Dart had a very disappointing day. The dean of Western Reserve said he shouldn’t count on getting into that school any time soon. The June class is nearly full and September is filling quickly. They give admission preference to the students who attended there before the war, so transfer students have very little chance. Then he went to Case to inquire about his chances for re admittance; the news there was grim. Case has a policy of never readmitting students who left because of academic performance. The dean will look at Dart’s war records and decide if he will make an exception, but Dart was told not to expect anything.
What Dart wants most in life is to marry Dot. To do so, he must press forward with his education so that he can support a family. Today didn’t move him one inch closer to the goal, and he is deeply discouraged.
This afternoon, Dart and Homer hung out and ran some errands. They picked up some silly photos of Dot from the Eastman Kodak store, one of which shocked Dart. Hmmmmm…that certainly makes me wonder what could have been so shocking. Was it a “come hither” look in her eye, or did she hike her skirt above the knee?
He goes on at length about his and Homer’s visit to the home of Mr. Blum, a wealthy lawyer and model train collector. Dart seems to feel an unnecessary degree of contempt for the man’s layout. Mr. Blum brags about spending over $50,000 for someone to design the layout, someone else to build it, a third person to wire it, and numerous companies to hand-craft his $200 (each) locomotives. What seems to irk Dart the most is that Mr. Blum doesn’t even know how to run the controls, relying instead on his 10-year old children to do the job.
Switching topics, he writes, “How do you like that big, soft, lonesome bed by now? I sure wish it weren’t so empty. I have a remedy in mind, but it’d be best not to state it here. Gee whiz, Dot — what are you blushing for?”
Since he’s gravitating to small talk, he thinks it’s time to wrap up this letter. The big talk is that he loves her very much. “The fact that we love each other so much more after we are acquainted sort of proves the old biz about love at first sight. Proves it can be, at least. Dot, I miss you terribly. Please come home.”
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Dot skipped social dancing tonight because she had a headache and she wanted to get more settled into her new room. The girls just burst into her room to regale her with tales of all the new men on campus. Last night when she practiced dancing with Mid, she learned she’s a good follower. Now, if Dart can learn to lead well, they should have no problems.
She had her first class in naval history today. If she thought it would be an easy class, she was mistaken. Meeting three days a week, the class must read 100 pages of outside reading before each class. Notes must be taken in ink, and at any time, students must be prepared to take over the class and lecture for one hour on the topic at hand. Also, the professor announced that he never gives A’s. She’s feeling discouraged already, but the subject matter is fascinating to her. In typing, she’s doing fairly well, and is eager to work hard so she can become a proficient typist.
A note in her mailbox today summoned her to a three-hour test session with the psychologist tomorrow. Among other things, they will be looking at her musical aptitude. She’ll give Dart the full dope when she gets the results.
She promised her mother that she’d write tonight, so she’s enclosing a teensy bit of the love she feels for Dart into this letter, in hopes that he’ll feel how much she does love him. How she misses him!