gotten that night
when the 'reverend' opened my eyes to the knowledge that I am His
partner in working out my life. Dear Mr. Talmadge! I am ashamed
that I stopped writing to him, so long ago, yet I know that he is
still my friend, although we do not see each other. That is the
beauty of true friendship--it is a calm and constant star, always
in its place against the time when we want to lift our eyes to seek
its light. I know that it is the same with Donald.

"When I think of him to-night, and realize that he cannot
be near me in my little hour of triumph to-morrow, it is hard for me
to keep back the tears. Dear God, bless him and bring him
happiness--with Miss Treville.

"I cannot help feeling worried about Donald, for, although his
letter makes light of his illness, I have a troublesome
presentiment that he is worse than he will acknowledge. He is the
kind to spend every ounce of his wonderful vitality without thought
of self, and the two and a half years during which he has been
laboring so hard, and so effectively, must have drained even his
great strength. Slight, wiry people are like the willows that bend
easily, but return to normal quickly, after the stress of storm has
ended; but, when big ones--like Donald--break, it is like the fall
of a mighty oak.

"Still, this cloud, like all clouds, has its bright lining. _He is
coming home_, just as soon as he is able to make the trip, so,
although I shall miss him dreadfully to-morrow, it will not be many
weeks before I shall see him again.

"But this is not all that is troubling me, diary, and if I were not
quite sure that no one but I would ever look inside your covers, I
would not confide it even to you.

"I have a present, a wonderful present,--and I do not think that I
ought to keep it. Help me make up my mind. When P. gave it to me
this afternoon, he said that it was just a little remembrance for
my graduation and that he hoped I would accept it as the gift of a
semiofficial guardian, just as I would if Donald himself were
giving it to me. I did take it in that spirit; but, when I found a
moment to steal away and open the wrapper, and beheld a beautiful
morocco case containing a _gold watch_ with my initials engraved on
the case, my heart almost stopped beating. This was his 'little
remembrance.' Of course it is something that I shall need in my
work, for it has a second hand, but he must have guessed that I
would be troubled by such an expensive gift, for