3/26/39
Darling:
I just got your letter this morning. Even though my heart is yet pumping away like I had seen a ghost, I am glad you sent it anyhow. It was awfully sweet.
I shall go through your letter of yesterday and answer it first.
Tell Bill* that if OQ5AE** is going to be out in this section with nothing to do, that I should like to meet him and take him out to dinner. I doubt if there is much chance of this, but it should be interesting if I could work it in. He is the man who sent me those pictures of the blacks and the buffalo in my photograph album.
Bill must have been sick, riding all the way out without talking a leg off of you. He used to do that with me quite frequently, but that was because he was working on something that he wanted to finish while I was around so that he could ask questions about it. I am beginning to miss his lawn and Jimmy and our wonderful week-ends together now that spring has arrived. The thermometer hit about 75 here yesterday and then we had a regular summer thunder-shower.
Darling, I’ve been neglecting you! I find that there’s a letter from the 24th under one of the 25th which I haven’t yet answered! Gee, that’s terrible of me.
The letter-heads which I shall probably settle on the next time will be exactly like these, except that the name will be in the same weight of type as the address is. It may also be desirable to make the name slightly smaller type size, although I don’t know yet. Does that sound better? For personal stationery I shall use the stuff I already have, which is approximately as you described.
I wonder if Don ever did anything about snagging my job at Scott’s. If he could get it at a reasonable price, I imagine it would be just the thing for him.
OK on the phone call doing for our birthdays. There is the only present I want, and that is my baby’s love for another year. That is all that really counts between us. I shall be most proud when I can have that love and let the whole damn world know about it.
Now for today’s letter.
Your answer to Bill’s questions about my work was most satisfactory. I don’t know how much of it I am supposed to keep quiet, but if no one knows that I am working on restricted designs, my chances of being asked embarrassing questions about them will be negligible. Speaking of which, precious, I heard what may be some good news yesterday. When we get the first model complete, someone is going to have to go down in the dunes of Virginia and supervise the Coast Guard’s installation and acceptance tests. I was told Friday that I would probably get this job. Gee, I’m trying not to count on it, but the idea of three or four weeks on the seashore, mostly cruising around in a CG cutter, appeals to me immensely. One point in my favor is that I seem to get along with the local CG inspector better than most of the men on the job.
OK on the x-rays. I want to get things cleared all around as soon as possible. When you ask for the extra hour, don’t under any circumstances say what you want it for, other than to go see a doc. There is no point in Moody’s knowing that you may have a tb bug floating about. You probably won’t have to tell them anything, but if you do, say that the x-rays are to locate your misplaced gimmick or something.
Sorry to hear that your Dad is under the weather.
Friday night, I played bridge with the folks here until the wee small hours. Grandmas Brooks and Hannah played against Margaret Hannah (school-teach) and I. We always tell the ol’ gals that we’re giving them points to keep their interest and they about pop. They’re both better players than we are, and usually beat the pants off of us. But Friday, I got one beautiful no-trump support hand after another, so we came out ahead. Spent most of yesterday razzing Grandma Brooks about being down in the dumps because she lost. During the evening, we dispensed with a quart of beer and a pint of Black and White via Scotch and soda.
Yesterday, I went over to Sears and bought a bookcase about 2 feet by 10 inches by four feet high. It is unfinished, and I shall finish it in the natural color like I did that book-case I made. Then we—you and I in our home—can paint over it any color we want to after we find out what color scheme will work out best. The natural will go well in the room I have, as it will match the wood-work and go reasonably well with the apple green furniture. Total cost of paint and everything is about $5. I certainly do need the thing now. Books all over.
In addition to that, I wrote letters to Duffys, Kinsmans, Jorgensons, the gang at Fast’s, and the folks.
I also sent that manuscript to the Post. I should get the rejection slip about the end of the week, hi. I let the school teacher read it and she could find only two errors in it, which amazed me. I imagine you would like her a lot. I haven’t the damnedest idea how old she is. I would guess around 30. She is a great deal like my kid sister, Jack***, even to having red hair and bossing the whole damn house. She razzes hell out of me about everything I do, chiefly because Grandma Brooks gets so embarrassed about it. You’ll have to meet the gang here, because they have certainly heard enough about you. I was awfully lucky to stumble into such a congenial outfit on the first look.
Hold your shirt, precious. I finally worked on my business correspondence file. The “personal” is also cleaned up a lot. The following list of files is probably the best way of telling you what I did to it.
Jack Stafford***
Marty
Family (other than Jack)
Huntoon (all)
Aiken
Conklin
Hayworth (all)
Crane and Osborne
Simrall (Josie) } Probably a dead file. I dropped them a line when I got out here and
Hill } told them if they didn’t answer I would consider them as having given
Woodson (Ted)} up under competition from you! Maybe they were serious??? So what!
JEF and BHF****
Florie Arnott, Hope and MG
General Business File (non-repetitive)
General Personal File
B.C.—Publishers and related material (QST, Radio, etc.)
B.C.—Government (Army, Navy, Civil Service etc.)
B.C. –Glasses (Leggett and Hemp—Drs.)
B.C.—Collegiate (PU, Ohio St., etc.)
B.C.—Misc. Employment Applications.
That keeps all of the files down to a reasonable size. I believe I shall buy one of these file case and break down the non-repetitive files into alphabetical files, in addition to the classified files listed. Honey bunch, I’m just hanging on until you can take over for me. You don’t know what you’re getting into by marrying me. I’ll bet your “office” hours are worse with me than they ever were with any of your employers!
I worked on a problem in radio theory this morning until your letter came. Also have been putting in a little time on my book on college life. Reading back, it yet appears to have a darned good chance of getting some place.
I shouldn’t do this, but I have just one stamp left and I’m afraid that another sheet would make it overweight.
It hardly seems possible, but it is noon, and I haven’t had breakfast yet. Neither have I shaved. I think I shall stay in all day and skip that ordeal. I would like to get that problem along a little farther. Then I would spend another week-end with the Aikens and hash it out with the Doc.
I just completed Live Alone and Like It. It is a darned clever book, and only about three hours reading time. I know you would like it, and it would be appropriate at this time. It is written for girls, but I also enjoyed it. Shall I ship it out. It might be good reading for some Sunday morning.
Well, precious baby girl, it is about time for our boy-friend to get on his horse and get some work done. Now that those first couple of awful weeks are over, I feel very happy. I do know for sure this time that you are mine, which makes it even more pleasant than that first year of college was. I don’t have that horrible question mark floating around your picture that I had then. And speaking of pictures, I slept with yours last night. Sure it’s silly, but I couldn’t help it. For some reason or other, that day after the Convention seems very real to me this morning, almost as if I could reach out and touch you, or feel your precious arms around my neck, while you looked over my shoulder and tried to get me away from the mill. I have never felt closer to anyone that I did to you then and now. Good bye for a while, darling.
Your husband, Cy.
*Bill Conklin, fellow ham radio buff from home.
**These are the radio call letters for Cy’s fellow Ham Radio friend Roy Stegall, a Presbyterian Missionary who sent him some photos from a mission trip to Africa.
**”Jack” was a family nickname for his older sister, Emma, who was also called “Sissy”.
***John E. Fast and Blenda E. Fast
Jack and Blenda Fast