Such a sad letter from Dart. He’s been moved to a new ward with a confirmed diagnosis of mumps. He feels terrible and looks worse. He sounds so discouraged, but who wouldn’t be, in his situation?

He thanks her for the cookies, which he’ll finish eating when he’s not in so much pain. He also asks her to tell her mother that he’ll answer her letter when he feels better.

Before closing, he reminds Dot how grateful he is to have her in his life. He’s not sure how he would have come through these very trying six months without her.

Dot is still in blissful innocence of Dart’s new status. She’s exuberant about her new job at a small department store in Greenwich called Franklin Simon. She’ll be working in the sportswear department, six days a week. She’s also pleased that her schedule will give her evenings free to babysit and earn extra money. “Why, in about five years, Mrs. Astor’s millions will look practically silly next to mine,” she jokes.

She scolds Dart about wanting to waste his money by calling her at home, and refuses to send him her phone number. That’s the frugal woman I grew up with!

She tells Dart about her evening babysitting job where her young charge was asleep most of the time. That gave her time to clean the house, make dinner and finish up the laundry! Wow, if that’s the service she delivers, it’s no wonder she’s in such high demand as a sitter!

She had to wrap up when her father told her to turn off the light because it was well past midnight.