Dart writes a regular letter today, and then a bonus.

He expresses surprise that he’s received a postcard from her, sent from Andrews School. He was unaware that she’d be returning to Willoughby so soon and is concerned because he’s mailed all his letters to Greenwich.

Referring to a recent mention she’d made about bowling, he asks Dot for a bowling date “some evening.” He enjoys the activity even though he claims his scores are pitiful. It sounds a little wistful when he tries to make a date, knowing that he has no idea when they might see each other again.

He thinks it’s nice that she’s earned some money babysitting and tells her about his paper route and lawn mowing jobs that earned him some “pin” money when he was home.  He then asked her how she liked “Claudia.” He had seen it as a play at the Cleveland Playhouse some time ago and had “nearly died laughing.” Like Dot, he has fond memories of see “The Phantom” too.

He asks her if she’s a little superstitious and admits to being a little so himself. He confesses that he has wished a couple of times on the first evening star. The wish he made in boot camp has already come true. Since the one he made last night also concerns the two of them, he hopes it comes true as well. Still, he won’t tell her what it is, hoping he hasn’t already “queered” it simply by mentioning it.

Apparently, all this talk of wishing on stars has made our young hero feel romantic and a little poetic. He talks about the beauty of the snow in the starlight and the sparkling crystals falling on a crisp, sunny day.

He lobbies a bit for her to work in Cleveland during her practicum so that she could get to know his folks. (Also, it would be easier to see her if the Navy ever grants him leave.) He mentions his youngest cousin who is attending Oberlin on a scholarship to study piano. (I remember meeting that cousin, Marg Peterson, a couple of times in my life. She lived an exotic life as a concert pianist, touring the world and settling down in St. Louis. )

He closed with a sappy little poem he’d memorized from somewhere. It’s the same sappy little poem that I memorized as a young child when I found it framed on the dresser of a rustic lake cottage in New Hampshire.

He adds another two-page letter, mostly writing that he didn’t have much to write. He did tell a storry about a Catholic priest visiting the ward that day and finding a group of guys gambling via a game of pinochle. The gist of the letter is that he wanted to show Dot that he likes writing to her and thinks about her all time.

Dot’s letter is pretty funny. It seems she is trying to cement the meaning of vocabulary words into her brain before exams by cramming as many as possible into a single paragraph! Words like clandestine, sanguine, truculent, cabal, flaccid and dictatorial are peppered throughout.  What a saucy little show-off! She notes later in the letter that she got a 100% on that test.

She chastises him for claiming to be the author of that crazy, nonsensical letter he wrote her in Connecticut. She has evidently learned it was plagiarized!

Finally! At long last!! Just when we had abandoned all hope of ever knowing, she relieves Dart’s curiosity by revealing the meaning of B.B.S.O.C.Y.K. (Check it out for yourself.)

She slips into gossip column mode as she writes about her roommate’s ex beau trying his darnedest to win back his lady love. Then, she questions Dart’s use of “Dorothy” in a recent letter. “Maybe you thought it wouldn’t be noticed, but in your letters, everything is noticed.” Very cute.

She claims to feel a little insecure about all the Waves he mentions, but this is not the letter of an insecure young girl. She’s full of vinegar today.

She has a funny paragraph about this letter having not much to say, but it has taken a lot of space and time to say it, nonetheless.  She reminds him that her excuse for not writing  very often is legit – she’s preparing for exams.

When reading the attached letter read the right column of the second page before reading the left column. I’m not sure why she does that, but it’s Dot’s usual practice.