Hurried notes are becoming the norm for Dart. Although he has three unanswered letters from Dot, they’ll have to wait because time is short.

Yesterday he went to sick bay to get a spray for his sore throat and then went out on liberty. He went to the theater, took a streetcar ride and grabbed a waffle dinner. He hopes to get back to town on Thursday if his cold improves.

He scored a miserable 62% on his recent Recognition test. The whole class did so poorly that they were retested, without warning. This time he scored at 85%. His total in all of his subjects places him in the top three of his class, but he doesn’t expect to stay there. “Forgive me if I toot my horn. It’s music to my ears, regardless of how it may sound to others. I love you, even if this miserable mess doesn’t show it.”

Matching Dart in brevity, Dot suggests they agree to a standing forgiveness policy when one of them doesn’t write every day. That way, they won’t have to waste time and paper asking forgiveness for something they are both guilty of.

She has a hard time sympathizing with Dart’s struggles in the pool. Because it’s one of her favorite activities, she doesn’t understand how someone could not enjoy it. Still, she wishes him the best of luck in passing the required tests.

She deems them “quite a pair,” with all his washing and all her ironing. She would rather be washing, but since grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, she suspects that he thinks ironing is the better deal.

The fact that he’s been at the school for four weeks doesn’t seem real to her; it feels more like four months! As always, it’s late and she’s tired. Before turning in, she hears a news report that announces more hot and humid weather is on it’s way.