Dearest Margie: July 26, 1940

My dearest Margie:


I didn't think I could be any happier than I was Sunday night when I found out you were first coming back. Then came the sad news and I didn't think I could feel any worse. But, when the telegram came Wednesday night I just about burst with joy. It was about 100 degrees that night and we had gone down swimming. Then we came back to the Temple and and sat on the grass to keep warm. I was feeling so low, because I had been thinking of all the things we could do when you got back. Then when that fell through I just couldn't quite realize it. So Wednesday night I was sitting on the lawn and thinking of the things we could have done, and feeling low enough to sit on a cigarette and dangle my feet. Then all of a sudden Don said a telegram had come for me and they had returned it to the office. So I went in to phone, not knowing just what to expect, and told the man to read it. Well he got as far as "Mother says you win" and I yelled "that's enough, I'll be right down." Well you should have seen me. I ran out of that Temple with just my bathing suit on, a five blocks to Western Union without stopping. I was so happy I just had to send a telegram. I probably didn't say much, I was so excited, but I do remember saying I was walking on air again, and believe you I was. I walked down the street with the biggest smile on my face that people just stared.

It was sure funny, our stenographer that morning had said, "what's the matter with you; you look as though you'd lost your last friend." When I told her, she said "well, cheer up, something might happen." So when she came to work the next morning and I came downstairs whistling and smiled she said, "O ho, I was right, something did happen didn't it?" And boy did I tell her the good news.

So once again I'm counting the hours until you come, and Margie it's going to be so wonderful. I'll find you a nice place to stay and maybe I can rent a car for part of the time so we can see everything. Yes, I will, now that I think it over.

I want you to tell your mother how much I really appreciate her trust and faith in me, and assure her that I will do everything in my power to see that you are well taken care of, and that no harm will come to you in any way. I'll see to it that you stay in a very respectable place and she will not regret having let you come.

I also want her to know that although I am terribly happy you are coming back, I would not want either of you to do anything that might heavily burden you financially later on.

You know, I could write another story and I think I will, but maybe I should wait until you've been back here. However I feel certain that I can write the finish right now the way we want it to.

That's marvelous that you have sent two more pictures. I think I'll put one on my desk, one on my dresser and carry the third around with me. Much as I would like to do that, I realize that the other two must be sent back. Thank you for being so good to me, but why don't you send them collect? I'm getting to be an awful expense to you and that's not right.

Last night we had a terrific electrical storm here that cooled it off some, so maybe the weather will be good when you get back.

I have just about as hard a time working as you do studying, because all I can think of is what we will do when you get back. I hope I haven't changed any for the worse since I left you. I'm sure I haven't because with you always on my mind I would have to change for the better, but maybe you won't think so when you see me again. After all you've only known me a week, but there's nothing I want more to do, than to keep you feeling toward me the way you do now, or if I'm lucky enough to increase that feeling.

Because of the heat I haven't done anything worth writing about, and I probably won't until August 11th, so these letters might get awfully dull to you, with me talking all about a girl named Alman, and nothing else.

Well, study hard and for everyone 1/10 point you get over a one point maybe I can give you a kiss, huh? I can't very well lose on that, but just because I made that threat don't you go and flunk all your courses. Because I won't really if you don't want me to. (Just try and stop me.)

So until Sunday, I send all of my love,

Jim