ed him
so stiffly, Bernardine so constrainedly.

Bernardine's manner was quite as sweet and kind, but she did not hold
out to him the little hand which it was heaven on earth to him to clasp
even for one brief instant.

Looking at her closely, he saw that her beautiful dark eyes were heavy
and swollen with weeping.

"Poor child! She is continually grieving over the drinking habit of her
father," he thought; and the bitterest anger rose up in his heart
against the old basket-maker for bringing a tear to those beautiful dark
eyes.

Again the longing came to him to beat down all barriers that parted her
from him, take Bernardine in his arms, and crying out how madly he loved
her, bear his beautiful love away as his idolized bride to his own
palatial home. But the thought of that other one, to whom he was in
honor and in duty bound, kept him silent.

He realized that for his own peace of mind and hers he must never see
Bernardine again; that this must be the last time.

"I am sorry your father has fallen asleep, yet I do not wish to waken
him, for I have come to say farewell to him and to you, Miss Moore," he
said, huskily.

He saw the lovely face grow as white as a snow-drop; he saw all the glad
light leave the great dark eyes; he saw the beautiful lips pale and the
little hands tremble, and the sight was almost more than he could
endure, for he read by these signs that which he had guessed
before--that the sweet, fond, tender heart of Bernardine had gone out
to him as his had gone out to her.

"Are you sorry, my poor girl?" he asked, brokenly.

"Yes," she answered, not attempting to stay her bitter tears, "I shall
miss you. Life will never be the same to me again."

He stopped before her, and caught her passionately to him.

"Dear Heaven, help me to say good-bye to you!" he cried; "for you must
realize the truth, Bernardine. I love you--oh, I love you with all the
strength of my heart and soul! Yet we must part!"

CHAPTER XV.

"I LOVE YOU! I CAN NOT KEEP THE SECRET ANY LONGER!"

For a moment Bernardine rested in his arms while Jay Gardiner cried over
and over again, reckless as to how it would end:

"Yes, I love you, Bernardine, with all my heart, with all my soul!"

But it was for a moment only; then the girl struggled out of the strong
arms that infolded her, with the expression of a startled fawn in her
dark, humid eyes.

"Oh, Doctor Gardiner, don't; please don't!" she gasped, shrinking fr