Dart seems to be in a strange mood as he returns from liberty and begins to write. This brief letter consists mostly of a complaint about the size and design of his foot locker, in which he must stow all of his reglation gear and his personal belongings. He can barely reach his locker, stored under the bottom bunk which is occupied by a drunken sailor “sleeping one off.”
The ship’s gagnway (which is really just a ladder flung over the side) has been busy today with all sorts of visitors. Most have them are looking on the wrong ship, but occasionally the visitor is for the Haggard. “But I have not the desire nor the purpose to discuss the rovings of mangy dogs. I mean to tell you how very much I love you. Just for your describing yourself mowing the lawn, I think now that I will try to surprise you! So there!”
Dot, too, is in a strange mood. She’s so lonely for Dart, and it’s been a week since she got any mail from him. She tells him about a vivid dream she had last night where Dart was being towed by his ship while he rode in a row boat. She deduced that meant he was on his way hope and would be here in about two weeks. She woke herself up screaming out to her mother, “Dart’s on his way home!” Her mother came to her room, shook her awake, and told her what a foolish notion it was that he should be coming home now. It took Ruth a long time to convince Dot that the dream wasn’t real.
“Golly, Dart, I was so sure! But why torture myself by thinking it? Only sometimes, I get to a point when I think I’ll go stark, raving mad if I don’t see you soon.” Actually, I’m enthralled by the fact that she has picked up on some kind of vibe that he’s heading back to the States!
In other news, she and El bought matching “sister dresses” to wear on the Miller’s sailboat this weekend. And Mrs. Miller got so many compliments on her hair after Dot set it for her, that everyone thought she’d had it done professionally. “Think I ought to go into business? Huh, got so many businesses now I can’t keep ’em straight.”
“Darling, I miss you so much I don’t know how I’ll stand it, but you know the old saying, ‘Where there’s a will, there’re relatives.'”
