CHAPTER XXXI.
HOW COULD HE LOSE HER THUS?
The days flew fast and to-morrow their eventful journey would be over—they would land at New York.
More than one heart was secretly sorry, grieving to lose sight of one sweet passenger—lovely Jessie Lyndon.
And what made the parting worse was that Jessie gave them no hope of meeting her again, in spite of their broad hints at renewing her acquaintance in New York.
She had said to one and all that she was going to relatives in the city, but not to any one, even Laurier, did she disclose their names.
In fact, Jessie was ill at ease over the thought of returning to her mother, because there she must meet again the proud beauty, Cora.
“I must be there through all the excitement of their wedding. How can I bear it?” she asked herself in frank dismay.
It seemed to her that she could not bear the pain of seeing him wedded to another. She would be sure to turn pale and tremble, and thus betray the secret of her sad heart—her unrequited love.
She wished that the wedding were over and done with, so that they might be gone away on their bridal tour before she entered the house.
The more she thought of it the more she felt that she could not bear the excitement of the wedding, and at length she resolved to seek out some of her former humble friends and remain with them until Laurier and his bride were gone on their wedding tour.