There’s just a one-pager from Dart’s part of the world today.

He has only minutes to touch bases with Dot and get a note off to his mother before going out on liberty. His main task tonight is to try and find out where Fred is in San Francisco.

Last night he helped a few of the boys study for a test so there was no time to write then either. He assures her that this letter may be brief but his love for her is anything but.

Here’s a longer letter from Dot.

Her mailman arrived today bearing two letters from Dart and a big smile. “I guess he didn’t forget you after all,” he said.

She says she was so happy to receive them, but now she is worried. She asks him what the terrible dream was about. If she doesn’t know, how can she prevent it?

She says that his classmate’s name may be Peterson and he may be married to a Dot, but that’s where the comparison must end. The Peterson she knows is the best of the best, so there’s no pint in comparing them.

She discusses why the guys may tease Dart by calling him Grandpa.  She believes they may be jealous because they don’t have the moral fiber to live up to his ideals. She says she could name 100s of people who think Dart is perfect just the way he is. There are probably 1000s but Dot hasn’t met them yet.

On the subject of worthiness, Dot must insist it is she that is not worthy of him. “You’ll have to face it sometime, I haven’t 1/4 the brain you have, and what I do have I don’t use. I’m lazy and foolish and a million other wrong things and up to two weeks ago, I bit my finger nails. So there, your ‘golden illusion about me has burst.” I cannot attest to the nail-biting, but I can assure you she was neither dumb, lazy or foolish ever!

She goes on to say that it’s up to him how long their love lasts. She knows that for her it will last forever. She asks him to be honest with her if he ever finds he feels differently. In fact, she thinks there is never a reason they should not be honest with each other.

This letter has become more serious than she had intended, she says. She prefers the more carefree, happy variety, but she believes these serious ones are good every once in awhile.

With full intentions of putting her half day off to good use, she must go clean her room. Before doing so, she tells him she has bought the white shoes needed for graduation still six months away. Speaking of which, she hopes he’ll be able to attend. (I suspect the US Navy may have other plans for him.)