Dart’s letter today is “the first work of pleasure to come from the platten” of a brand new Remington Rand typewriter. He just paid $25 down and has payments of $4.25 per month until he’s paid off the $61.64. He hopes this little machine will provide them both with many years of service. He’d spent a day on the phone trying to find one to rent. Then he decided that a typewriter would be of immeasurable help in his chosen profession, so he thought this would be a good investment.
He sends his condolences to those losing bums, the Brooklyn Dodgers. “I know how difficult these days must be for you and your family, so if there’s anything I can do to help in these trying days, please don’t hesitate to ask. Believe it or not, the group of men known as the Cleveland Indians once came almost as close to winning the pennant as did your beloved Bums. We of the city held a wake for the team, and since then they have never been heard of.”
As much as he hates to, he must tell her that his savings account dropped to $30, partly because of his government stipend being held up this month, and partly because he paid the family rent. Then he took another $15 out to pay for the typewriter. His parents feel terrible and have promised to pay him back as soon as possible. Dart told them the only timeline he’s interested in is next June when he leaves for Greenwich for the wedding. “If Mom or Pop don’t get a job soon, I’ll have to apply for a subsistence allowance of $90 a month.”
He tells Dot how he and Homer went last night to the home of a model railroader named Larry to play with trains. Then he finds himself at a temporary loss for words. He finds that typing his letters takes much more time and concentration than handwriting them, but he must continue to practice.
The vacation photos came back and he was pretty disappointed with one roll. He thinks all the ones of her eating are the prize shots, but the photos aren’t as cute as the real girl. His father warns that he plans to give Dot lots of ribbing about those eating pictures. His mother ended up being scandalized by the photos after all the trouble they went to posing in front of separate cabins. As it turns out, there’s a guy in them wearing tan swimming trunks, which in a black and white picture are the same color as his birthday suit, so Helen at first thought he was naked!
Although he threatened to go see Dr. Singer, his headaches have been a bit milder, plus he has no money to pay the good doctor.
It’s looking like he won’t be hearing about that job he applied for. Now it seems that the only option left for him is a weekend job at a drug store or something. He wishes he could find something more to his liking, and perhaps related to his future career.
No matter how picky the telephone company is about their future employees, he’s positive they’ll pick her. He’s proud that she’s taking the steps necessary to get a good job.
If rentable typewriters are as rare in Connecticut as they are in Cleveland, she may get one early in 1948. If she feels she needs one now, maybe she could buy one and then sell it when she moves to Ohio.
“Good night, Dot Dearest. I miss you so much that if I should try to tell you, I’d fill six more pages with impassioned phrases and would only make us both so much more homesick for each other that we could hardly stand it. There’ll be plenty of time for that kind of writing as the time until our next meeting grows shorter. I miss you and love you so very much!”
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This afternoon, Dot and her mother took Toni Gale to swim at Todd’s Beach, marking the first time in Dot’s memory that she has swum outside in the month of October. Last week they were wearing top coats and today was perfect beach weather.
Toni Gale, who henceforth will be known simply as Gale, is spending the night with Dot. It doesn’t take much to please the little girl. Tonight Dot washed her hair and tied it up in a bandana, just like Dot does her own hair. Gale was delighted with he results.
The Meyerinks (Gale’s parents) just bought a new Studebaker. Gale is so happy they finally got id of their old jalopy. When Dot asked Gale what she was going to name the car, Gale said “The Red Mare.” When Dot asked why that name, Gale said, Well, whenever we drove that old Jinx, people would yell at us, ‘Get a horse!’, so we did.” Dot is impressed with the beautiful maroon Studebaker sedan that has a five-foot wide front seat and even comes with bumpers!
She knows Dart may not recall, but when they announced their engagement, her sister-in-law promised to get them a set of towels the next day. Since it was so soon after the war, there were no towels to be had. Yesterday, Betty presented Dot with two sets of lovely, plush yellow towels. Dot says she really must get a hope chest because her dresser is packed to over flowing.
She wishes she could be there in person tomorrow to watch him join the church. She loves him very much, and adds mysteriously that to prove how much she loves him, her hangnails are almost completely gone.