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"Be there hu round humps standin' out as how the hills stand by the lake?"

The hag replied in a hoarse whisper: "There be no huhly did Tess believe in the witch's words that she sank back with a cry, upon her wet red feet

"It ain't daddy," she breathed slowly, hardly daring to utter the name

"There be no humps," repeated Ma Moll "There air a storm and a dead man, but his face ain't a showin' There air another dead one on the shore He ain't the saamekeeper," filled in Tess

The witch wobbled her head in assent, as Tessibel leaned over to follow the long finger defining the shadow

"There air a shanty," Mother Moll went on, "a child alone, and dead things layin' about and there air a--a--"

The two heads were now bent directly over the pot Tess caught her breath in a sob Was Daddy Skinner co higher and higher, over the heat of the fire, as the witch dug it upward from the bottom of the kettle

"A prison cell and a asped Tess

An acquiescent nod caers about the arin' on it?"

The witch looked deeper into the darkto narrow slits, and Tess continued: "A hangin' Christ that air hurt, and be there thorns a-diggin' in Hi pot stared the faded blue eyes of the hag, the dark wide-spread ones of the girl following every movement of Ma Moll's hand

"Aye, there air a cross for ye, brat, to carry on yer back--"

"Air there no Christ a bearin' one for Daddy?"

Suddenly the door burst open, and the raging wind flickered out the candle It had been so sudden that Tess screamed, and the witch h the small dirty room; the bats loosened their hold upon the wooden rafters and circled the darkness, first into the open, then into the rooirl broke into eeping

Ma Moll had failed to find the cross The wind forcing the door bespoke evil for Daddy Without the student's Christ how could she save him?