Another of Dot’s swell letters came today. Dart says her letters are the best morale booster he could ever want. He’s happy she knows about the leave, but he wishes he could have been the one to tell her, to hear her reaction. He couldn’t call both her and his parents because the wait for each call would be more than three hours, plus he needs to save money for his travel. As it stands now, he has $24.05 in cash. His ticket will cost $23.75. “That doesn’t leave much for a haircut, does it?” His folks will wire him $10 for emergencies on the trip home.

Tomorrow a group of experts will board the ship and take her out for a spin to see what can be done to make her sea worthy. There’s hope that all the work can be done in Charleston, but they may have to move to another Navy yard.

Has he mentioned how eager he is to see her? He asked her to delay her departure by a day, but he wouldn’t object if she decided to stick around a little longer.

He thanks her for the list of Chamberlain addresses for the people he met in Greenwich. Looking at the names reminded him of the wonderful evening of the engagement party. Dot looked so lovely and everyone was so happy. He thoroughly enjoyed himself that night.

Regarding her appointment with Dr. Boch the psychologist, Dart thinks he could have told her everything the doctor did except the intelligence bit. Dart’s belief that Dot was of superior intelligence must mean that his intelligence is less than he had assumed. He assures her she’s far from being a wreck, and if she is, she’s the finest wreck he could ever have been lucky enough to meet. He’s always suspected she had musical gifts because of her perfect whistling and how quickly she learned to play the “sweet potato.” If she’s good with young children, which seems obvious to him, she’ll make a great mother when their children are young. He suggests that both he and Dot will have to be very careful when their kids reach the dreaded teen years in order to be able to bring them through safely and successfully. If their kids turn out as well as he and Dot have, they’ll have their parents and God to thank.

He hopes they’ll have a chance next week to renew the tickling rivalry and to work on their squeezing experiments. She has yet to allow him to squeeze her hard enough to lift her, so the winner cannot be declared. He’s been toting large sacks of provisions around the ship in preparation for seeing her.

Now, unfortunately, he refers to her letter of December 14th. She saw “Uncle Harry.” She had a great closing paragraph. She mentioned making snow angels. She wrote a powerful piece that reflects his feelings exactly. Sadly, that letter no longer exists, so we’ll never know exactly what she wrote. It must have contained her thoughts on s-e-x, though, and her feelings about waiting until marriage to experience it, because he agreed with that. He told her he wants to emulate the few men he’s known who shared that value and openly speak of their pride at having arrived at their honeymoon as inexperienced as their bride.

Just the other day, Dart was wondering if Dot had used up all the paper he gave her for Christmas last year. A few days later, she wrote to him on that paper! “Who says there’s no such thing as telepathy?”

He’ll begin sending her letters to Greenwich in a couple of days. She can mail his letters to the ship beginning Christmas Day. That way, there should be one waiting for him when he gets back at noon on December 28.

In the bright moonlight tonight, he was walking from the mess hall and was struck by the beauty of the ship’s silhouette. He had a moment of pride in her grace and size, and he could start to believe that someday, he might feel for this ship the affection he had for the Haggard. He’d like her to be able to see it someday, but that may never happen.

Once again referring to her letter of the 14th, he quoted a line where she said them having all they want in life today, so why live for tomorrow. He thinks that’s a very fine philosophy.

He ends with “Each day, the love I feel for you is added to all the other days since I’ve known you. The pyramid is becoming greater all the time.”

Dot writes a quick page before rushing off for her tap exam. She hopes she can get out of her Friday classes and get an early ride to Cleveland, but she’s not sure if it’s possible. And the buses into the city are so slow! Where will she sleep at his house? She mentioned someone named Kathleen who is using the spare room and maybe Mr. Koontz will still be there too. I have no idea what any of that means.

He’s cold where he is? How would he like a bit of this five below zero weather they have in Kent?

And that’s all we hear from Miss Chamberlain until Christmas Day.