“It was certainly not for money he made her his bride,” he ruminated, “for of the two, I should say that he had the wealth and she only her sweet youth, beauty and innocence.”
Mr. Moore uttered no word until they were almost in sight of the farmhouse again, much to Jess’ great wonderment.
At last he turned to her, and said, abruptly:
“Fate has had her way, her plans have been carried out to the letter, and you are now my wife, little Jess.”
“Your wife!” murmured the young girl, shyly. “I—I almost imagine it a dream, it seems so—so unreal.”
“Why does it seem so?” he asked, abruptly, not caring so much for her answer as for the fact that it would give him a few moments more while she was talking to nerve himself for the ordeal of talking the future over with her, and incidentally, of course, revealing his identity.
“Because all of the brides that I have ever heard of or read of went to the church to be married, and wore long, trailing dresses of white and bridal veils, and carried in their hands great bouquets of roses; and when it was over there were ever and ever so many carriages around the church door to take the bridal couple and all of the friends who had assembled to witness the ceremony to some place where a grand feast was in waiting, and then there was dancing and making merry.”
“Poor child! What a contrast your own hasty marriage has been; but always remember, come what will, that I took this step for the best, for your welfare and happiness only. Promise me that you will always keep that thought before you when you look back at this day and hour,” he said, huskily.
She promised, without having the least notion of what his words implied, but through it all she felt a vague feeling of disappointment, she could feel the tears rising to her eyes. Not that she was not as desperately in love as ever with the handsome man whom she had just wedded; just what it was that was weighing so heavily upon her young heart she could not have explained.
While he was thinking how he should best break the truth to her that he was John Dinsmore, the words were stayed on his lips by Jess remarking: