So now, a little background on Dot’s surprise visit to Cleveland.

She was feeling pretty good after her appendectomy, but her doctor and the phone company would not let her return to work this early because her job entailed lots of reaching and stretching. I suspect her separation from Dart was affecting her nearly as much as it was him. Her savings account was slightly ahead of schedule for her goal by June, so she decided to spend a little on a train ticket and visit her fiance.

When she arrived in town, she called Helen Peterson at the Singer store where she worked. When Helen picked up the phone, she asked who was calling. Dot said, Well, my name could be Mud as soon as you hear where I am.” I assume Helen was delighted by the surprise, and she told Dot that Dart was home, so she should go straight there to surprise him.

Dart, of course, had been up very late the night before, as was his habit. A knocking on the door awakened him from a deep sleep, and he staggered downstairs to see who might be disturbing him. Squinting into the bright morning light, he mumbled that the young lady on his stoop looked quite a bit like a girl he knew in Connecticut. That was Dot’s pay-off for springing on him. Although Mom didn’t tell me so, I think it’s safe to assume Dart was glad to see her.

Even though he’d written just a couple of days before that he thought it was good she wasn’t able to visit because he doubted he would be able to control himself, he quickly reconciled to the situation and they had a very nice week together. His letters written in the days after she returned to Greenwich will give us some hints on how they passed their precious time together this week.

The letters resume on January 22, but I’ll check in a couple of times this week with a quick look back on the corresponding day one, two, or three years ago to see how far these young lovers have come through their letters and their lives.