usand dollars; then to pay to old Packard the seven thousand
you owe him; and for this amount of eight thousand to grab an outfit
that is worth twenty thousand if it's worth a nickel! That's his
generous offer, is it?"

"My dear----"

"Don't my dear me!" she snapped impatiently. "Just go on and get the
whole idiotic thing out of your system. What else?"

"That's all. As I have said already, as things are we are bound to
lose everything to Packard. Blenham steps up and offers us a
thousand----"

"I should think he would step up! Lively! Well, I can't stop you, can
I? You don't have to have my consent to make a laughing-stock out of
yourself? Have you signed up with Blenham already?"

Temple sought to assume an air of dignity which went poorly with his
ragged slippers and bleary eye.

"Blenham has his money in a safe in Red Creek. There will be papers to
be signed. We are going there now. I--I am sorry you take it this
way, Teresa."

Then she sprang to her feet, her two hands clenched, her eyes blazing.

"And I," she cried hotly, "am sorry. Oh, I am ashamed! that one of the
name of Temple should sink so low as to hobnob with a cur and a
scoundrel, a cheat, a liar, and all that Blenham is, and that you and I
and the whole country know he is! I'd rather see Old Hell-Fire Packard
break you and grind you under foot than see you stand there and drink
with that thing!"

And that there should be no mistake her finger shot out, pointing at
Blenham.

"Terry!" commanded her father, "be silent. You don't know what you are
saying!"

"Don't I, though! I--I----"

Blenham laughed as she broke off, laughed again as he stood watching
how she was breathing rapidly.

"Pretty puss," he said impudently, "you need them pink-an'-white nails
of your'n trimmed."

"Don't you dare say a word to me," she flung at him. "Not a word."

"Not a single little word, eh?" He tossed off his whiskey, dropped the
empty glass to the floor behind him, and came a quick stride toward
her, an ugly leer twisting at the corner of his mouth, his one eye
burning. "I've got your ol' man where I want him; he knows it an' I
an' you know it. An' when I like I can have you where I want you, too.
Understan'?"

He had taken another step toward her. The sudden thought leaped up in
her mind that he and her father had had many drinks together before her
arrival. She drew back slowly. Temple, seeing that for the moment all
attention h