The first part of Dart’s letter describes why he didn’t get home from Kent until 3:30 AM. He stopped at a Sohio gas station on his way out of town to have the oil checked. It was okay, but there were other troubles with the car. When it was up on the hoist, the old mechanic wanted to replace the missing “Alimite” fitting (whatever that is), but decided the whole car had been built around that fitting, and they’d have to disassemble the whole car to get to it. He also noticed a huge blister on a rear tire with the inner tube pushing through. That’s a very dangerous situation, so he changed that tire for a not-much-better spare. While he was there, he flushed out the engine again, explaining that it should be done every 1,000 miles and the car had gone 1,017 since its last flush.
All of this talk about the car brought up several thoughts. First, how lucky Dart was to find a gas station that was open so late at night, staffed by such a helpful and knowledgeable mechanic. Second, how much work and maintenance those old cars needed! I recall when I was a child, Dad kept a little notebook in the glove compartment of every car we owned. In it, he would faithfully record every gallon of gas pumped into the car, the dates of oil changes, and a journal entry for any and all other work done on the vehicle. He’d check that info regularly and discuss it with the service man at our local station. He often carried spare parts on long road trips, “just in case.” Even with all that TLC, I still remember more than one cross-country trip that was punctuated by hours spent in a service station somewhere, or a period of time by the side of the road, waiting for assistance. Compare that to the ease of today’s cars, and it makes me a big fan of progress!
Turning his attentions to the weenie roast he writes, “Gee, Dot, that was a swell time we had last night. One of the best ever. One more thing I like about us is that we can have fun together at things like that. Often, I’ve been out when my date and I were out laughing, having fun at the same time, but it seemed like at different things. But you and I seemed to be having our fun together. Next time, though, I’ll wear a baseball cap or something more befitting the occasion. Although you don’t look any better than most women in slacks, you don’t look any worse, either. Therefore, because you’re you and because I love you so very much, I’ll be willing to accept you in slacks, as much as in anything else.” (That last part has rendered me almost speechless!)
He goes on to say that he thinks they didn’t do too badly at the dancing. He suspects she does better with another partner, but once they get their signals straight, he thinks the two of them will do fine on the dance floor.
Then he gets a little weird again, reveling his prudish, big-brotherly side. “Oh, say – are you sure you’re acquainted with the double meaning (I think there’s only one) of the Chicago Department Store song? If you are, you’ll not sing it too often, and if you aren’t – be careful. It ain’t so nice. Implies bawdy living and all stuff like what Erla probably does.” (Boy, am I glad Dad had lost some of his fuddy-duddiness by the time we kids came along! And I suspect Dot was fully aware of the meaning of the song.)
He explains the minor “tragedy of miscommunication” that he and Homer experienced. Dart thought he already had a date for Wednesday night, and Homer thought Dart was asking him to find a date for then. Consequently, Homer didn’t go to the weenie roast at Kent, and one of Dot’s housemates must have been dateless. When Dart and Homer figured out their mistake the following day, Homer actually said “dammit” right in front of Dart’s father!
Speaking of his father, Dart mentions that the two of them have been washing the kitchen walls and ceiling. Although the place looks much better, he’s pretty sure they’ll end up painting the place anyway.
He seems to have another successful night at the Y. The evening of the Jr. Hi-Y swim meet happened to coincide with the final night of the YMCA membership drive. His “boss,” Mr. Cumler had to stay at the YMCA House in order to oversee the new member registrations, so he turned the oversight of the swim meet to Dart. His boys won the swimming and came in second in the diving portion, thereby winning the meet. “It was lots of fun and something I didn’t expect when I took over the job of assisting in leading the boys. Mr. Cumler says I was of real service tonight, which was what I wanted.”
He finally answers Dot’s letter of January 30, which she wrote in response to his description of his night in the Panama gin joint. If you’ll recall, that letter went all the way out to the John R Craig at sea, only to turn around and finds its way back to Cleveland after Dart was discharged. He hopes he’ll have the chance again soon to write one of those descriptive letters she likes so much.
He hopes her biology test this morning went well, but that might be hard after the fun evening they had yesterday. He asks what the heck is up with Ellie. It seems she has new “one and only” every week. He also wonders about all the other girls in the house who are engaged. He thought that he and Dot were the only people at the party who behaved like an engaged couple. He’ll be back in Kent on Friday, and he wishes she would be riding back with him. It’s been nearly three weeks since she’s been to his house and he misses her!
He closes with “Goodnight, Dot. I love you beyond all description. I miss the feel of you in my arms, the softness of your lips, your radiance when we are together, our whispered ‘I love you’s’ and all the rest of the ways we have of expressing our love and devotion for each other.”
# # #
Dot writes that she has secured tickets for the play Snafu this weekend. She’s disappointed with the location of their seats, but since they were free for students, she guesses it’s okay that they are way up in the back of the balcony, and way over to the side.
Tonight, she and Mid decided to take a walk downtown. As they approached the movie theater, they noticed it was playing a double feature of Cover Girl and Confidential Agent. They looked at each other, nodded in silent agreement, and entered the theater at 6:00. The came out at 10:00, having been thoroughly entertained.
Dot mentions for the first time that she is fairly certain she won’t be returning to Kent next fall. Part of her wishes she could, but there’s something she wants much, much more, and she thinks she’d better start working toward that goal. (Gee, I wonder what she might be talking about!) She hasn’t mentioned the subject of leaving school to her folks yet, but she intends to write to them as soon as she’s done with this letter.
Tonight nearly every girl in the house pledged into a sorority. She and Janie feel a bit like outcasts, but they stand firm in their convictions. The other girls in the house have come to believe they’ll never get anywhere in life unless they join a sorority, but if Dot becomes a success at something, she wants it to be on her own merits, rather than the fact that an employer was affiliated with a particular Greek organization. Her mother, Harriet, and El were all in sororities, and she knows her mother would scrimp in order to pay for Dot’s expenses, if she were asked, but Dot feels her parents are already sacrificing enough to send her to school. “But I’m satisfied being an “Independent,” and if you don’t mind not dating a sorority girl, I’d rather remain one.”
She’s so grateful he made that long trip to campus tonight. “That’s the most fun I’ve ever had at a weenie roast. Afterward, all the girls came into my room to remind me that you’re one in a million and I’d better never forget it. (As if I could.)” She also told Dart that everyone admired him for not drinking or smoking.
“I miss you terribly, Dart. I didn’t want to see you leave last night. Of course, I never want to see you leave, but it was stronger than ever last night.”