Dart received a letter from Dot and one from her mother today, but neither, as good as they are, can ease the aching in his heart. He claims that he first aches for Dot, but unbelievably, there is something else causing him worry and concern.

The doctors believe they have found something else wrong with him. He won’t say what it is until the tests confirm it, but it will require more weeks of recuperation in the hospital! When does this end for the poor boy?

He says he wants to get out, and get the war won, among other things. Although he considers himself a hopeless case, he asks Dot to keep on hoping as hard as she can.

Trying to answer her recent letter, he said he enjoyed reading her daily “diary” of activities. It sounds a lot like what he’d be doing if he were in a similar circumstance to her.  He comments that Greenwich sounds like a pleasant place, especially the proximity to water. He used to be afraid of water, but now he enjoys it. He describes his swimming skill as “flailing like a frightened chicken,” but he still has fun.

He congratulates her on her report card and encourages her to keep her plans to attend college, even if she delays it by a year.

He is so grateful to have her in his life. She’s so sweet and faithful and good that he almost feels the seven months of knowing her have been a dream.

This was a quick, breezy letter from Dot. Although she received no mail from Dart today, she did get two letters from friends at school. “That is, I think the letters were for me – even though they began ‘Dear Dot, How’s Dart?'” Even her three-year old niece asked her today how that ‘poor, dear, sick sailor’ was doing. She reminds him that it’s more than his family, friends and her who care about his well-being.  I can’t help but think how all those people will feel when they learn he’s hit another bump in the road.

She ends the letter with “This must be short, but I’ll never run short of love for you.”