July 18, 1927, Garden City, New York, to El Paso

Dear Helen : I wrote you a letter last evening after I had received your first and to nite as I was about to mail it I received your second so I guess I will add a line before I send it, just to sort of catch up. You surely told me the why and wherefore and although it looked awfully cold on paper and not much for encouragement I will grin and bear it only because I think better times are coming “blue-eyed Sally.” I heartily hope that you have for me an intellectual companion ship, for I could not get along without it. But it means nothing to me in your case at the same time that it means very much. And that's that. I hope you recover from your terrible illnesses. I had one today myself. I got my feet all wet. So now I, too, have a cold. (About as sympathetic as at Northampton.) I hear they hang on like mosquitoes when you catch them in the summer time. Which makes me think I would like to be with you in El Paso this summer. We could I am sure have lots of fun. But in the last analysis I will behold your environment (native) some day if only to satisfy my curiosity. You're far away when I think like this. Would that this letter might intercede for the one I sent day after yesterday. But I felt that way then and I suppose I ought not to regret it. We won't be so much out of sequence in our correspondence by another week, I hope. To hearken back to the why and wherefore, I know you had to write even tho there wasn't much encouragement. I do see how much closer two years has brought us and I must admit that I can't picture you out of my reach now. But be that as it may connections surely will come only when we meet again I suppose. As long as you keep giving me consideration I will be happy because then I know you are remembering as I do. Despite the fact that I will make my letters tune to yours in order that they will wear you nevertheless remain to me the dearest one. I was going to write that volume tonite , Helen , but , honestly, I am quite tired and I think my work will require a little rest before the morrow. So once more I bid you “good night” sweet girl. Ted. Dear Helen : I write oodles too soon, since I mail letter only today. But I ketek first letter from you tonite which make rain smile now. I am glad dat you get to El Paso safe and unharmed anyway. It be ver bad, if you nevaire get there, huh? Well, as the wind blows, Tony don't feel you so very far off when he read your letters. Dis one lich In right spot. I ain't know what spot but it hit it just the same. You know I take all my clothes to tailor Saturday and I tink dose snapshots is dew for no can find dem no plase. If de're ruined you muss send me more, which makes me tink I send mine tomorrow. De ting muss shore be rusty by now she be in bag so long. By gar, I guess I canno do nothings. Here she is just tree weeks since I leave and I promise to send over dem and it ain't off yet. Dat longshoreman's work shure was no paddling any canoe but my own. Geekus, but dat was wrong place for me. I tell you bout it sometime & is work much betteraire. Oh, by way, your first letter she read in unusual place. Bill bring him home with letter from Sis and he have one from girl friend so we climb to top of ladder or derrick and read dem on crown black. Oh, I say, you get acclimated pert quick, dem town be heap livlier too. From all I hear El Paso she is pretty town so you muss have good time. Dis in spite of blue law no cigarettes. I spose pretty quick you let hair grow so you can do it up behind and wear glasses and long black skirts in fall n'est - ce pas. You know as to school zearms, dese are de sine qua non! Now to say how I receive letter, I find take ver short time. First, she make me say: Someday somehow somewhere I marry dat ; and second : darn papa for make her quit writing. Eh bieu Ted (Tony)