n a life-time."

Still, Bernardine looked troubled. How could she leave the city which
held the one that was dearer than all in the world to her? Ah, how could
she, and live?

"Let me show you the paper containing her advertisement," added the
matron. "I brought it with me."

As she spoke, she produced a copy of a paper several weeks old, a
paragraph of which was marked, and handed it to Bernadine.

"You can read it over and decide. Let me know when I come to you an hour
later. I should advise you to try the place."

Left to herself, Bernardine turned to the column indicated, and slowly
perused the advertisement. It read as follows:

"WANTED--A quiet, modest young lady as companion to an
elderly woman living in a grand, gloomy old house in
the suburbs of a New England village. Must come well
recommended. Address MRS. GARDINER, Lee, Mass."

"Gardiner!"

The name fairly took Bernardine's breath away, for it was the name
bestowed upon her by the young man who had wedded and deserted her
within an hour.

The very sight of it made her heart grow sick and faint. Still, it held
a strange fascination for her. She turned to look at it again--to study
it closely, to see how it appeared in print, when, to her amazement, she
caught the name "Jay Gardiner" in a column immediately adjoining it.

She glanced up at the head-lines, and as she did so, the very breath
seemed to leave her body.

It was a sketch of life at Newport by a special correspondent, telling
of the gayety that was going on among the people there, particularly at
the Ocean House. Nearly, half a column was given to extolling the beauty
of young Mrs. Gardiner, _nee_ Sally Pendleton, the bride of Doctor Jay
Gardiner, her diamonds, her magnificent costumes, and smart turn-outs.

The paper fell from Bernardine's hands. She did not faint, or cry out,
or utter any moan; she sat there quite still, like an image carved in
stone. Jay Gardiner was at Newport with his bride!

The words seemed to have scorched their way down to the very depths of
her soul and seared themselves there. Jay Gardiner was at Newport with
his bride!

What, then, in Heaven's name was _she_?

Poor Bernardine! It seemed to her in that moment that she was dying.

Had he played a practical joke upon her? Was the marriage which she had
believed in so fully no marriage at all?

She had no certificate.

It was scarcely an hour from the time the matron had left her unt