"Yes," he repeated, "after I've married Nellie; tote you down to
San Angeles, and there take my name like a man, and give it to you.
Nobody'll ask after TERESA, sure--you bet your life. And if they do,
and he can't stop their jaw, just you call on the old man. It's mighty
queer, ain't it, Teresa, to think of your being my daughter-in-law?"

It seemed here as if he was about to lapse again into unconsciousness
over the purely ludicrous aspect of the subject, but he haply recovered
his seriousness. "He'll have as much money from me as he wants to go
into business with. What's his line of business, Teresa?" asked this
prospective father-in-law, in a large, liberal way.

"He is a botanist!" said Teresa, with a sudden childish animation that
seemed to keep up the grim humor of the paternal suggestion; "and oh,
he is too poor to buy books! I sent for one or two for him myself, the
other day--" she hesitated--"it was all the money I had, but it wasn't
enough for him to go on with his studies."

Dunn looked at her sparkling eyes and glowing cheeks, and became
thoughtful. "Curson must have been a d--d fool," he said finally.

Teresa remained silent. She was beginning to be impatient and uneasy,
fearing some mischance that might delay her dreaded, yet longed-for
meeting with Low. Yet she could not leave this sick and exhausted man,
HIS FATHER, now bound to her by more than mere humanity.

"Couldn't you manage," she said gently, "to lean on me a few
steps further, until I could bring you to a cooler spot and nearer
assistance?"