"Undoubtedly," declared the young physician. "I regret deeply that he is not here to give you the desired information." "Would you do me a favor if you could, sir?" asked Sally, with a glance from her eyes that brought every man she looked at in that way--save Jay Gardiner--to her dainty feet. The young physician blushed to the very roots of his fair hair. "You have only to name it, and if it is anything in my power, believe that I will do my utmost to accomplish it. I--I would do anything to--to please you." "I would like you to find out from Doctor Gardiner the address of Bernardine," said Sally, in a low, tremulous voice; "only do not let him know that any one is interested in finding it out save yourself. Do you think you can help me?" He pondered deeply for a moment, then his face brightened, as he said: "I think I have hit upon a plan. I will write him, and say I have found the name Bernardine on a slip of paper which he has marked, 'Patients for prompt attention,' the balance of the name being torn from the slip, and ask the address and full information as to who she is." "A capital idea!" exclaimed Sally, excitedly. "I--I congratulate you upon your shrewdness. If you find out this girl's address, you will place me under everlasting obligations to you." "If you will call at this hour two days from now, I shall have the address," he said, slowly. CHAPTER XXIV. Much to the delight of Doctor Covert, the little beauty did call again, at the very hour he had set. But his pleasure had one drawback to it, she was heavily veiled. But, for all that, he knew how lovely was the face that veil concealed, how bright the eyes, how charming the dimples, how white the pearly teeth, how sweet the ripe red cheeks, so like Cupid's bow. He could not conceal his great joy at beholding her again. She noticed his emotion at once. He would not have been so well pleased if he could have seen how her red lip curled in scorn as she said to herself: "Fools fall in love with a pretty face on sight; but it is another thing to get a desirable man to fall in love. They are hard to win. I have heard of this Doctor Covert before. True, he did go to college with Jay Gardiner, and is his chum; but one is rich and the other poor." "I hope you have been successful," murmured Sally, giving him her little white hand to hold for an instant--an instant during which he was intensely happy. "Yes, my dear miss," he answered, quickly. "I am overjoyed to think I can be of service to you--in a way, at least. I did not communicate with Doctor Gardiner, for it occurred to me just after you left that I _had_ heard him mention the name; but I am sure there is a mistake somewhere. This girl--Bernardine--whom I refer to, and whom Doctor Gardiner knows, can not possibly be a friend of yours, miss, for she is only the daughter of an humble basket-maker, and lives on the top floor of a tenement house in one of the poorest parts of the city."