After such a long break, Dart says it feels strange to be writing to Dot again – “Almost unnatural.”
“Another hundred-dollar payment arrived this afternoon, in time for deposit in the bank. Now there’s only the final installment of my mustering-out pay, and then my checks from old Uncle Sugar’s Navy will be no more.”
“This evening I visited the Singers. They have just bought the cutest little black velvet spaniel puppy you every saw. I don’t know how old she is, but I do know she’s not housebroken yet, and that she’s very playful. Eats her little belly full until she looks like a cantaloupe on furry pads, and then wants to eat shoelaces, sox, fringe from bedspreads, and hair from legs.”
“I left you yesterday evening with a ruddier glow on the inside than I’ve had for a long time. I really enjoyed our afternoon and evening more than I usually enjoy my evenings with you. And I enjoy them all so much more than I’ve ever enjoyed evenings before, that yesterday evening became one to remember above all others. I don’t remember whether I thanked you for it all or not, but even if I did, it was not enough, for I’ll never be able to thank you enough for being my companion and my fiance in such a lovely way.”
“Something you said to Nancy hadn’t occurred to me before, but it sent nice little chills up my back to push my chest way out. It was that ‘We bought the first piece of furniture for our home’. Gee – that was swell – and you’re swell, and all things are just unbelievably rosy. (Maybe it’s the pink wall paper.)”
“Anyway, due to my evening ‘out’ and the fact that it’s 0100 and I must arise early to greet the Dean of Admissions, I think I better quit. Dot Darling, I miss you so much, especially now, when I’d be kissing you goodnight instead of writing about it.”
# # #
Once again, these two lovebirds are on the same wave length. Dot writes, “It seems rather strange to be writing to you again, having been where I could talk to you for ten days. However, such are the vagaries of life, and one must learn to take the bitter with the better. I shall be eternally grateful to you and your kind parents for making those ten days about the best ten days of my live.”
She tells Dart she’s writing from her new bed, which is a huge improvement over her previous one. “Oh, such luxury! Even when I spread out as far as I can, I still can’t touch the sides. ‘Swonderful!”
Her first day back at Kent was a very busy one. She’s moving rooms, doing laundry, applied for a job at the Robin Hood restaurant, and bought a tennis racket for her upcoming class. She’s exhausted, and classes haven’t even started yet.
Her roommate Ellie had told Dot that there were swarms of new men on campus. Out of 2050 students on campus, 750 of them are WWII vets, just starting back to school. Dot’s typing class has 2 women and 18 men and she’s heard of one English class with 2 women and 86 men! “So many men it makes one’s head swim. …But the dizzy drips around here would make anyone’s head swim.” Dot has found her one and only, and no other man will ever turn her head!
“If you come down earlier on Saturday, maybe we could learn to dance before the dance. I’m going to social dancing tomorrow evening and try and learn something. Are you really trying to learn, I hope?”
“Thanks for giving me such a super vacation, Dart, and for making last night so perfect. I love you very much and will be thinking just how much when I turn out the lights and sink into a beautiful sleep. Wish you were going to wake me up tomorrow morning instead of Kate.”
I wonder if Mom remembers why she switched rooms in the house and who Kate is. I would guess that’s her new roommate, but I don’t recall her mentioning a Kate in earlier letters.