and you shall tell his mother and sister whether it be life or
death."

True to his promise, within the prescribed time the doctor called
Bernardine.

"It will be life," he said, joyously; "and in performing the operation,
I also found a small piece of bone resting against the brain, which was
the cause of the strange lapse of memory he complained to me about
several months ago. His brain is perfectly clear now. I heard from his
lips a startling story," continued the doctor, taking Bernardine aside.
"Come to him."

She refused, saying she was just about to leave the house; but the
doctor insisted, and at length, accompanied by Jay's mother and his
sister, she went to his bedside.

Jay's joy at beholding Bernardine was so great they almost feared for
his life. And then the truth came out: his marriage to Bernardine was
legal and binding before God and man, and that, directly after he had
left her on the day of the ceremony, he had met with an accident which
completely obliterated the event from his mind; even all remembrance of
Bernardine's existence.

"What, then, is poor Sally?" cried his mother, in horror. "She wedded
you, knowing nothing of all this!"

Before he could answer, they heard a great commotion in the corridor
below; and, forgetful of the sick man, Antoinette rushed in weeping
wildly, crying out that her young mistress had just been found dead in
the brook.

She died without knowing the truth, and they were all thankful for
that--not even her family or Miss Rogers ever knew the sad truth.

Two men fled from the vicinity that day--Victor Lamont and Jasper Wilde.

* * * * *

When Jay Gardiner was able to travel, he and his mother and sister and
Bernardine went abroad; but, out of respect to poor Sally's memory, it
was a year before they took their places in the great world as--what
they had been from the first--husband and wife.

In the sunshine of the happy years that followed, Bernardine never
reproached her husband for that blotted page in their history which he
would have given so much to efface.

Sally's father and mother and sister grieved many a long year over her
death.

Antoinette stole quietly away, and was seen no more. Old Mrs. Gardiner
and Miss Margaret are as happy as the day is long in the love of Jay's
sweet, grave young wife, while her husband fairly adores her, though two
others share his love as the sunny days flit by--a sturdy youngster whom