Burke came home yesterday, looking terrible at his new weight of 148 pounds. “You’d miss him if you looked for him and didn’t know where he was standing.”  His homecoming was celebrated with a big family dinner that included his girlfriend Edie.

Today Dart drove Burke around town. They visited Burke’s best friend, Stan Downs at a theater. Dart learned that Burke has a few dates lined up with girls other than Edie because Edie has some dates of her own. “Oh Darling, how much nicer the world would be if all couples could be as passionately in love as we are!”

Dart’s grades were a mixed bag. He’s entirely satisfied with his A in psychology, but disappointed with the C in political science. His goal now is to raise that C while maintaining the A.

Although he’s feeling lousy tonight, with a sore throat and general malaise, he’ll try to answer one letter, leaving him with four more to get to when he can.

“Maybe it’s a bit of wishful thinking on my part, but from your 26 July letter I’m inclined to think that you more or less approve of ‘playing with fire’ (for us), as long as we can know when to put it out, and how. That suits me. Yes, we do know what leads up to it, and  I think we can recognize the fact in time.”

He agrees that their visit to the doctor and the minister should be about a week before they’re married. He regrets they don’t live closer to each other so scheduling such a meeting would be easier. It’s settled then: They will do a little reading on the subject during their honeymoon while leaving plenty of time for practicing what they’ve read.

Horror of horrors! He gives Dot permission to burn some of his letters, asking only that she save some of his descriptive ones and the ones they are both sentimental about. He says he will do the same. Thank heaven they both decided against such a drastic step!

#          #          #

Dot missed her chance to write last night when Gib wanted company. She sat with him for about two hours and talked about…Dart.

In addition to taking care of the Pecsok family today, Dot also set aside an hour to do Mrs. Miller’s hair. Both Billy and Linda Pecsok were “good as gold” while she tended to Mrs. Miller. How Dot wants Dart to meet this family! Billy looks like a baby food model and he never cries. Linda is sweet and very helpful, even though she’s only two years old. Dot knows she’s going to miss this family when she moves back into her house.

“Gib and I have been discussing child discipline and it’s my opinion he has it all over the Millers. He’s never spanked the children, but they are the most obedient children she’s ever known (And I’ve seen a few in my day.) They know when he’s kidding and when he means business, and act accordingly. ”

She’s surprised that Fred is engaged. She thought he wasn’t ready to settle down for a long time. Anyway, she wishes them both the best of luck.

She missed the Northern Lights that he saw last week, but she’s had the pleasure of seeing them several times at Lake Sunapee. They’re beautiful and uncanny.

It sounds as though they are having so much company that maybe she shouldn’t plan on coming out in September. She’s never fancied the bathtub as a bed. She could always try and bum a bed at the home of one of her Andrews School friends, but that wouldn’t be much fun.

She’s glad he likes the sound of her laughter. The kids at the playground tease her about it, saying it sounds like water bubbling over. That sounds like a compliment to me.

It sometimes feels as though it were she who got such great results on those aptitude test. She’s so proud of him, but not at all surprised. She’s always believed he had more going for him than he let himself or others see. “I’ve always known you were extra special.”

It seems to her that she might remember Nancy Sutter from Andrews. Is she blond and did she sing in the glee club?

She fears he was right about her selection as the breakfast cook the other day. It certainly was more her schedule than her cooking abilities that won her that assignment. She has been doing all the cooking at the Pecsok home this week has surprised herself a little at how well she’s managed to do.

If she took the amount of pay that Gib wants to give her, she’d make $78 dollars this week (including her regular job.) He thinks $8.00 a day is fair because he would have had to hire a nurse, a babysitter and someone to clean if she hadn’t been available. She says there’s no way she will accept that much pay, but it’s nice to think someone thinks she’s worth that.

The letter she got from Dart today needs special attention, so she’ll wait until tomorrow to answer it. Does he realize it’s only 36 days until he’s here in Greenwich?

With only 34 days until they see each other, Dart is beginning to stew a little about registration for fall classes. In his heart, his highest priority is to have the longest vacation possible with Dot. But his head is reminding him that he must get signed up for appropriate classes, even if it means cutting his vacation short by a couple of days. It would be terrible if he had a spot reserved for him at Cleveland College, but missed out on a spot in his necessary classes.

He and Tom Reilly went to a movie at the 105th street cinema tonight, and then took a long walk home when it was over. Tom is a good influence on Dart because he’s always reluctant to part with a penny. Dart would love to learn  how to be that frugal. Anyway, they saw a British thriller with an obvious and jerky plot, atrocious sound quality, mediocre acting and the homeliest heroine Dart had ever seen. Even so, Dart enjoyed the film, in spite of it being a war movie.

He made great progress on his train layout today and announces that the whole thing is really starting to come together.

He’s trying not to get his hopes  up to high that Dot may be able to come to Cleveland with him after vacation, but it’s about all he can think about while he’s alone. When he wishes her good night, he asks that she not work so hard that she can’t enjoy her vacation when it comes.

#          #          #

Dot begins her letter with shocking news. Her father’s car was stolen! If it isn’t recovered, they will have to take the train to Sunapee, which is less than ideal. Her dad really depends on that car for his business. Why couldn’t the thief have taken Pegasus instead?

She’s babysitting for the Miller boys tonight, with El filling in for her at the Pecsok’s. As soon as Mr. and Mrs. Miller return, she’ll head back to the Pecsok house.  Although Gib is feeling better and moving around some, Dot will be staying there until Mrs. Pecsok gets home on Tuesday. Dot has big plans for getting the house sparkling clean and the ironing caught up so that Mrs. P. won’t regret having taken a little vacation.

She finishes the letter early Sunday morning so she can mail it on her way to church. Still no sign of her father’s car.

Dart begins, “A year ago tomorrow, the tired old Haggard steamed her last miles at sea, and came home to rest. Gee, we’ve come a long way since then. … A year’s progress has shown itself in countless ways. Best of all have been the end of the war and the enabling of young people to proceed with their plans for security and happiness; the end, for a while at least, of the heartless, purposeless massacre of the young men of nations.”

The family is alarmed by Burke’s thinness. His face is V-shaped and pinched and he weighs less than Dart for the first time since they were young boys. Still, he seems to be his old self, already hanging out with his old group of “musicians and Bohemians.”

Dart feels the need to make excuses for not going to church this morning. He just doesn’t like the Presbyterian minister who is filling in for Mr. Kershner. He knows that’s not a valid excuse, but it’s the only one he has.

He’s noticed his study habits are becoming a little stronger. It remains to be seen if that will show in his grades, but he’s hopeful. Perhaps he was inspired by the dedication in the front of his psych book: To Dorothy

Last night when he came downstairs to meet Tom, his buddy greeted him with “Hello, Chubby.” His appraisal was borne out today when Dart split a seam in the blue trousers he bought right after he got out of the Navy. He hopes it’s the kind of rip that can be easily repaired. “Chubby” might be a bit of an exaggeration: at six feet tall, Dart still doesn’t weigh 170 pounds!

Although he still has two of her letters to answer, he must get to bed. He saw a wedding picture in the Plain Dealer today of the first girl he dated. She’s now Mrs. Bert Nolan. How he wishes Dot were Mrs. Dart Peterson already!

#          #          #

Well, it must be kismet; Dot didn’t make it to church today either. As she was leaving the Pecsok house to pick up her mother, she scraped the car on the garage door frame and pulled the door nearly off. She was so upset that all she could do was shake and cry. Her father came over to take a look and discovered that the car didn’t have a scratch on it. He’ll send someone over this morning to repair the door.

As Dot was weeping inconsolably, Gib put his arm around her to try and comfort her, but all she could think was “Why isn’t he Dart?’ and she cried even harder.

Speaking of cars, her father’s car was returned this morning to the exact place it had been parked when it went missing. That’s a  huge relief, because Arthur Chamberlain did not have theft insurance on the thing.

She thinks they’d better both be very careful at Sunapee. He writes so often about how he doesn’t trust himself, and she’s not all that sure about herself. Naturally, they’ll see each other in bathing suits, because that’s all they wear at the lake, but maybe they’ll “get used to seeing each other that way.” (Nice theory, Dot.)

Finally, she writes that Gib came in to wake her up again this morning because she overslept. Then he lingered in the room for an hour while he and Dot talked and he played with Linda. Dot says he teases her about being fat and she teases him about his gray hair. He insists it’s black and she responded that it’s true – one of them is, but the others are gray. He also said it was a shame bigamy was illegal. Hmm – Dot seems to think he’s harmless because he’s happily married and he’s 36 years old! I think she’s a little naive and it’s a good thing Mrs. Pecsok comes home tomorrow! I’m guessing Dart will agree.

Dart’s bruised back is tired and he has a cold, so even though he got two swell letters from Dot today, he will keep this one very short and get to bed.

“One letter carried an answer to my passionate and personal one of last week. As I read your reply, I felt closer to you than I’ve felt since our very last day together before you went home.”

“I love you somepin’ fierce, Dot.”

#          #          #

As Dot kissed the kids goodnight, she felt a huge lump in her throat. She’s going to miss them terribly when she goes home.

She can’t picture Burke being skinnier than Dart, but she bets that he’ll put back every ounce in short order, especially with his mother’s great cooking. She hadn’t know that he and Edie were dating other people. Well, she guesses that’s for the best, if they can’t be as happy together as she and Dart are. Even though it’s been hard for them to be so young and so much in love, she thinks they’re both happier than either of them would be if they were still “looking around.”

She doesn’t think she has the heart to burn his letters, after all. Although there have been one of two recent ones that really must go, just for safety’s sake.

It sounds as though his friend Tom would be a good influence on Dart. “You wouldn’t know me as I am now. I pinch the pennies so hard now, tears run down Lincoln’s face. Ah! but the results are beginning to show! With Gib’s check today, she has $130 in her bank account. (How striking that she and Dart have the exact total bank balance!)

He can put his fears to rest. She’ll never be too tired to enjoy a vacation with as charming and wonderful a guy as he!

She marvels at the coincidence that neither of them made it to church on Sunday. She had a feeling he missed it, too, even before she got his letter confirming it.

In Dart’s recent letter when he wrote about splitting his pants, he joked with her about her idea that she would lose one pound for every one that he gained. While he assured her that he didn’t care a hoot about her weight, he asked her how that deal was working out. She responds, “Lessee. What did happen to that deal about me  losing a pound? Must look into that (sometime). Well, darn it, I like to eat! And I love you!”

Dart has been unable to find the English department open whenever he’s stopped by, so he’s made no progress toward settling his fall schedule. While in psychology class today, he asked Nancy Sutter if she had sung in the Andrews glee club, and she confirmed that she had. “In the course of this class on the psychology of personality, the topic of sex comes up quite frequently. I noticed today that she was embarrassed very much. Almost, in fact, as much as I was.”

He writes that the class this term is far smaller than the one last term. Consequently, it is far less formal and tends more toward lively and open discussions than to lectures. For the most part, he seems to enjoy that.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses are convening in Cleveland this week and have nearly taken over all public space. Pairs of them are also placed every 35 feet downtown, trying to widely distribute copies of their publication “The Watchtower” to passers-by. Dart was “accosted” by a pair today, saying “Read the Truth and be Happy.” Dart replied that he was very happy and that he’d never found the truth, to which one of the JW replied, “You can’t be happy until you read the truth!” His psychology class has been discussing a common statement to be used on these folks, but have been unable to find a solution.

Just think! in about 31 days, he’ll be with her and on their way to Sunapee. He must get a letter off to Hal Martin to see if he’ll be able to stop by the Chamberlain camp while he and Dot are there. Speaking of the trip, Dart has been thinking of taking the bus instead of the train to Greenwich. It would cost time, but save money.

How he hopes  he can learn to be the kind of father Mr. Pecsok is. Dart fears that Dot is partly responsible for spoiling the Miller children.

Yes, it is strange about Fred. Dart doubts the marriage will last, but Fred is a determined cuss, and Bettie has put up with him this long, so maybe it’ll all work out.

Foremost on Dart’s mind tonight – other than how much he misses Dottie, is who will do the cooking at Sunapee. I notice he didn’t volunteer!

#          #          #

Listening to David Rose on the radio playing “If I Loved You” has put Dot into a romantic mood. She can think of nothing to write about except how lonely she is for Dart – even to the point of being jealous of every affectionate gesture she witnesses between Gordon and Betty or her parents. She can’t believe it hasn’t even been two months since she waved good-bye to him of the train platform, but  it seems like an eternity. How will she stand the 8 or 9 months that she’ll go without seeing him after their Sunapee vacation?

“Ever since I met you and fell in love with you, I’ve been waiting for the future, our future together, that is taking so long to get here. Why do I love you so much? No matter why I do, I wouldn’t have it any other way, Dearest, but sometimes it hurts an awful lot. I never dreamed love could be such a combination of joy and heartache.”

“Tomorrow’s another day and I must rise early and go to work at the Miller’s. I’m glad my time is so filled, but I am living and working for the day when it will be filled with nothing but making a home for you.”

She’s sure there’s more news to write, but all she wants to do is think about him. With that, she fears she’ll burst into tears if she doesn’t stop thinking about him. Before she gets the paper soggy, she begs him to let his parents know that she’ll get on the ball in the next day or two and write them a nice letter.

There’s been no letter from Dot in two days and Dart’s beginning to worry that she’s been working too hard. “Now, just for all my worries, I’ll probably get a letter from you tomorrow telling of what a wonderful time you had at the movies, or some such thing.”

Dart has finally arranged a schedule for fall term, and it’s a “real killer.”  He’ll be taking Prose Workshop, Journalism, Industrial Management, Spanish, American Literature, and Photography. On Thursday, his classes run almost continuously from 10:15 until 4:15, with another one thrown in from 8:00 until 9:45 PM. With no classes on Friday and only one afternoon class on Monday, every week will give him a 3-1/2 day weekend. “Now, if I am real industrious, maybe I can have a Hi-Y club on Monday or Wednesday.”

He explains that the GI Bill gives him $500 per academic year for tuition, fees and books. This semester’s tuition comes to $225, leaving him just $25 for books, and perhaps a camera. He guesses he won’t be buying any fancy “press” camera, which can cost as much as $25 on its own.

He assures Dot that she’s not the only one who bangs garages. Burke did the same to the family garage this week. The building was fine, but the car took a hit. Did the accident put her off driving? He doubts it did, but he wishes he’d been there to console her, instead of Gib.

“Tonight I feel restless, listless, or anxious over something. I surely hope you’re alright, Dot. You seem to be connected to my anxiety some way. You aren’t ill or indisposed, are you?”

Deeming himself in no fit state to write a decent letter tonight, he decides to answer two short ones he has from her, dated August 3 and 4. The big news of the first was the theft of Arthur’s car, but that is relieved by news the next day that it have been returned.

It sounds to him as though she’s doing the work of two people when she works for folks like the Pecsoks and the Millers. As much as she accomplishes around there, he thinks $8 a day doesn’t sound like too much.

At this moment, Dart feels pretty secure in their ability to behave themselves on the September vacation. As long as they keep in their minds the idea of the crisis they would create were they to break their promise, he’s confident they can control themselves.

In answer to Dot’s question as to whether his mother would be shocked to know that Gib awoke her one morning while still in his pajamas, and then proceeded to hang out in her room chatting, while he played with his young daughter, Dart responds, “Yes, Mom’d be shocked and so am I. He wouldn’t put anything over on you, would he? See, I told you I was prone to be extremely jealous.”

#          #          #

It’s been a slow day at Dot’s playground today. For a little while, there was only one kid named Freddy, but he got tired of losing to her in their games of checkers so he went home.

“We had out first accident (and I hope it’s our last) at the playground on Tuesday.  A five-year old fell off a swing and broke his arm. He was singing and making gestures with his arms and lost his balance. It wasn’t a bad break, but it did spoil our record. I’ve done all I could to show interest and sympathy to Frankie but his mother, I’m afraid, will hold it against me for life. She can’t seem to understand why I have to spend a little of my time watching some of the other (30-odd) children.”

She bets he looks like a professor in his new glasses. If she remembers correctly, glasses make him look rather distinguished.

How glad she is there was no serious damage when he took such a painful fall from the deck chair the other day! Still, maybe there’s some truth to his “Chubby” nickname.

This letter was interrupted when another checkers enthusiast came to challenge Dot. She guesses his ego was bruised a bit when she beat him, because he ended up leaving, too. “Ain’t it sumpin’? Sit here under a shady tree all day and do nothing but play checkers, jacks, horseshoes, and gab, gab, gab.”

Four weeks from tomorrow he’ll be on his way to see her! She hopes he’s been keeping in touch with Hal Martin and has reminded him of that wiener roast! And speaking of vacation, El has found a friend to accompany her as chaperone – her childhood friend Nancy Bristol – who has a vacation from her nursing job that week in September.  Dot asks if  having two chaperones will cramp Dart’s style.

Tonight she got a jarring ride home from the playground in a 1930 Ford. There were four old-timers playing horseshoes when the park closed, so they offered to give her a lift. It was bumpy but loads of fun.

She’s enclosing a snapshot of her place of business – the Cos Cob playground. The bench behind the fence is where she spends most of her day. The nearest headstone is in memory of Chief Cossa Cobba, for whom Cos Cob was named.

She loves him every minute, even when she’s sleeping – which is what she must do now.

No letters tomorrow, so I’ll return on the 10th. See you then.

Dart gives a weather report of today’s events – sun, wind, rain, cold -and announces that autumn has come early to Ohio this year.

Like Dot, he also neglected to write yesterday. Today he drove Burke downtown to do some shopping while Dart picked up his “specs.” He’s afraid there may be something wrong with them because his eyes ache right now. Perhaps he just needs to give them more time. He hopes they help to eliminate the headaches.

After supper last night, he, Homer and two guys from Homer’s class went to see a spy-thriller called “O.S.S.” Dart liked it, but now wishes he’d spent his money on something more permanent.

Today he did a lot of track laying and his elbow is tender from having to drive all the tiny spikes in with his pliers. He did lots of cosmetic work on his interurban cars and thinks they look really nice. He’s especially proud of the cow-catcher he made for one of them, doing all the soldering himself.

Tomorrow the family is invited over to the Burke’s house for supper – a kind of welcome home celebration for Burke. Dot should see the poor family car now! His brother had left paint from the right side hanging on the garage last week. Then today, when Pop was returning from visiting Uncle Guy in the hospital, some “goober” pulled out in front of him and rammed into the left side of the car. Half the left side of the car is in the street at Ninth and Carnegie, and the rest of the side is bashed, bent and bruised. Dart rues the day and a half he spent last week, washing, waxing and polishing the thing.

He asks Dot to let him know when she starts the process of burning the letters because he doesn’t want to start before her. He assures her that Burke doesn’t look quite so emaciated now, but still mighty skinny. He congratulates her on her big earnings last week and the size of her savings account.

He won’t answer her very homesick letter that she wrote on Aug. 7, but he wonders if that was the night he was feeling so much anxiety about her. (Wouldn’t surprise me at all.)

“Good night, Darling. I’m glad we waited for each other. I love you very much, dear. I wish we were together tonight. I’m so lonesome for YOU!”

#          #          #

Dot didn’t write last night because she treated El to a night at the movies and they didn’t get home until after 1:00. She was too tired to write, and tonight she’s in the same boat.

She hated spending the money for two tickets to the movies, but El has been working until 11:00 every night and Dot felt she needed a night out. They saw “Night and Day,” which was a bit of a disappointment to Dot, even though it was in Technicolor and had beautiful music.

She sat for the Millers tonight and reports that Eric and Chris were pretty well behaved. If she’s guilty of spoiling them, it’s because she doesn’t switch them as often as Mrs. Miller would have her do.  “Their lives seem to be a string of threats and bribes. I’m not in favor of either, but I s’pose with someone else’s kids I shouldn’t let personal feelings enter my thoughts.”

She’s too sleepy to continue, except to say she loves him forever.

Dart’s mind is full and his heart is heavy this evening. He’s worried sick about his father who seems to be in a very bad state. Dart describes a 53-year old man who acts older than 70. He doesn’t eat, can’t sleep, sits in a chair all evening, never opening the magazine that rests in his lap. He is quick to anger, slow to laugh. He walks bent over and is exhausted by a 1-hour trip downtown in the car. He is meek a reclusive, rarely speaking to even his closest family. Dart describes him as a “broken man.” Today, I think we would say he was deeply depressed.

In his anger and worry, Dart lashes out at the unnamed culprit whom he blames for causing this terrible state of affairs.  “I think I know what has made him as he is, but it is 12 years too late to correct it. …When I think of Pop whom I left three years ago as a relatively young man, I see the inside at what has befallen him. …Let us guard against the reaction of subservience. Let us not permit others to have such a verbal hold on us that we have no will of our own for fear of incurring the wrath of an abusive, self-centered bigot …who can be one of the world’s 10 nastiest men. …I’m sensitive, as is Pop. But Heaven help me if I’m ever so sensitive as to be emotionally high-strung for days after two hours of abuse from a profane, overbearing, thoughtless person.”

Dart continues, saying he lays the blame directly at the feet of this person. “I don’t believe he realizes it himself, in his arrogance or his self-indulgent ignorance. A  man with a closed mind and an open mouth is a poor sort with whom to associate. May we be delivered from such things ourselves.”

This anonymous villain was most probably Dart’s Uncle Guy – Dart, Sr.’s younger brother, of whom a good word was rarely spoken.

Changing the subject, Dart tells Dot that he has a psych test tomorrow. Although he studied all evening, he doubts the time he put in did much good.

He has also been feeling a great deal of angst about another matter. He is of the belief that he will have to pay the transportation and lodging for any groomsmen he asks to be in their wedding. He is ashamed that he doesn’t have enough money to do that. He could ask his brother to pay his own way to Greenwich and maybe Hal Martin would drive down from Boston to be in the wedding, but Dart sees no way that he could afford to bring his friends from home. He’s also worried that his folks will not be able to afford the train tickets when the time comes, and he’s berating himself that he’s unable to subsidize their trip. He doesn’t know much about making wedding plans, but he hopes that he and Dot will be able to talk the plans over before anything’s put into place. He says he will dissolve into a pool of perspiration and shame if his lack of resources causes the Chamberlain family to have to reduce their plans for the Big Day. He has his war bonds, but those are the only savings he has for a long-term rainy day fund, and he suspects they’ll be more needed down the road than for the wedding.

He responds to her homesick letter of August 7, saying the only thing he can add is that every word she wrote could have been puled from his own heart. He misses her every moment of the day and night, and nothing lessens his aching for her.

He liked the photo she sent of her playground and he comments on the note she included on the back of it. Apparently she mentioned something about trying to get “just any job” at the telephone company when her playground job is up. Dart really likes that idea because she should be able to transfer to a position in Cleveland next June, and he’s heard they are a very good company to work for.

He sends sympathies for little Frankie’s broken arm, and he assures Dot that having Nancy Bristol as an additional chaperone will give his mother assurances about the state of things while he and Dot are at the lake cottage in September.

#          #          #

Wow! Dot is hot under the collar today! She just received Dart’s letter of August 8, and she has plenty to say about it. In fact, she writes him two letters to cover the topic fully. I’ll begin by quoting the content of the first letter, nearly verbatim.

If I had thought you’d be the least bit worried or jealous, I never would have told you about Mr. Pecsok! NO! He wouldn’t put anything over on me! I’m surprised you’d even think of such a thing. Remember, even statistics claim there are a few decent men in the world, and I’m sure he’s one of them.  If visiting Panama and a few other questionable places has made you doubt or suspect the character of every human being, then it would have been much better if you hadn’t been there. And what opinion must you have of me? Don’t you think I know the difference between right and wrong? Honestly, some of your remarks sound just like something said by an old maid.

When I write and tell you everything that happens, I do it because I think you want to know, not because I want to make you jealous or I want you to doubt me. If you prefer, I’ll write only about the routine of my day, and not bore or trouble you with any variety which may enter it. We’ve agreed to tell each other everything, but if you’re going to make a mountain out of a mole hill, and worry about nothing at all, then I think I better keep some things to myself.

After September there will be eight months when we don’t see each other at all. Do you think you can trust me for that long? I love you with all my heart and in every way possible. To me, that means I completely trust you and your actions without question. I thought you felt the same way. Am I wrong? For pity’s sake, don’t you start treating me like a child, too! I’m a big girl now.

Yours always (?)

Dorothy

I think this is one of the most concise and articulate letters ever written. I’m so proud of that young lady for speaking her mind and putting her “old man” fiance in his place. She follows later that day with this:

“This morning I wrote a rather cold and bitter note. As is usually the case after one of those flare-ups, I wish I hadn’t mailed it. You’d be doing be a great favor if you would disregard it entirely. It was stupid of me to write it in the first place and it would be even more stupid to discuss it further.”

“I love you, Dart, and that’s the important thing. Were it not for my love for you I wouldn’t have been so concerned about your letter. Let’s let bygones be bygones and forget the whole thing.”

Always your very own,

Dot

Dart’s letter today is accompanied by one of his cute little cartoon drawings. It features a dog house, clearly labeled with a rooftop sign that says “Dottie’s Dog House.” From the shadowed recesses of the opening, all one can see is two eyes. The caption reads “Kin I come out now?”  Any guesses what the attached letter might be about?

Dearest Dot,

My face is still stinging from the well-deserved slapping I got today. It’s too bad you weren’t here to do it yourself instead of doing it by letter. You showed remarkably poor judgement in choosing me for a fiance, for I am no more worthy of you than I am able to jump the Moon. If ever I deserved a slapping it was for the reasons you gave to me in your letter today. It would do no good to say I’m sorry, for I’ve said those words so many times that they have no meaning for you.

Your ideas that I didn’t trust you cut me more deeply than anything else. If I didn’t trust you, Dot, there’d be not one thing for me to believe in. You are engaged to one of the world’s most childish people, and now you know it. An old maid? That sounds familiar.

Maybe I should stick to the facts: offer no comments, ideas, or humor. There are no reasons to give for my conduct. I realize that it has been at times the most scurrilous, reprehensible, utterly damnable, of all methods of human action.

My pen has taken me into trouble before. If you dare to take back a single thing you said in that letter, you should be spanked by your father, for to take back any of the things you said, or to talk yourself out of them, would be making amends to me and I deserve no such thing.

I am a cynic, a hypocrite. I condemn others for doing what I have done. In others whom I criticize, I see my own faults. Your statistics of a few decent men in the world sure don’t include me.

You know me now, which is perhaps better than knowing me after our wedding. My head is unbowed, but my fists have been clenched till my knuckles turn white ever since I received your letter this afternoon. I’m not eating humble pie. I don’t intend to, for I’m mad, not humbled. I hope I’m mad enough to do something about my maladjustment, instead of succumbing to it as I have done before.

If you think for one minute that I ever doubted your character, or compared you with some of those pseudo-humans I’ve seen some places, you are far mistaken.

I guess the little twisted lines that form words upon paper can surely convey plenty but the intended meanings. Especially when two ideas are placed end-to-end. To blazes with the twinkling eye, the tongue in cheek. Eternal perdition awaits the author of the thoughtless word. (What did I say about Fred’s humor coming too close to cynicism? Or was it I, who didn’t recognize his humor?) Maybe it was funny, only I wasn’t in the mood to make it so. Maybe it wasn’t. But funny or not, it was a damned poor thing for an allegedly decent young American man to write to the young lady in which he has placed his entire hopes, trust, and faith for the future.

In spite of all, you end your letter with the affirmation that you trust me and my actions without question. What a wonderfully loyal person you are, Dot, to launch a volley like that one, then end it with such a statement. You are not wrong, Dot. I feel the same way.

This should end here.It would have more force if it did. Since I read your letter I have been composing my response, and the material I’d prepared would fill five such letters. Some of it would be repetition. Some would be defense. (There might be some truth in it, too.) There are thousands of ideas that might be pursued in answering your letter. My crusade in the letter is over, but I’m still thinking.

He tells her he still feels like writing more on this topic but decides answering her other letters might be a good tactic at this time. He fears her response to his letter from last night might be as violent as the one he just answered.

His psych test had 79 questions, and he’s not too confident about the outcome.

He, too, is not in favor of threats and bribes as ways of controlling children. From what the psych books say, it all boils down to “Some people got it, some ain’t.” He assures Dot that she’s “got it,” where child rearing is concerned.

“If I can still come with you to Sunapee, I’ll bring my hiking shoes, my no-doze pills, my water wings, a hunting knife (any bears up there?), and a pocket compass. Also a camera. I hope we can do most of what El plans.”

He should arrive in Greenwich around lunch time on Saturday, allowing time to rest up from his train trip before leaving for Sunapee on Sunday.

He hopes she can make the trip back with him. He’d rather not surprise his parents with her arrival, lest they think he was returning home with his bride. Anyway, he’s already told them that she might be coming for a visit.

“Good night, Dot. There’s a great pressure of amorous feelings inside me, but even though I might be in the mood to write them, I think they’d be inappropriate tonight. I love you very much and trust you to the end of the world. Please believe me.”

#          #          #

Eleven months ago, Dart gave Dot her beautiful diamond ring. In spite of today’s rain and gloom, that little diamond has been sparkling to beat the band, keeping Dot’s spirits from getting too damp.

The playground was closed due to the weather, but the never-idle Dot worked at the Miller’s house instead. Now she is hosting her six-year old niece Gale for a sleepover.

Dot made the family dinner tonight, with Gale’s help. Then they played beauty shop and Gale can’t wait until tomorrow to see how beautiful she’ll look after Dot set her hair.

Dot stopped by the Pecsok’s today and had a great visit with the kids. Mr. and Mrs. P are going out of town on Wednesday, so Dot will be spending the night with the kids.

Although Dot got two letters from Dart today, she’ll take a page from his book and not try to answer them now, due to extreme tiredness. She was tempted to go to bed when Gale did because the tyke will be up at dawn, begging for a story. Instead, she’s writing this letter and listening to Fred Waring on the radio.

“They say, and I hope ‘they’re’ right, that it’s going to rain for four days. Saturday is Island Beach Day and I’ll be run ragged. There are all kinds of swimming, diving, and land events. All the kids from the 13 playgrounds in town attend the shindig. I’m to be one of the judges and have already had my life threatened if I don’t judge the way “my gang” wants me to.”

If she goes to bed now it’ll be the first time in months that she got to sleep before 10:30. She likes the sound of that, and so she signs off, with all her love.