Personal

Sunday Night [Postmark suggests Walter got the day wrong again.]

My dear Ina,

Your very important news is great and we hope that the little daughter is on the way. According to your calculations the date would be some time near Walter White’s birthday. She would be grown about the time I reach 65. I am sure that she will keep both of us young and a lot of company, after W.W. and Lewis are grown. With 5 and 6 years between the ages of the youngsters, we should find it not so difficult to see them through college.

May 21, 1940

I am rather glad that we are not going to Menard, for two or three reasons including the arrival of the daughter. I am wondering about the steps at Mr. Gaddis’s house. You will need to be very careful and not undertake to carry things up the steps. Perhaps we can know something definite before long and guard against your climbing too many steps. Is the colored girl coming regularly and could she come every day instead of part time? You do not have a good place for walking, as the road is too dangerous for long walks.

I believe it is best not to mention it to the Cushings until after they go to Menard. We feel sorry for them, and as you say we can consider ourselves lucky. Feb. 19 you had completed your period and I recall that March was on time. In April it was late as we expected it in N.Y.C. You remember I went by the drug store for you while in N.Y.C., and you did not need the napkins until after we returned home. About 2 days after. May be this will help you check the date. April 12 sounds about right.

Since I wrote you I went with R.A. & Thompson to some boxing matches which were OK. The Elk Club here have a good team & there were 8 bouts with the Golden Glove team of Chicago. Denver won 5 of the 8 matches. Every day I manage to walk quite a bit and I am feeling fine. On Sat. & Sun. I get in some extra walking. Tonight I went to a movie for a change. One reel on the trophy winners of 1939, a comic & I think the other was called The House Across the Bay, across from Alcatraz prison.

Both Dr. Wakeland and R.A. seem to regard me with some suspicion, although I have been able to get R.A. to talk some. I do not see him evenings. When Messenger was here it was not a great deal I could get from him. It’s a good thing we do not have a big grasshopper program, because it would be so different that several adjustments would have to be made in the way they do things.

I love you lots & lots & I hope to see you before many moons.

Always your
Walter.

I find this discussion about Walter and Ina’s expected daughter amusing, for reasons that will be apparent soon.