Dart’s letter today is short, and not too sweet. He has a headache and is hungry. He says he’s written no letters this week in a kind of mourning over the grade he’s sure he’ll get on the final exam. The entire class dreads the test, which can be sprung on them any time now. To top it all off, he’s worried about his family – so worried he sent them a telegram. He hasn’t heard from them since the big explosion a few days ago.

A bright spot in his life was mail call when he returned from Point Montara; four letters from Dot, two from his folks, and four from various other folks. Of course, he’ll answer Dot’s first. He likes her plan of taking the Monday train, arriving in Cleveland about the same time as he would on Tuesday morning. (If…) His mother has promised to have spaghetti for Dot, but the only enticement Dart needs is to be with his family and his girl.

Her description of rearranging the stock at work reminded him of his days as a stock boy at the Pick and Pay Food Mart. Saturday mornings were hard labor for the stock boys – far to much physical exertion to suit Dart.

He tells her he has done his cramming for the final by cramming all his books into his locker. He’s very afraid of this exam and sees no hope in more studying.