While Dot and Dart are enjoying their time together, and consequently not writing letters, I thought I’d share some of the details of their surprise engagement announcement.
Ruth and Arthur Chamberlain had invited a large number of friends and family to their home for dinner. The excuse they gave was that they were giving a farewell party for Dot before she left for Kent State University, and a little anniversary celebration for Harriet and George.
The table in the spacious dining room of the Mason Street house was decorated with a large pan of water in the center, containing a miniature tropical island, complete with a small palm tree. Anchored to the island and stretching out to all of the place settings were several strings. At the end of the strings were tied little individual whiskey bottles, like those served on airplanes. They functioned as place cards for the guests, and inside each bottle was a tiny note. When the guests were seated, Ruth invited them all to remove the notes and read the message inside, together. The bottles all contained the same thing: “It’s a 4-0 lash-up! (That’s Navy jargon for a perfect docking) Dot and Dart are engaged!” Naturally, the “Dot and Dart” part of the message was displayed as the little spot and arrow monogram that Dot had invented. I assume that certain aspects of military lingo were common knowledge to civilians of the day, since everyone was so involved in the war.
When I asked Mom if the crowd was surprised, she recalled that no one seemed particularly so because everyone knew how crazy these two kids were about each other. In fact, her sharp-eyed friend, Cynthia had noticed that when Dot came into the room for the party, she was wearing her class ring on her right hand. Cynthia assumed that was because she was making room for a diamond on her left.
Indeed, Dart had purchased the ring in Greenwich and given it to Dot in beautiful Bruce Park a couple of days earlier. She’d had to keep it hidden until the big event.
On a sad note, Eleanor didn’t attend the festivities that night. Although she was slowly healing from the pain of her recently broken engagement, attending her little sister’s celebration would have been too much to expect.