“I do not wish it changed. Please take it. Even then I shall feel that I am deeply indebted to you,” she returned, with an earnestness such as she had not betrayed before during the interview. Again the dusky red rushed to the doctor’s temples. “If it is not convenient for you to hand me just the amount of my bill, you can send me a check for the sum later,” he said, coldly. She bit her lips with mortification, and then tears rushed into her eyes. “Oh, it is perfectly convenient. Excuse me; I did not intend to offend you, but I am truly grateful for the kind attention you have bestowed upon me, and I shall always entertain friendly memories of you.” Dr. Turner returned a courteous bow for the promise of “friendly memories,” but remarked, briefly: “I have but done my duty as a physician, madame.” An angry flush mounted to her brow as she counted five golden eagles from her purse and laid them in his hand. “I know,” she said, “that you think I am a heartless monster in woman’s form; but you would not, I am sure, if you could understand the strait that I am in.” Another bow was his only reply to this. He could not gainsay her statement regarding his estimate of her character, and he would not presume to inquire further into the mystery surrounding her. “I should be glad to retain your good opinion,” she resumed, with a slight, deprecating gesture, “for you have been a good friend to me in my necessity, but a stern fate compels me to forego that. I trust, however, that I shall see you again before I leave your city.” And she again extended her hand to him in farewell. “If you need me—if I can serve you in any way, command me,” Dr. Turner returned, politely, but with an emphasis which plainly indicated that he should not voluntarily seek her society. He bowed again, but barely touched the hand held out to him, and then went his way, wondering what mysterious circumstance, or combination of circumstances, could have forced this beautiful and gifted woman to abandon her child thus at the very beginning of its life. CHAPTER III. THE LITTLE STRANGER ADOPTED. The next morning there appeared an advertisement in the Boston _Transcript_, offering five hundred dollars to suitable parties who would adopt a female infant, and stating that applications were to be made by letter, addressed to the office of the paper. Of course a great many answers were received, for there were hosts of people who would agree to almost anything for five hundred dollars, while there were others who were really anxious to adopt the little baby girl that was to be so strangely thrown upon the world. One alone out of these many epistles pleased Mrs. Marston. It was written in a clear, elegant hand, signed “August and Alice Damon.”