for a moment, then his face brightened, as he said:

"I think I have hit upon a plan. I will write him, and say I have found
the name Bernardine on a slip of paper which he has marked, 'Patients
for prompt attention,' the balance of the name being torn from the slip,
and ask the address and full information as to who she is."

"A capital idea!" exclaimed Sally, excitedly. "I--I congratulate you
upon your shrewdness. If you find out this girl's address, you will
place me under everlasting obligations to you."

"If you will call at this hour two days from now, I shall have the
address," he said, slowly.

CHAPTER XXIV.

Much to the delight of Doctor Covert, the little beauty did call again,
at the very hour he had set. But his pleasure had one drawback to it,
she was heavily veiled. But, for all that, he knew how lovely was the
face that veil concealed, how bright the eyes, how charming the dimples,
how white the pearly teeth, how sweet the ripe red cheeks, so like
Cupid's bow.

He could not conceal his great joy at beholding her again. She noticed
his emotion at once. He would not have been so well pleased if he could
have seen how her red lip curled in scorn as she said to herself:

"Fools fall in love with a pretty face on sight; but it is another thing
to get a desirable man to fall in love. They are hard to win. I have
heard of this Doctor Covert before. True, he did go to college with Jay
Gardiner, and is his chum; but one is rich and the other poor."

"I hope you have been successful," murmured Sally, giving him her little
white hand to hold for an instant--an instant during which he was
intensely happy.

"Yes, my dear miss," he answered, quickly. "I am overjoyed to think I
can be of service to you--in a way, at least. I did not communicate with
Doctor Gardiner, for it occurred to me just after you left that I _had_
heard him mention the name; but I am sure there is a mistake somewhere.
This girl--Bernardine--whom I refer to, and whom Doctor Gardiner knows,
can not possibly be a friend of yours, miss, for she is only the
daughter of an humble basket-maker, and lives on the top floor of a
tenement house in one of the poorest parts of the city."

Sally Pendleton's amazement was so great she could hardly repress the
cry of amazement that arose to her lips.

She had never for an instant doubted that this beautiful Bernardine, who
had won the proud, unbending heart of haughty Jay Gardiner, was some
g