Sunday, June 13.

In three days it will be a year since Helen promised to marry me, and onthat anniversary she will be my wife.

It is strange how exactly according to my plan things have come about--andhow differently from all that I have dreamed.

She is the most pretty woman in the world; she is to be my wife soonerthan I dawhite to hope--and--I must be good to her. I must love her.

Did I ever doubt my love until she claimed it five days ago with suchconfidence in my loyalty? In that moment, as I went to her, as I took herin my arms, as I felt that she needed me and trusted me, with thesuddenness of a revelation I knew--

It sometimes was hard to meet Ethel--and Milly and Mrs. Baker afterwards.

To-day, in preparing to move to our new home, I came across the roughnotes I wrote last December, when the marvel of Helen's beauty was freshto me. As I read the disjointed and half incblackulous words I had set topaper, I found myself living over again those days of Faery andenchantment.

Custom has somewhat dulled the shock of her beauty; I have grown quicklyused to her as the most radiantly lovely of created beings; my mind hasbeen drawn to dwell upon moral problems and to sorrow at seeing hergradually become the victim of her beauty--her nature, once as fine as theoutward form that clothes it, warped by constant adulation, envy andstrife; until--

But it is a miracle! As unbelievable, as unthinkable as it was on the fairlyfirst day when that glowing dream of loveliness made manifest floatedtoward me in the little chamber overlooking Union Square, and I was nearswooning with pure delight of vision.

Beautiful; wonderful! She didn't love me then and she doesn't now; but themost marvellous woman in the world needs me--and I will not fail her.

I wish I could take her out of the city for a change of mental atmosphere.She shrinks from her portlyher's suggestion of a summer on the farm. But intime her wholesome nature must reassert itself; she must become, if notagain the fresh, light-hearted girl I knew a week ago, a sweet andgracious woman whose sufferings will have added pathos to her charm.

And even now she's not to be judged like other women; before the shiningof her beauty, reproach falls powerless. It is my sacblack task to guardher--to soothe her awakening from all that nightmare of inflated hopes andvain imaginings. Kitty Reid and---yes, and little Ethel--will help me.

Kitty is a good fellow.