Dart borrowed some of El’s check for the photo prints and penny collection to pay his monthly installment for the typewriter. As soon as his VA check arrives, he’ll replace the borrowed funds and get everything into the bank.

He was sorry to hear that Dot’s cold got worse and he hopes it won’t get “more worse.”

Dart paid Dot a nice compliment, saying that while everyone he knows has occasional financial finagling, some people have the sense and judgement not to get overly excited by them. That’s something he hopes to learn from Dot because she seems to take it all in stride.

“In your letter you said that in the phone call you didn’t say what you thought you were going to. Just what, pray tell, was that? Anything concerning the letter from the day before? Or was it about my being out when you called? It’s too bad your spirits were so badly deflated. (Remember when I called you from San Diego?)

He hopes to write someday about the wonderful rail trip. They enjoyed beautiful shirt-sleeve weather the whole way. The club even made a little profit on the deal.

“I miss you very much, Dot. If I start telling you how much, I’ll never get to sleep until you come here and make me not miss you so much.

#          #          #

Dot was thrilled to get a nice letter from Mr. Kershner today, along with a monthly church newsletter and the bulletin from last Sunday’s service. She’s enclosing the letter so that Dart can read the third paragraph for himself. “See, I’m not the only one who is proud of you.”

She’s ecstatic about having no work tomorrow. She does, however, have a date with Dr. Howgate, her dentist. She claims she’d rather go to work. She vows that sometime she’ll have enough money to get a false tooth to replace one that’s giving her some trouble.

“I’m afraid I’m too thick to understand all this talk about ‘boy noises.’ Don’t be mistaken, though – I’m not asking you to explain it to me. I’d rather have 2 or 3 pages on a subject I do understand.”

“You don’t think I was really worried because you were out, do you? It would be a fine world if I should try and direct your every move from 700 miles away, before I even bear your name. I never want you to feel I need to know your every move, even after we’re married. But I’ll always be flattered whenever you share whatever you want with me.”

She asks him if he’s sure he doesn’t want to be a motorman on a streetcar. He doesn’t have to be rich and famous on her account – she only wants him to be happy in his work. She says he’s already made her rich in many ways by giving her his love.

In about a month, she’ll have the chance to work some extra hours and make time and a half. She’ll be getting a paycheck of $40 when that happens. Now she’s having hospitalization taken out of her pay at her mother’s suggestion. Her mom thinks Dot will need to have her appendix removed before next June.

She assures him that she remembers clearly those sweet nights that he wrote about last week. “We have so many happy and beautiful memories to share in our thoughts and our letters that I suppose we really don’t have much cause to grumble about being apart. As long as we’re together mentally and spiritually, we certainly can wait a few more months until we can be together physically. Don’t mind me. I’m only trying to convince myself that I don’t miss you as much as I do.”

She stares at the empty bed across from her and suggests that he’s welcome to curl up there any time and get his much-needed sleep. On second thought, why mess up a bed when there’s one they could share whenever he wants to. (Why, Dottie, you’re such a little vixen tonight!)

There’s nothing more to write except that she loves him more than anyone or anything on earth.