Finally we hear from Dot again. I love the newsy style and youthful zest that fill her letters. In this one she recounts her delight in a rare visit by her mother, all the way from Connecticut. A parental visit AND a new beau seem to have made Dot a bit of a celebrity around the school.

She also relates a bit of intrigue between some boys named Johnny and Jackson and a girl named Lois. Because Dart seems to know them too, I can only guess that the boys were classmates of his at Case and were involved in the original group blind date that brought Dot and Dart into the same orbit. I also believe that Lois was the master mind who planned that initial gathering. Romance, drama and intrigue among teenagers – I guess human nature doesn’t change that much from one generation to the next.

As always when I read these letters, I truly enjoy Dot’s self-deprecating humor. She rarely talks trash about anyone else, but seems to get a kick out of making herself the brunt of her own jokes. In responding to Dart’s request for a photo, she enclosed one, dubbing it “The Awful Truth.” She explained that having her mother sit in on some classes with her was a morale booster. She thinks she’ll need a bigger hat to wear to church because her teachers’ compliments made her head swell. She claims the comments were so positive, it was a dead give away that the teachers were lying.

She wishes Dart well on the surgery he is slated to have. Little did either of them know how that chapter would unfold…