A weary but excited Dot writes a brief letter today. She had another solo day in the Young Men’s department at work, with Mr. Goldstein still on vacation. The back-to-school sales are bringing in more customers than she’s had all summer, increasing her daily sales totals by more than 125% over her usual average. The place was so busy today that when the store closed, her department looked like a cyclone had passed through. If she keeps up this pace, by the time she quits on September 1, she hopes Mr. Goldstein will be sad to see her leave. When she gave her notice, she writes that she “felt like thanking him for all the raises he promised me that I never got, but I figured it was wiser to be diplomatic about the whole thing, in case I want to work there during Christmas vacation. (Heaven forbid!)”

She’s betting that Dart’s folks won’t be getting much sleep for the rest of the summer. First, Burke comes home on leave, followed by Dart’s long visit. “I wonder if I’ll be as wonderful to my perspective daughter-in-law as your mother’s been to me. Guess I won’t do any serious worrying about it until the time comes. But when the time does come, remind me how to act, will you?”

She promises not to keep asking him if he knows when he’ll be in Greenwich. All she asks is that when he knows the date that he let her know he’s coming. She’s worried he might catch her in some of the “costumes” she’s been wearing around the house this week.

Then, to fill up the page, she writes a silly poem Gordon brought home from the Navy:

Rock-a-bye Baby on a tree top.

Better not fall, kid; it’s a hell of a drop! (She’s sure she could do better if she weren’t so tired.)