My Dearest Pug: August 31, 1940

My Dearest Pug,

Please don't get excited or worried over this special delivery job, I just sent it this way because of Labor Day and I knew this was the only way I could get a delivery to you before Tuesday. I know if I had to wait two days to hear from you I would go beserk.

Darling, thanks so much for calling up it was wonderful to hear from you. However, after I hung up and the spell of hearing your voice had worn off somewhat, I started kicking myself around the room for not being able to think of anything to say. I know if you ever did phone up sometime I would be too surprised to think of anything, and sure enough that's what happened. Later I thought of so many things I could have said like the trip to Fort Worth etc. but when I look back on it, it seems everyting was really quite inconsequential in what I said. That damn Schoth was standing right by the door and I couldn't tell you how much I really missed you and how, hearing your voice like that you should be in my arms and could be telling you how much I love and adore you. I don't care if the world knows it but when I'm telling it to you its only for your ears alone. When I get out to or near the Coast, I will return the call probably a couple of times.

I'm so glad you like "Mom" so well. If you sat and talked that long and she told you all about me when I was so young, I know that she likes you ever so much too. I knew she would, although I haven't heard from her yet. Also glad to hear you and Smitty had such a good time. Was really swell of him to take you to the Victor Hugo, and when I get back the party will be on me.

Pug, I'm surprised at you, and I'm afraid I'm going ot have to disagree wiht you for the first time. It's swell that you're talking to Mr. Cope but I'm afraid Firestone will have to do without me. I'm not going ever to be second to anybody, not even Flood. If I took a job with them and there was a chance to work up to the Presidency I'm afraid Flood would have to take the back seat. I haven't played second fiddle to him yet. I was President of a more powerful organization than he was and I'm not bragging when I say I could have been President of the Knights either. I can tell you this because I should be able to tell you my wife anything, and you had better get used to the idea of being my wife. (I hope) Just before election I had to out of 30 votes pledged to me. I didn't seek them, they came to me voluntarily. However, I had only a 1.4 and had to drop out. Flood won by by 1 vote from Bill Schulte. I have never told this to anyone and I hope you don't think I'm blowing my own horn but I was sort of disappointed when you didn't think I could be tops. After all Pug, you're my inspiration now and when I get back I'll show you that I intend to go just as high as possible, so you had better get used to the idea I can. That is if you love me as much as I think. A person gets his inspiration by knowing the one he loves knows he can make the top.

Poor Bill, his letters are getting worse. Either she has fallen out of love with this other guy and has conveyed in her letters to Bill that he is tops, or else she is sure stringing him along. Quoting from his letter of today, quote, You know Hastings, I think you've found in Margie exactly what I've got in Bee Jay. As long as I know she's all for me, I'm going out and try and make a helluva success of myself. But, the moment I feel she isn't 100% with me, I lose all incentive to bust this old world wide open (That's the way I feel pug, so you're going to have to convince me it's 100%. I don't think any girl can touch you, and that's the way it should be.)  I hope when I get back I can soon pop the question to her. She's back in LA and I haven't heard from her for about three days... and it's greaking my heart. No kidding, if anything happens its going to slow me down a helluva lot. I still think I can offer her the best future of anyone that's in the race. I've had some terrific letters from her when she was back here just on that point. Unquote. I sure hope she has changed her mind because if she hasn't I am sure liable to tell her off for leading him on this way. Please don't tell him I wrote you this (Maybe Firestone could use two Pres.)

I didn't think it was possible for me to think of one person so much. You're in my mind all the time and I'm just living a life of emptiness until I see you and can stay with you. A person shouldn't be away from the person he loves when she is so vital to him it just doesn't seem right. But you're right when you say it will make us mean so much more to each other, if that could be possible.

Chuck Falkenhauer is on his way home and will get in touch with you when he gets up to school to see what can be worked out.

Right now it looks like I leave Wed. night for Manhattan, Kansas. Spend a couple of days there and pull into Denver Sunday the 8th. Boy but that Denver chapter is really a problem and I'm going to be in a nest of bees. They don't get along with National office and want to be left alone. That's why they don't know how to rush and I 'm going to have a pretty tough time trying to get them to listen to me. But it is possible I'll get them to. From there I go way back to St. Louis, Missouri for 4 days and then clear back to Idaho. Some traveling or what? I hope from Idaho I can come down the coast but won't know until the last minute. Tomorrow or Monday I will be able to write you my itinerary, I hope.

Well have a nice time Monday night and give Josie my love (I thought I was going to sign off here - reason for the well.)

Please don't take me too seriously on what I had said about Firestone, but I want you to know that you have made me want to go out and really do things for you. Nobody else ever instilled that in me and that was one reason I fell in love with you so much. I'm sincere when I say I feel I can go to the limit to be a big success with you beside me and I don't feel I'm bragging when I say it. So darling, just bear with me and someday you can be wearing that ermine coat and driving your own packard, but you'll have to give up the idea of me being only vice-president, and get used to me as President. Maybe of the US, who knows?

I love you with all that I have in my and would wait for years to hold you in my arms again. But its not going to be years Pug, it's only going to be a few months even if I have to buy an airplane to get there, so until tomorrow.

Always yours,

Jim