August 11, 1943.Dear Marion.
Just got your letter in the afternoon mail - it didn't come until 3:30 P.M. or so. Usually the afternoon mail comes in not later than 2:15, so having given up all hope of a letter I was quite surprised! Thanks for the excitement!
Pardon me - I must be either awfully dumb (which is logical) - or quite immune to matters of importance. Anyway, I'll be darned if I can find any sentence in your previous letter which I hadn't noticed before - and which carried an important message. Even Mom can't figure it out - so you please explain in your next letter - and be very explicit!! Say, maybe you thought you put it in the letter and you really didn't!
Well, after last weekend I'm not surprized [sic] if I am immune to things that deserve attention. We - family and I - went up to New Hope, Pennsylvania to visit my aunt. Maybe you've heard me mention New Hope before - my aunt has an inn there. A summer theatre company gave its plays in its own theatre there - before the driving ban - now they give their plays in Philly. Remember - I think I told you I saw a play over there. To get on with the story - we arrived at my aunt's before supper, and after eating, Mom and I went out to do some shopping over in Lambertville, N.J. which is a short walk across the bridge - y'see, New Hope is right on the Delaware River. When we got back things began to happen - to me - some of it I must save to tell you in a bull session, but I can say this - late in the evening, I was out in the hall and a very nice-looking, middle-aged gent was looking around, sort of "lost-like". So I offered to help him - and he hesitated a moment and then asked me where the men's John was - tho' he didn't use those words - guess he said "Men's rest room". So I showed him - it's upstairs - so as he started up the stairs, he asked me who I was, and introduced himself as Freddie Stevenson - I think, it was Freddie." I said "How do you do" and went about my business - a while later, my aunt pointed him out to my mother and said that he was the head of the big Brewster Aircraft Factory which is a few miles from New Hope. Imagine!! But what I have saved to tell you in a "session" is equally amazing - I think!! Now, do you wonder that I'm not aware of things you say I should notice as matters of importance!
I had quite a weekend - Sunday I helped in the dining room, picked up a few tips helping out Irma the regular waitress, who had quite a crowd of people to serve. I really had a busy time of it - and my aunt asked me to come up for a few days in the near future, since one of the girls needs to be replaced, as she is taking a few days vacation. I'm going up next Monday - and will stay until Friday - so will you write to me there, please? It's "Logan Inn, New Hope, Pa." Don't forget!
Yesterday I went over to Philly to do some shopping I got 2 slips, 2 bras, some socks - and a new raincoat - to replace my four-year old reversible. I went to Wanamaker's first - couldn't get what I wanted. So we went to Wanamaker's Men's Store - no luck. The fellow who waited on us knew what I wanted, but said they were out of them. So we went to Jacob Reed's - the nicest men's store in Philly - mind you! - and the first thing the man showed me was what I wanted - 3/4 length, light-weight, non-reversible plaid-lined, raincoat. I love it. In the afternoon, we went to the show to see Deanna Durbin's new picture "Hers to Hold" - it is darling! Sorry your friends didn't like "Dubarry" - I told you it was a wacky movie, but cute - tho' you could never class it with "Now, Voyager" or "Casablanca"!
Glad you enjoyed "Crash Dive". Remember the beginning when it showed Ty Power in the Pt boat before his transfer to subs? Aren't those Pt's wonderful? I've just finished reading William L. White's book "They Were Expendable" - the story of the Pt boats in the Philippine Campaign, and how they took MacArthur out fo them, so that he could get a plane to Australia. If you haven't read it, you definitely ought to - it's a marvelous story - and those Pt's - or MtB's (Motor torpedo Boats) as they call them in the book - are the thing! Well, you saw how neat they looked in "Crash Dive". Now, it seems, my life's ambition - besides somehow, someday, graduating from M.H. - is to ride in a Pt boat (no stuff - I mean it!) and keep riding in it until I get used to it and don't get seasick on the ride. According to the book, the MacArthurs were seasick as anything on the trip out - yes, even the General! Some ambition - well, read the book and maybe you'll feel the same.
I'll try for the 116 films - I'm going to try to get some 616's for myself. Don't forget to tell me just what you mean by that "important sentence" in your letter. G'bye.
Love,
BettyP.S. Remember - Logan Inn, New Hope! when you write.