Dart is in a funk. “I have nothing on Earth to gripe about , except that you’re away, and I feel grumpy and dissatisfied.

He stayed up until 3:30 last night working on his prose assignment. He’d written a humorous treatment on “Why my hobby?” and called it The Iron Hobby Horse. “By the time I typed it this evening it was cold and dead. It was 400 words too long but I don’t feel like cutting it. The feeble humor was sour. I expect to be severely criticized for wordiness. Oh well, I can afford a punk one, once in a while.”

Generally, it was a good day at school. The American lit class had lots of fun and Dart was able to contribute salient points to the discussions. He read his industry chapter on the streetcar and it was the first chapter he’s read that he could understand. He even contributed to that class discussion, which he’s never done before. He even ran into his old friend Elmer Manley today and learned that Elmer and his fiance have moved their wedding from 1948 to 1947. (Perhaps they’re having similar difficulties to D&D trying to wait so long.) Anyway, Dart hopes the four of them will be able to spend some time together after they all get married next year.

Suddenly this evening, his happy bubble burst and he found himself blue and lonely. How he misses Dot.

His cousin Jim and wife Dot will be getting a baby within the week. They began the adoption process before the war and were approved on Dec. 9, 1941, days before Jim was to be shipped out. They put off the adoption at that time, but now they’ve learned they’re getting a brown-eyed baby girl on Thursday. She’s just a few months old.

He hopes Dot will forgive another brief letter, but he’s too tired to write. Also too tired to proof-read, so he advises her to take caution while reading.