Monthly Archives: May 2011

October 18, 1924

Jacksonville, FLorida,
Sat. Night Oct 18th

My Dear Ina,

I have thought of you a great many times since I received your last letter and would have wired you, but felt that my letter would soon be there. I wrote as soon as I received yours.

I couldn’t believe that you cared for me enough to be affected in that manner, but Dear, it almost makes me shout with joy to know that you do care. You have a great deal of reserve not to have told me before, but may be you didn’t know until then. I usually express my feelings and I guess it would be better if I were more reserved too. I believe I talk more freely to yourself, for it seems to be the natural thing to do. Just seems that I know you so well, and love you so, that I just have to tell you. I want you to know everything and I am apt to hurt your feelings but I certainly don’t want to. If you only knew just how much I do love you I am sure that what I told you about the young lady in South Dak. would not affect you at all. I only wish that you knew whether or not you loved me enough to let me bring you back with me at Christmas, when I will see you. But I want you to be sure and I’ll wait until you know whether you love me that much or not. I only hope that you will be frank with me and tell me regardless of how you feel toward me.

October 18, 1924

October 18, 1924

Your last letter was the sweetest I have ever received and if you knew how I felt, you would feel that someone loved you a great deal.

You can rest assured that I have no intention of going to South Dakota and that I really love you and want you. I’ll see you Christmas and while I would like to have your answer then, I want you to be sure of yourself. Will wait until you do decide.

Had a mighty fine letter from Sis and she is very happy. Wants me to stop over with them when I return from Washington. I will, if it can be arranged satisfactorily. I am not sure about the time I’ll return nor the route either. I want you to know her for she is some sister. She admired your photo very much when I saw her and I know she would love you. I am equally sure that you would like her too.

Write soon, won’t you, for I love you and only you.

Your,
Walter.

October 14, 1924

Jax. Florida
Tuesday PM.

My Dear Ina,

Your letter came today, and Dear, I am awfully sorry that you were so much concerned, and I am writing right now as you requested. I am sorry that I caused you the anxiety, but it is a pleasure to know that you care enough to be concerned over it. It really makes me feel that you do care and I love you for it, though my letter was not written for that purpose.

I have never had any desire to keep anything from you and I simply wanted you to know. The young lady and I were quite intimate during my stay in Aberdeen and I have felt very much like a brother to her, she says father too. I know that she cares for me but I can’t help but feel that it is like she would care for a brother. She has no brothers or sisters, and the mother is mighty jealous of her. The mother did not like it when I left Aberdeen and personally I didn’t care, for I didn’t feel that it was necessary for me to stay any longer. I never promised the father that I would marry his family or any member of it, though I know he was in hopes that I would care enough for the daughter to make her my wife. When I was there she did not go with anyone except myself and on one occasion the mother reminded me that I did not give her a chance. I hope she has had chances enough since I left, though I doubt if she has gone with anyone else.

October 14, 1924

October 14, 1924

When I wrote to you last the daughter told me that they were planning a trip South next summer but were waiting for an invitation. What could I do but invite them, though I doubt if they will even consider coming. You can be assured, Dear, that I have no intentions of going to Aberdeen. Should the Mother die suddenly, the girl would probably wire me and as a sense of duty I might go under those conditions. Here’s hoping that she doesn’t die. I certainly intend to see you Christmas. I am looking forward to it. It seems an awful long time since I saw you.

Must go to dinner now, but I wanted to write you a little tonight anyway.

Lots of love
Your
Walter.

October 10, 1924

Friday P.M.
Oct. 10, 1924

Dear Walter:

Your letter came this morning, and somehow it gave me the queerest feeling. I have read it over six times already and still I can’t quite understand everything you said in it. You don’t know how much I would give for an opportunity to talk with you right now and find out just exactly what you meant.

Of course you understand that I refer to what you said in regard to your lady friend in South Dakota. I want you to understand that I don’t blame you in the least for trying to keep your solemn obligation, and admire you very much for your loyalty to your promise given the father, but I thought you had done everything you could already. Since the young lady and her mother are financially comfortable as you explained to me when you were here – unless you promised the father that you would marry the daughter, I can’t understand what else you can do to fulfill your obligation. Somehow, I was afraid I detected a tone in your letter that might indicate that you were still a little uncertain as to whether or not you really loved her now. If you are, please tell me. I believe every word you say, and you don’t know how much I appreciate your telling me the things you do. I hope you will not ever hesitate to tell me, whether they will hurt my feelings or not, because uncertainty is worse than the cruel facts. Of course you know I understand that there are secrets in lodges, and I wouldn’t think of being so unreasonable as to want you to tell me those.

October 10, 1924

October 10, 1924

You are not going back to Aberdeen, are you? Every time today that I have thought of the possibility of you going back there and falling in love with the young lady, I have actually gotten weak – and I have been thinking of it (or rather, your letter) all day. It took my appetite, and I just couldn’t get my mind concentrated on my work at the office. I didn’t think I had a spark of jealousy about me, but this letter certainly sounds like it, doesn’t it? I don’t know what it is, but I didn’t know before that I cared so deeply. I want you to know that I don’t feel hard toward you at all, because I don’t.

There are three things that would make me a mighty happy girl to-night, and they are: If I knew you would not go to Aberdeen, if I knew you would not ever fall in love with the young lady from South Dakota, and if I knew positively that nothing would happen to keep you from coming here Christmas.

Walter, I hope you will not think me unreasonable, and hope you will not misunderstand and feel hard toward me for anything I have said in this letter. I just couldn’t help but tell you.

Won’t you please sit right down and write me some kind of a letter right quick?

I don’t mean to be jealous; I don’t mean to be unreasonable; I don’t mean to be – oh, I don’t know what I mean.

Anxiously,
Ina

October 7, 1924

Jacksonville Fla
Oct 7, 1924.

Dear Ina,

Was delighted to get your letter this morning, though sorry that you had felt blue. Since you had intended writing to me the night before when you were blue, I wonder if I was in any way responsible for your unpleasant state. I certainly hope not.

October 7, 1924

October 7, 1924

It was interesting that your teacher friend came over from next door to tell her troubles. No doubt she feels pretty blue, but since she falls in and out of love so easily, the shock would not be so great as to one like yourself.

Dear, you will remember that I told you of my lady friend in South Dakota and that I felt that neither of us knew whether we loved one another because we were together so much. That I felt that we were more like brother and sister. Since I have known you and have fallen so hard for you, I have written to her very little and then such a letter as one would be apt to write any acquaintance. When I left South Dakota the mother was quite bitter toward me for leaving and assured me that she was going to break up all relations between the daughter and I. She was quite mean and I have had no idea of ever seeing her again. The mother seemed to feel that it was convenient to have a man about, and I came to feel that any man would do as well as myself. Though I did know that the daughter cared for me to some extent, but felt that it was due to constant association and living in the same home with them.

The father and I were very good friends and before he passed away he asked me to look after them. I located there and lived with them for five years. Then, having felt that my promise to him had been fulfilled I thought it best to return to my original vocation.

Recently the mother and daughter have been awfully nice and the mother seems to have had a change of heart toward me. She has written to me and I have also had some good letters from the daughter. The mother lost her sister a short time ago, and the daughter feels that she has only her mother who is getting older all the time. To some extent I still feel obligated toward them to an extent to see that they are getting along all right. I can’t help but feel that it is pity and the constant association with them.

I felt that I should tell you about it for I do not want to keep anything from you. I’d rather you would know and especially before you have found that you loved me. I certainly don’t want you to ever feel bitter toward me for anything, and there is absolutely nothing which I would keep from you, except lodge work. You can understand that it cannot be told, or at least your father will know.

I hope you will believe me, Dear, and will not think hard of me. I want you to know everything even though it may be displeasing to both of us. True happiness is based on a good understanding.

My work has been keeping me going and it will be a while before I go to Washington. There are too many cases coming in just now and I have lots of work going. If Dr. White is going to be in Washington all winter there will be no hurry on my part.

Write me here and I’ll let you know before I go up there. In any event, the letters would be forwarded promptly.

I have some very interesting cases here just now, some who have hundreds of lesions and can barely walk. Am planning on some treatment tests as soon as the chemicals arrive, which should be today.

I hope to have a letter from you soon, Dear, & I trust you will not feel hard toward me. I love you and had to tell you about it, though it might have been better had I kept it to myself for a while longer.

The trade for a ranch is very interesting and it should be easier and more profitable for your father. It sounds good to me, though I know it will be difficult not to be able to use a curling iron. She won’t mind that after she puts up her hair on curlers for a few times. The hot iron isn’t especially good for hair anyway.

WIth love,
Always,
Walter.