Jay Gardiner had taken fate in his own hands. He had married the girl he
loved, casting aside every barrier that lay between them, even to facing
the wrath, and, perhaps, the world's censure in deserting the girl to
whom he was betrothed, but whom he did not love.
He was deeply absorbed in thinking about this as the cab stopped at the
park entrance.
"Come, my darling!" exclaimed Jay, kissing fondly the beautiful face
upturned to him, "we will alight and talk over our plans for the
future."
She clung to him, as he with tender care, lifted her from the vehicle.
He was her husband, this grand, kingly, fair-haired man, at whom the
women passing looked so admiringly. She could hardly realize it, hardly
dare believe it, but for the fact that he was calling her his darling
bride with every other breath.
He found her a seat beneath a wide-spreading tree, where the greensward
was like velvet beneath their feet, and the air was redolent with the
scent of flowers that rioted in the sunshine hard by.
"Now, first of all, my precious Bernardine, we must turn our thoughts in
a practical direction long enough to select which hotel we are to go to;
and another quite as important matter, your wardrobe, you know."
Bernardine looked up at him gravely.
"This dress will do for the present," she declared. "The good, kind old
nurse dried and pressed it out so nicely for me that it looks almost as
good as new. And as for going to a hotel, I am sure it is too expensive.
We could go to a boarding-house where the charges would be moderate."
Jay Gardiner threw back his handsome head, and laughed so loud and so
heartily that Bernardine looked at him anxiously.
"Now that I come to think the matter over, I don't think I ever told
you much concerning my financial affairs," he said, smiling.
"No; but papa guessed about them," replied Bernardine.
"Tell me what he guessed?" queried Jay. "He thought I was poor?"
"Yes," replied Bernardine, frankly. "He said that all doctors had a very
hard time of it when they started in to build up a practice, and that
you must be having a very trying experience to make both ends meet."
"Was that why he did not want me for a son-in-law?"
"Yes, I think so," admitted Bernardine, blushing.
"Tell me this, my darling," he said, eagerly catching at the pretty
little hands lying folded in her lap; "why is it that _you_ have waived
all that, that you have married me, not knowing whether I had enough to
pay for a day's lodging?"
The most beautiful light that ever was seen flashed into the tender dark
eyes, a smile curved the red lips that set all the pretty dimples
dancing in the round, flushed cheeks.
"I married you because----" and then she hesitated shyly.
"Go on, Bernardine," he persisted; "you married me because----"
"Because I--I loved you," she whispered, her lovely face fairly covered
with blushes.
"Now, the first thing to do, sweetheart, is to call a cab, that you may
go to the nearest large dry-goods store and make such purchases as you
may need for immediate use. I can occupy the time better than standing
about looking at you. I will leave you at the store, and have the cabby
drive me around to the old nurse and explain what has occurred, and
tell her that you won't come back. Then I can attend to another little
matter or two, and return for you in an hour's time. And last, but not
least, take this pocket-book--I always carry two about me--and use
freely its contents. The purse, and what is in it, are yours, sweet!"
"Oh, I couldn't think of taking so much money!" declared Bernardine,
amazed at the bulky appearance of the pocket-book at the first glance.
Jay Gardiner laughed good-naturedly.
"You shall have everything your heart desires, my precious one," he
declared. "Don't worry about the price of anything you want; buy it, and
I shall be only too pleased, believe me."
There was no time to say anything further, for the store was reached,
and Jay had barely time to snatch a kiss from the beautiful lips ere he
handed her out.
"I will return in just an hour from now, Bernardine, with this cab," he
said. "If you are not then at the door, looking for me, I shall wait
here patiently until you do come out."
"How good you are to me!" murmured the girl, her dark eyes brimming over
with tears. "If papa could only know!"
"There, there now, my darling, it hurts me to see those eyes shed tears!
The past is past. Your father would be glad to know you have a protector
to love and care for you. Try to forget, as much as you can, the sad
calamity, for _my_ sake."
And with another pressure of the hands, he turned away and sprung into
the cab, watching the slender form from the window until it disappeared
in the door-way and was lost to sight.
"Love thrust honor and duty aside," he murmured. "I married sweet
Bernardine on the impulse of the moment, and I shall never regret it. I
will have a time with Sally Pendleton and her relatives; but the
interview will be a short one. She has other admirers, and she will soon
console herself. It was my money, instead of myself, that she wanted,
anyhow, so there is no damage done to her heart, thank goodness. I
will----"
The rest of the sentence was never finished. There was a frightful
crash, mingled with the terrific ringing of car-bells, a violent plunge
forward, and Jay Gardiner knew no more.
With a thoughtful face, Bernardine walked quickly into the great
dry-goods store.
She tried to do her husband's bidding---put all thoughts of it from her
for the time being--until she could weep over it calmly, instead of
giving way to the violent, pent-up anguish throbbing in her heart at
that moment.
She had not been accustomed to spending much money during her young
life. The very few dresses she had had done duty for several years, by
being newly made over, sponged, and pressed, and freshened by a ribbon
here, or a bit of lace there. So it did not take long to make the few
purchases she deemed necessary, and even then she felt alarmed in
finding that they footed up to nearly seven dollars, which appeared a
great sum to her.
Six o'clock now struck, and the clerks hustled away the goods en the
counters, and covered those on the shelves with surprising agility, much
to the annoyance of many belated customers who had come in too late "to
just look around and get samples."
To the surprise of the clerks, as they reached the sidewalk from a side
entrance of the building, they saw the beautiful young girl still
standing in front of the store with the parcel in her hand and a look of
bewilderment on her face.
"It is a little after six," murmured Bernardine, glancing up at a clock
in an adjacent store. "He has not yet returned, but he will be here
soon. I do not wonder that the driver of the cab he is in can make but
little headway, the crowds on the street and crossings are so great."
One cab after another whirled by, their occupants in many instances
looking back to catch another glimpse of that perfect face with its
wistful expression which had turned toward them so eagerly and then
turned away so disappointedly.
"A shop girl waiting for some fellow who is to come in a cab and take
her out to supper," remarked two dudes who were sauntering up Broadway.
Bernardine heard the remark, and flushed indignantly.
How she wished she dared tell them that she was waiting for her husband!
Yes, she was waiting--waiting, but he came not.