Letters from Dart for four days in a row, and we finally hear from Dot again. I’ll let her explain why we haven’t heard from her in so long. But first, a little one-page scrawl from the sailor.

This is a rapid-fire list of non-related thoughts: Time is flying by because the days are so busy; they had a live band concert last night and movies every night, unless it rains; days are hot and he’s still getting sunburned; he had powdered milk for breakfast and it tasted like “Petrolagar” (I have no idea what that is, but I don’t think it’s a compliment); he got another “fuzzy” haircut; he must hurry to get his shave and shower before taps. The most important bit he slipped in at the tail end. “I’m beginning to like it here.” Well, that was quick.

And now, here’s Dot.

Two weeks ago, exactly, she received a letter from Dart. Stamped on the outside was an official notice that she should no longer write to the Shoemaker address but instead wait until she had his permanent address. And so the waiting began. Waiting for the mailman to come every day with nothing for her but a discouraging look. Waiting to hear from her beloved and learn details of his current life. Waiting to write the same to him.

Today, she’s thrown in the towel and decided to write to his old address in hopes it’ll get to him eventually. At least that way, he’ll know she was thinking of him all this time.

She has spent the last three days in bed with a whopper of a cold that she’s trying to shake it off before she leaves for Ohio the day after tomorrow. Her graduation from Andrews is looming. She claims to look a fright, with chapped lips, red nose, runny eyes and hair that resembles the broom her mother threw out last week. Feeling as unattractive as she does, she has begun to imagine that the five photos of Dart that surround her have ceased to smile sincerely and have begun to sneer at her instead.

With her departure imminent, she doesn’t see how she’ll get everything done by Friday. She’s thrilled to announce that her mother will be accompanying her, but sounds quite disappointed that her father will stay at home. She was hoping he’d come, but he says his business needs him to stay in Greenwich. She says that she doesn’t see how it will matter to the business 10 years from now, and I tend to agree.

The best part of the trip is that she and Ruth will be staying in Dart’s home with his parents! She can’t wait for Dart, Sr. and Helen to meet her mother. She’s looking forward to spending lots of time with them and having them at her graduation.

Then comes a surprise ending: She writes that since she started this letter one week ago, she may as well stick it in the envelope with the other stuff she’s sending him from Cleveland. That means three weeks have passed since she mailed him a letter! I sure hope he didn’t spend too much time fearing that a “Dear John” would be arriving soon.

She signs with a slightly impertinent “I love your family. In fact, I even love you.”

I trust we’ll hear more about her graduation weekend festivities and her visit with the Petersons in other letters.