She answered only by a little forward bend of her head.
"My idea is this: I'll open the house, and you, Tess, can come there with the baby. You can keep house in a little way for us all."
"Ye said Andy could live with—"
"Wait," interrupted the lawyer. "There're two nice rooms on the top floor. You can arrange them for Bishop and he will be as snug as a bug in a rug."
A sharp cry of joy broke from the young mother. She sat up straight. She threw back the tangled curls, and leaning forward grasped the hand the speaker thrust out to support her.
"Oh, what a good, good man!" she rejoiced. "An' me an' the baby'll love ye forever, me an' the baby will."
Tessibel didn't remember she'd made the same promise to another man when she'd begged him in vain to help her. She only knew that Deforrest Young was offering herself and her little child a home, and a safe refuge for Andy Bishop.
"It won't be all for you, you understand, child," said Deforrest. "Think! I'll have a home, too, and you can study and work."
"An' some day when I'm earnin' money, and Andy's free, we'll pay you all back," the girl interjected.
"Well, we won't worry about that now!... As soon as you're well enough, I'll move you all up to the house. Tomorrow I'll see that coal and things're sent down from town!"