During Professor Young's instant of hesitation on the threshold, the wind gusted sheets of snow into the Skinner shanty. Quieting the dog by a low-spoken word, Deforrest stepped in and closed the door against the storm. The acrid smoke drawn from the stove by the back-draft, filled the room,--a choking cloud.
Andy stared at the intruder for an instant, and then turned again to the girl lying unconscious upon the body of her father.
Young's vision comprehended the whole tragedy. He pulled off his cap and gloves and shook the snow from his shoulders. Advanced to the bedside, a glance satisfied him that the squatter was dead and that Tess had fainted. He had recognized the dwarf the minute he saw him, and heartsick with apprehension, he wondered what he was doing there.
"Get up," said he. "Let me look at her."
The dwarf moved aside hesitatingly.
"Air she dead, too?" he whimpered.
"Bring me some water," commanded Young.
Andy went to the pail, dipped a portion of water into a small basin, and waddled back with it.
"Her daddy air dead," he offered. "Ye can see he air dead."
"Yes!" nodded Young, taking the dish.
He did not speak again until Tess groaned, and opened her eyes. She made a half struggle to sit up, and Young lifted her to her feet.
"Lean on me," he said gently.
Tess stared at him, incredulously. He had come after all! Relief crumpled her up in his arms.
"Daddy air dead," she whispered.
"Yes, dear," soothed Young. "There, lean your head on my shoulder, poor little broken baby."
His tones were so tender, so soft! They went to the heart of the stricken dwarf, and like a hurt child he burst into tears. Professor Young turned and looked at him.
"Don't do that," he said huskily. "Sit down--don't cry!"
Without moving from her position, Tess said, "Andy, Andy, dear, git on up in the garret a few minutes, will ye?"
The dwarf crept to the ladder, and Deforrest let him go. A dozen questions leapt to the lawyer's lips at the same time, but the girl against his breast looked so desperately ill he had no heart to ply them. Tess lifted her lids heavily.
"Ye won't tell nobody he air here?" she gulped.
"How long has he been here?" asked Young, instead of answering her question.
"Ever since spring," sighed Tessibel.
"Was he here that day when Mr. Waldstricker and my sister--"
"Yep." The girl's whisper was very low.
"And when Burnett came too, I suppose?"
"Yep, I hid 'im ... Daddy loved 'im, Daddy did."
She began to cry softly. Her confession had taken her mind back to the huge figure on the bed.