Today Dart deposited the last of his mustering out money and then ran around downtown paying Peterson family bills. It must be getting rather bleak around that household with no one in the family bringing in a pay check.
When he got home, Al was waiting for him. The two spent the afternoon working on Dart’s yellow interurban car in the basement. “Tried to work a few of the bugs out. Got a few out, put a few in, and later, Al left.”
He and Homer spent a pleasant evening with fellow train nuts. The purpose of the gathering was to decide if they would form a “society of friends,” who would meet monthly for the sheer pleasure of discussing their mutual interest and learning from each other what they could regarding the hobby of model railroading. Dart received numerous compliments on his little red car before he placed it on the track for a trial run. Although its performance left a great deal to be desired, he learned from some of the men there what he must do to get the car to run faster, more smoothly, and with fewer jumps off the track.
When he described for Dot one of the trains brought by Mr. Jacoby, I had to smile a little. He described the fine detail of the interior furnishings of this toy passenger train, down to plates and vases of flowers on the tables in the dining car, and toilets in the restroom. It reminded me of a group of women admiring a perfectly furnished miniature dollhouse, with no detail overlooked.
On the way back, Homer told Dart he needed to tell him something that might make Dot blow her smokestack. His plans to meet Janie and escort her on the big group date to a play in Cleveland have been thwarted by events beyond his control. Without consulting Homer, his older brother booked him on a train to Boston so that Homer could collect the brother’s car and drive it back to Cleveland before the brother is shipped out to sea. Unfortunately, the trip is scheduled for the night of the play.
Actually, Dot will know all about this before getting the letter, because Dart and Homer plan to drive to Kent tomorrow night so that he can meet Janie and tell her to her face that he must break their date. Homer feels that is much more gentlemanly than to just break it over the phone without ever having met the young lady.
Even those plans may change at the last moment. He may have to go to the train station to meet Uncle Ed and Aunt Blanche who have cut their Florida vacation short in order to see Aunt Flora before she passes.
Dart expresses his sadness that Flora has had to suffer for so many weeks. There is nothing more that can be done to make her comfortable, yet she still lingers. Surely now it can only be hours or days. He has doubts about the humanity of allowing someone for whom there is no hope of recovery suffer so much.” The anxiety and waiting is showing on the rest of the family, too. It surely is a shame.”
“It’s now quarter to three and time for us to go to bed. I wish that I could wake you up in the morning. I miss you terribly. It seems as hard to say goodnight to you tonight as it is when we are together in more than spirit.”
# # #
Dot writes a 3/4 page note before running off to class. It was wonderful to see him but she now misses him even more.
She mentions that she has completed her application, including an essay about her ideas of religion and how it should be demonstrated on campus, in the community, and in the church. Now that she has read about this camp she wants very badly to go. (I think this must have something to do with that opportunity she called Dart about a few days ago.)
She’s very happy he got to spend time with Dot and Leon because now there are two more people in the world who think he’s wonderful.