Since it’s after midnight when Dart starts this letter, he writes, “It’s now officially January 15, which makes me officially 23, and boy, do I feel old!”
As Dot may have surmised after reading his long letter from yesterday, Dart didn’t finish his English homework that night (morning?) Fortunately, he discovered that it was a short, easy assignment, and he finished it on the bus ride to campus before class.
The Skyline hit the streets today and he’s rather pleased with how it looks. There’s no predicting how the public will receive it, but having had a hand in its creation, he’s rather proud of it.
He’s feeling mighty tickled with himself because he learned a new trick in the kitchen today. He had two burners going at the same time; one for soup and the other for bacon. That has emboldened him to dream of trying a cheese omelet someday. “You better learn to cook one or two things yourself so we can vary our diets occasionally.” Dad’s cooking prowess didn’t advance much in the years that followed. He fancied himself quite the gourmet when he grated a little cheese and sprinkled oregano into Campbell’s tomato soup.
In addition to a short letter from Dot and a card from El, the mail also brought a notice saying that Dart had a “registered, insured, or COD package” waiting for him at the East Cleveland PO. Since it originated from Greenwich, Connecticut, he has an idea who it might be from. He’ll need to get out to collect it as soon as possible.
Yes, he recalls her mentioning Anne Knowlton a few times before. Isn’t she the one Dot had her picture taken with? Why is it that Dot let her do all the talking, which is so unlike Dot? Note: I believe Anne was the only child of the Chamberlain family’s physician. He and his wife would often invite Dot, who was was a few years older than Anne, and considered to be a wholesome influence, to accompany the Knowlton family on vacations and outings. I think Dot along with her fairly well, but they weren’t really friends – just friendly.
Perhaps in response to Dot’s letter, Dart remarks that he wishes he had been Dumbo, and not just because their house is still so cold. He has other motives for wanting to play Dumbo. The only sense I can make of this little passage is to surmise that Dot may have said something about sleeping with her stuffed Dumbo, or maybe sending Dumbo to Dart to keep him warm. He also asks how little girls can sleep in a bed crowded with stuffed animals, and then reveals that when he was sick as a small boy, he would bring all his trains into bed with him. Why am I not surprised? “Of course, I didn’t sleep long that way, but I slept awhile!”
In her little letter, Dot promised that tomorrow, she would elaborate on how much she loves Dart. He looks forward to that very much. He could do that now, but he thinks he said more than his share last night, so he’ll hold off on elaborating any more tonight. He wishes her good night and the sweetest of dreams, unaware that one of his sweetest dreams is about to come true.
No letters tomorrow, because Dot is about to “drop in” on the Peterson family for a week, as a big surprise to the whole gang. Although there are no letters, check back here, and I’ll tell you the story of Dot’s arrival.