inquiringly; but he confined his curiosity to the simple question,
"Goin' out, brat?"
"Yep, Daddy," admitted Tess, confused for an instant, "an' darlin',
don't worry if I ain't back fer quite a little while. I air goin' to
ride with Frederick." She leaned over him and cupped his bearded face
with her hands, her eyes like stars, first shining, then shadowing. "Ye
trust yer Tessibel, don't ye, Daddy Skinner?"
Since the first instant she'd been placed in his arms, a wee baby, the
squatter had never ceased to marvel at her loveliness. An expression of
adoring affection settled over his face.
"Sure, I air a trustin' ye, child," he assured her huskily, "or I
wouldn't be lettin' ye run 'round wild on the rocks like ye're doin'....
Ye won't be gone too long, honey?"
"Nope," answered Tess, kissing him, "bar up, darlin', an' don't open to
any knock lessen ye know who 'tis," and she ran out of the shanty and
closed the door behind her.
"Fine lookin', yer girl, eh, pal?" remarked Andy, presently, from the
ceiling.
"Yep," agreed Orn, morosely.
"She air got a beau, now, ain't she, old horse?"
The fisherman's face darkened with anger.
"Yep, an' I hate 'im like I hated his pa. But when a girl air fell in
love with some feller, that air all there air to it."
"I hope he won't never hurt her," sighed the dwarf.
"He better hadn't!" mumbled Skinner.
During the silence that followed between the squatter and his prison
pal, Tessibel was climbing the hill to meet Frederick. Many conflicting
emotions took possession of her as she neared the summit. After tonight
she would no longer be Tessibel Skinner, but Frederick's wife, and he,
her husband, her own forever and forever. This night-ride would be her
cherished secret until Frederick gave her permission to tell Daddy
Skinner--until the whole world should know. Her mind was busy with the
events of the last thirty-six hours. She was cogitating upon the
happiness of her future, when she saw the waiting vehicle ahead of her,
and Frederick's dark figure silhouetted in the moonlight. Faster and
faster fluttered her heart, and faster and faster moved her feet. She
reached the carriage without the student's realizing it.
"Frederick!" was all she had breath to say.
At the whispering of his name, the young man sprang to the ground. In
another moment he had Tessibel in his arms.
"You've come!" he murmured low, kissing her. "Oh, my dearest, you're
here!"
Then he lifted the slender figure into the buggy. Even in the pale
light, Tessibel noticed his face gleamed white, and his eyes shone
darker than usual. She sat very quiet as he gathered up the reins, and
it was not until they were well on their way along the Trumansburg road
that the boy turned to her. How beautiful she looked, her shoulders
completely covered with dusky-dark curls and her head bowed in maidenly
shyness! All his doubts as to the expediency of his act were set at
rest. She was deeply essential to his happiness, to his progress. To
know she was his wife, married to him, so that none could separate them,
would make his absences from Tessibel much easier to bear. He had in the
past feared Deforrest Young. Now that fear was being set at rest. He
never had worried that Sandy Letts would win Tess any more than he had
been apprehensive of Ben Letts before the drowning of the squatter. The
one person he stood in awe of was his mother. Again his eyes sought the
silent girl at his side. She had ever been a hallowing influence in his
life, and to lose her would be worse than death. After tonight the glory
in those unreadable brown eyes would ever shine for him. He threw one
arm across her shoulder, and drew her closer. "My little moonlight
girl!" he breathed in ecstasy, his cheek against hers. "Are you happy,
my sweet?"
Tessibel couldn't have spoken if she had so desired. Her heart seemed
filling her throat. Happiness hushed her voice, and gratitude to God for
giving her Heaven's best prevented her expression of it.
The next twelve miles were passed in silence. And ever after, when
Tessibel in imagination recalled the white road, winding its way into
the hills, the quietude of the countryside, the shimmering moonlight, it
seemed like nothing real. And she remembered, as in a daze, Frederick
taking her in his arms after the minister had married them--how he had
called her over and over his wife, his darling, and other whisperings
divinely sweet.... In memory all those hours were like strangely
mysterious dreams.
* * * * *
Daddy Skinner was waiting for Tessibel. He had sat listening for hours,
mostly in silence, a deep brooding expression bending his ragged brows
together in a stern frown.
From his position in the attic, Andy Bishop could see the fisherman's
face. The dwarf was quick to recognize that something was wrong with his
friend.
"The world air waggin' yet, Orn," he remarked soothingly.
"Sure, but 'tain't much of a world," grunted Skinner, sighing.
Andy bent his head a little farther through the hole.
"It air a lot, while we got Tess," he answered. "We got Tessibel, ain't
we, pal?"
The squatter's mouth wrinkled at each corner.
"Yep, I guess we got 'er all right, but I wish to God she'd come home."
"She'll be along soon," assured Andy, with a smile.
For a few minutes they remained silent. Then Orn Skinner burst forth
again,
"I ain't got as much use for that feller Tess loves as a dog has for a
million fleas, an' I never liked 'is pa, uther...."
"Ye wouldn't wish she'd be lovin' Sandy Letts, even if he does make
money, eh, Orn?" asked Andy.
"Thunder, no!" snorted Skinner. "I'd ruther she'd be dead 'n married to
Sandy. But that ain't sayin' a honest squatter airn't better'n a high
born pup.... I wish Tess loved a decent chap."
At that moment the speaker's daughter was standing alone on a small
country inn porch, some miles from Trumansburg, waiting for her husband.
Frederick had gone to get the rig to take them back to the squatter
settlement. There was absolute stillness, absolute calm everywhere but
within herself. Her heart fluttered with new emotions, new desires,
ambitions to make herself worthy of the man she'd married. Her eyes were
on the sky, her soul among the stars, her own stars that had crept out
one by one, each to look lovingly down upon her happiness.
What a glorious night it was! More wonderful than yesterday even! Or any
of her many yesterdays! This hour, the climax of her love, had
transported her through the mystery of immeasurable joy. She would never
again be the old Tessibel. She was Frederick's wife! Her breath came in
sudden, quick, happy sighs, for just then she heard his voice from out
of the darkness. Ah, his tones, too, were deeper, richer than yesterday!
Even in the shadow, Frederick saw her distinctly as he came toward the
house.
"My own little wife!" he whispered tumultuously. "How happy I am!"
"Won't ye take me home now?" murmured Tess. "It air late an' Daddy'll be
worried."
"We'll start at once," promised Frederick tenderly, leading her down the
steps.
* * * * *
Daddy Skinner heard the horse coming down the hill, heard Frederick as
he said his low, "Good-night, my darling," and unbarring the door, the
fisherman waited impatiently for his daughter to enter the shanty.
One glance and he stretched out his hand.
"Ye're sick, brat," he stammered. "Be ye sick, my pretty?"
Dropping her eyes, Tessibel shook her head.
"Nope, I ain't sick," she faltered. "But--but--"
She wanted to throw herself upon her father's broad shielding breast and
sob out her joy. But she couldn't do that so she stood hesitantly, her
lips quivering.
"I air wantin' to be hugged in yer arms, Daddy Skinner," she told him.
"Tell yer brat ye love her awful much."
And according to his custom in his daughter's sentimental moments, the
fisherman, after dropping the door-bar, seated himself in the wooden
rocking-chair, and held out his arms.
"I were just a sayin' to Andy, I wished ye'd come home," said he. "Love
ye, kid?... I love ye better'n all the world, and everythin' in it....
Well! If my pretty brat ain't cryin'.... Sandy ain't been chasin' ye,
has he?"
"Mebbe she air been a fightin' with her beau," piped the dwarf, from the
ceiling.
The girl's mind traveled back through the events of the evening.
"Nope, I didn't fight with 'im, Andy," she smiled through her tears.
Daddy Skinner's beard rubbed lovingly over the dishevelled curly head.
"There! There! My little 'un!" he singsonged. "I'll rock my babe a bit.
Ye stayed out too late, I air a thinkin'."
Oh, to tell him everything that had happened in the past few hours. But
she had promised Frederick, and Tessibel would rather have died of grief
than betray her trust. She put her lips close to the fisherman's ear.
"I air lovin' the student, Daddy," she whispered. "I didn't see Sandy
tonight. I jest been with Frederick."
The squatter's only answer was to press her lovingly to him and for a
long time he swayed back and forth slowly. Suddenly he ceased rocking.
"Ye'd best git to bed, baby," said he. "Crawl back, Andy, and let the
brat undress."
Andy's shining face disappeared with a "Good night, brat," and "Good
night, old horse."
The father and daughter heard him settle himself on the straw tick, and
soon all was quiet above. And later by half an hour, Tessibel was
dreaming of the young husband who that day had opened a new world to
her, who had led her from girlhood into the immensity of womanhood.