Dart has been re-reading Dot’s May 12th letter in which she mentions her desire for a heart-to-heart chat. He has more thoughts on the subject, and proceeds to write a letter very much like one an engaged man would write to his fiance. Of course, in his heart, he is as committed to Dot as if they were already married, even before he’s received her response to his proposal.
He thinks it’s good to have these heart-to-hearts. In thinking about her letter, he realizes that all she really needs is a little more self-assurance. He sets out to give her some.
He writes that all of her letters have always shown good taste and level-headed thinking in all matters. “You seem to know just where I need a mild restraint, or a gentle shove, and you administer it in just the right way.”
Then follows his idea that if someone thinks another person has good taste and clear thinking, it’s because that taste and thinking is quite similar to their own. “The point I’m trying to make is that we must be very nearly equal in our philosophies, our tastes, our methods of thinking, and desires, because each of us has a high opinion of those things in the other.”
He apologizes again for showing such disapproval of the two means Dot suggested for “doing something,” or “being somebody.” His thinking was all wrong about both the WAVEs and the Cadet Nursing Corps.
She has written recently that her dreams caused her to squeeze her pillow so tightly that, if that had been Dart she was squeezing, she would have broken his ribs. He assures her that he can squeeze pretty hard himself, and welcomes the opportunity to show her just how hard.
His parents like the idea of the two of them building a house together – and all that implies. They want them to build it in Ohio, so he’s glad that’s what Dot wants, too. He asks if Dot might be able to add a penny or two every now and then to the piggy bank. He’s only drawing down about $10 per month from his pay check, leaving the rest to add up in the bank. When he’s out of the Navy, his life insurance can be converted to cash and added to the total. He’s been studying the benefits of the GI Bill and sees that by the war’s end, he will have qualified for enough education benefits to finish college. There are also home loan benefits, and additional compensation for married men. He supposes she can put that war bond in his name, but he really thinks they should be married before they make a practice of such things. Still, the house should be in her name. He thinks that’s the usual practice, so if the husband’s business fails, or something else drastic happens, the house is safe.
Then he asks if she has spoken to her parents about what he asked in his recent letter. He’d like to know what he needs to do to clear the way for their official engagement. He’d like to take the necessary steps now so that by the time his next leave comes, there will be no impediments to their announcing their plans to the world. He sounds pretty sure of her answer, and rightfully so.
That’s all he has time for now, but he sends his love, of course.
Dot has taken a long tome to get around to writing, and now she’ll take a long time to actually write. This letter spans three days.
Her cousin Jane just dropped by to see Dot at work. She’s home for the summer now, having spent the last week with her eldest sister and meeting her new nephew. Jane’s mother says she hasn’t stopped talking since she arrived home.
On June 3rd, Dot writes that she and Janie went out last night to see “The Affairs of Susan,” with Joan Fontaine, George Brent and Walter Abel. “No, we didn’t go with them, but they were in it,” she quipped. “The more I see Walter Abel, the more he reminds me of your dad.”
About that long letter she said she was going to write: She thought about it for a long time, and the more she thought, the less important it seemed to be. She did, however, tell him part of what was on her mind when she told him about Jamey, the aggressive Spanish friend of Harriet’s. She’s been thinking a lot about why some people have such low standards of behavior. She realized, once again, how lucky she was to know and to love Dart, and she wishes she’d never met Jamey or his type.
She’s never heard back from Dart’s brother Burke, but she knows he must be extremely busy with graduation activities. She’s sending him a little “gag gift,” which he probably won’t like. She found a baker’s hat that matches an apron Burke wears when he’s cooking at home. The apron says “Momma’s Little Helper” across the front. The hat Dot found says “Sloppy Joe Himself” on the band.
Now Dot has every right to demand Dart’s respect at all times. She has just made the grade of sergeant. “Now, don’t get excited. I haven’t joined the WACS!” She explains that she’s earned that rank in the war bond contest at work.
As she writes, El and Betty are downstairs rearranging their bedroom furniture. Dot thinks it looked better the old way, but they’re trying to get their beds closer to the windows, in case it ever gets warm this summer. Today, it’s only 50 degrees outside, and even colder in the house. She and Janie were supposed to go to the beach today, but that’s out of the question. Dot fears that Long Island Sound may freeze over again. She imagines that Lake Sunapee is frigid, and takes a little solace that she won’t be going up there this summer. Next week on her vacation, she and her mother will be visiting family in Massachusetts.
Last night, Dot had another of her crazy dreams about Dart. He was calling her from Nova Scotia, except that he was standing right next to her, wearing snappy civilian clothing. “Do you wonder why I wake up tired so often? It’s because I spend all my nights talking with you….Every once in a while, I wonder how I spent my time when I didn’t dream about you. Must have spent it wishing I had someone like you to dream about.”
This morning, when she had legitimate reason to sleep until noon, she was awake at 7:30. Not long after that, she rushed downstairs, hoping to find a letter from Dart. No luck in that regard, but she did get another letter from his buddy, Fred. She says he writes almost as well as Dart and she’s happy to read about his hopes for the future and his thoughts on family life. She thinks he and Dart must be very much alike.
She’ll mail this letter on her way across town today, and try to think of more nonsense to write about tonight.
