The Children of Light

im Tristram. We made hay to-day, all of us. Remind Lucian to ask Cousin Pauline to send for an algebra for Cuthbert Sylvester. Perhaps Helen will let me lend her the money to go to college." Then there is a blistered space, and in a shaky hand I had written?" I cannot write the rest." And there is an old letter pinned to this page of the diary. It was during Helen's visit ? for Helen was the surprise that my Cousin Pauline brought me from New York. Nicholas, too, was in the valley, visiting his classmate Mr. Lawrence, the young teacher in the white house;?and finally, there was the marchese, who had stopped over in our little village on his way to South America to climb the Andes. I remember Cyrus looked up the route and said he could have gone more direct. But the marchese and my Cousin Pauline were, as Helen expressed it, getting engaged. " Sometimes I think she likes Tristram or Nicholas quite as well," I suggested. " Perhaps she does," Helen agreed, " but they are not the kind she marries." " You mean they are younger than she is? " " I mean she is worldly." "Worldly? Oh, Helen, that's because you don't like her." " I hope I don't dislike her. I'm trying very hard not to; she paid my fare up here and I'm her guest. I don't think I'm very nice to talk about her. Let's change the subject. Clara, I feel as if I should burst if I went another day without saying how killing I think those boys are." " Killing? " My tone was dignified. W...