Another very short note from Dart. He’s still glowing from the phone call – it was good to hear Dot so talkative and so happy.

He’s boned up for hours on psychology tonight, but he still feels far out to sea on most of it. He has is usual dire predictions about the test tomorrow.

It’s nearly 2 a.m. but he took a 3-hour nap today after mowing the lawn. Still, the test awaits and he must sleep.

#          #          #

Dot’s letter is also very short, and also written at 2 a.m. An old roommate of El’s is visiting, so the older girls, plus Dot and her father stayed up very late playing rummy. They did take a break around 1:00 for roast beef sandwiches and coffee. Since then they’ve been sitting around chatting.

El’s friend Vonnie has just lived through a terrible ordeal. Her husband was back from the war for two weeks before he got in touch with his wife. When he did, he told her that he didn’t love her, had never loved her, and he was leaving immediately. El says that before he left for the Army, she’d never seen two happier people than Vonnie and Craig. The story reminds Dot that the casualties of war extend far beyond those killed in action.

Just a note here on the fate of Vonnie: She went on to meet a wonderful man named Jim and had a long and happy marriage with him. She and Eleanor remained fast friends until the end of their lives when they were both in their mid 80’s. I wonder if part of the bond they shared was the experience of having once loved and lost.

At  Dart’s request, she’s sending the mailing address for Sunapee. It’s a post office box, and the post office closes on September 15. It’s a good thing they’ll be leaving there on the 16th, or there’d be no way for anyone to reach them until spring!

Her father has been looking so tired and run down lately that she’s thankful he’ll be leaving soon to spend a few days at his beloved lake. Both Gordon and George are pitching in to run the business while he’s away, and now he’s so eager that he’s talking about driving up Tuesday night after he gets off work. “You’d have to live with this family to understand how very much we all love Sunapee. Everything else is forgotten when Sunapee plans are in the making. There isn’t a closer family unit than ours when we’re all at the lake together. Forgive me for going on so much about it. Guess it’s in my blood. I sure hope it lives up to your expectations of it.”

There’s something that Dot has been turning over in her mind for quite some time. She’s concerned that his folks won’t make the trip out to their wedding next June. Having them miss the ceremony would be as sad for her as if her own parents did. She feels that somehow, she and Dart must make sure they do all that’s required to get them to come. Although they’ve made enough plans for that penny collection to spend it ten times over, she can think of no higher purpose for it than paying for his parents’ trip to Connecticut next summer.

She’d like to write all night, but it’s very late. Does he realize they will see each other in less than 226  hours?