in, took a place by her side. In a few moments they were
at their destination.

The old nurse was always expecting a summons to go to some patient; but
she was quite dumbfounded to see who her caller was at that strange
hour, and to see that he held an unconscious young girl in his arms.

Jay Gardiner explained the situation to the old nurse.

"I will not come again for a fortnight, nurse," he said, unsteadily, on
leaving. "That will be best under the circumstances. She may be ill, but
not in danger. I will send her father to her in the meantime."

"What an honorable man Jay Gardiner is!" thought the nurse, admiringly.
"Not every man could have the strength of mind to keep away from the
girl he loved, even if he was bound to another."

Doctor Gardiner dared not take even another glance at Bernardine, his
heart was throbbing so madly, but turned and hurried from the house, and
re-entering the cab, drove rapidly away.

He had planned to go directly to David Moore; but on second thought he
concluded to wait until morning.

It would be a salutary lesson to the old basket-maker to miss
Bernardine, and realize how much he depended upon the young girl for his
happiness.

This was a fatal resolve for him to reach, as will be plainly seen.

As soon as he had finished his breakfast, he hurried to the Canal Street
tenement house.

There was no commotion outside; evidently the neighbors had not heard of
Bernardine's disappearance, and he doubted whether or not her father
knew of it yet.

Jay Gardiner had barely stepped from the pavement into the dark and
narrow hall-way ere he found himself face to face with Jasper Wilde.

The doctor would have passed him by with a haughty nod, but with one
leap Wilde was at his side, his strong hands closing around his throat,
while he cried out, in a voice fairly convulsed with passion:

"Aha! You have walked right into my net, and at the right moment. Where
is Bernardine? She fled from me last night, and went directly to your
arms, of course. Tell me where she is, that I may go to her and wreak my
vengeance upon her! Answer me quickly, or I will kill you!"

Jay Gardiner was surprised for an instant; but it was only for an
instant. In the next, he had recovered himself.

"You cur, to take a man at a disadvantage like that!" he cried; adding,
as he swung out his muscular right arm: "But as you have brought this
upon yourself, I will give you enough of it!"

Two or three ringing