The only mail Dart got today was a notice of a rent increase. He says that if rent controls don’t come back, he and his family may be looking around for a shack they can live in.

In the morning Dart and his parents will be driving out to Guy’s lake house to reclaim a buffet that belonged to them before the depression. Dart hopes the car can haul a trailer and buffet over the long distance.

Some folks named Mr. and Mrs. Kuntz came by for a visit last night. Their son Tony has had lots of trouble with his left hand after he nearly cut off all the fingers. Now the tendons aren’t healing properly, but he’s been off work for a very long time and must return to work on Monday, whether his hand works or not.

Uncle Art is staying with Dart’s family tonight because he has an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic tomorrow. After that, he’s going to take the Burke sisters on a two day drive through some of Flora’s favorite parts of Pennsylvania. Dart tells Dot it’s very strange to see Art without Flora by his side.

He reports that his psychology class usually has such a din from unauthorized conversation among students that it’s difficult to hear Dr. White speak. Today was markedly different, though, because Dr. White was speaking about sex. That certainly held the class’s attention. “It’s interesting to note that psychologists place sex with hunger and thirst is ‘basic tissue needs’, drives which lead us to most of our actions. I guess we aren’t kidding when we say we need each other.”

He keeps falling asleep at his desk and then waking himself up. He wishes she had been with him today to enjoy the beautiful day and tonight’s bright, silvery moon. He still has two of Dot’s letters to answer, but they must wait until another day.

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The 12-page letter written from Greenwich today was actually written by Ruth. She has little news to share that Dot has not already told him, but she’s been meaning to write for quite some time to let Dart know how much they look forward to seeing him in September. As fast as summer is flying by, September will be here in a couple of minutes, so she best write now.

She reports that Harriet has been entertaining Waddy’s wife (also Harriet) and their one-year old child this week. She has not had a chance to see as much of them as she’d like because there has been so much to do to help get the Rucquoi family settled in New Rochelle. Since they are starting from scratch, there have been trips to auctions to find the best bargains, several of which have found their way to Arthur’s fix-it shop  for some “freshening up.”

In her opinion, she thinks Dot likes her job as well, or better, than she had hoped. Maybe she’d hoped for a few more rain days than she’s had, but so far, so good.

It has been so nice having Dot home to attend church with her. “Dr. Bliss certainly came home from his Army chaplain experience with a  lot of uumph! He’s a grand person.”

“Did Dot tell you that I ran away from all my responsibilities last May and joined some class mates at an inn in New Hampshire run by one of my roommates? We had such a nice time in spite of the fact that it rained every day.”

She tells Dart that she greatly appreciated his solicitations regarding Pegasus. “I’m so happy to say that the operation was successful and the patient seems to be back to normal!”

“Hope college is going well for you Dart. It can be such fun or so deadly according to whether you’re actually getting what you want from it or not.”

She asks that he give her love to his family and mentions how much she hopes they’ll be coming to Greenwich soon. Then she begins a very long P.S. that addresses the topic of an earlier wedding. She certainly understands the frustration of this young couple because she was engaged after her freshman year at Wellesley but didn’t marry until after graduation. Still, Dot was never dedicated to the idea of finishing college, “and if she now feels that working this coming year will be more advantageous than getting a second year at Kent, I, for one, can see no valid reason against it.”

She continues, saying that Dot has always had a lot of good, common sense, and if she ever feels she could benefit from additional college credits, she can certainly get them. “Some of the most amazingly educated people I have known have been without benefit of college degrees.” She tells of a great uncle of hers who received a scholarship to become a French translator and he had not even begun to study French until he was 70 years old!

She wraps up by saying she has every confidence he and Dot will do what’s best for both of them.

Both Dart and Dot will return with letters the day after tomorrow. See you on the 14th.