Finally- we kick off 1927 with a letter from Bob to Jean.
January 4 (from Des Moines, IA)
"Lovely Lady:
Your promised letter arrived and was eagerly devoured. I am glad you enjoyed the week-end as much as I. To me it was the most pleasant of the three I have spent at home.
My work at the office is quite interesting. I take the estimate of business for 1926 and the actual figures and make detailed comparisons. For the entire division for the whole year the actual business was 99.7% of the estimate. However taking individual offices for just a month the variation runs as high as 2%.
I am looking forward to my two weeks in operators school. It should be great fun- especially as there will be another fellow with me.
Mr. D___ wears leather heeled shoes. For a long time he was the only one in the office- and the entire force would get very busy when they heard leather heels coming. Now one of the clerks is wearing them and the force just rave at him because they can't tell who is who. Tonight they told him that if he had them on in the morning they were going to take shoes and all- his stocking feet wouldn't excite them so.
My letter just suffered an interruption. Two fellows just dropped in to get acquainted. I mentioned that I was writing a letter and one of them remarked "from the looks of the picture (yours) that is a very worth while occupation." How's that? I appreciated their coming. I do not believe it will be so hard to get acquainted. A bunch of us from the office are going to see Ben-Hur Thursday. And nearly all of the men have radios and they form the main topic of conversation at lunch. I have been invited out to hear several - most of them with dinner invitations attached. Glory be!
I do not envy you your next few weeks. Exams are a nuisance. I never started to worry about them till the night before and then I would go to a show to clear my mind. I was fortunate in not having to write many.
I'm going to wash my hair tonight- and I dread it. One penalty of using hair dressing is that it is almost impossible to wash out.
Do you get my letters the day after they are mailed? I hope so.
Now, dear, don't grind too hard- and above all, don't get too busy to write to your boy friend. He needs your letters.
Jean, sweetheart, I love you- truly I do.
Yours always
Bob"
January 5 (from Des Moines, IA)
"Sweetheart:
I haven't time for much if I am to mail this tonight. I was glad to get your letter and to learn that the return to school was not so dreadful.
The day has been rather uneventful for me. I took my first plunge tonight. They have a dance pool here.
You never saw such a town to get around in. There is no traffic supervision at the corners except during rush hours and you take your life in your hands every time you cross a street. Add the sidewalks are narrow- all you can do is push and shove.
A guy from near home came in and talked for fifteen minutes and I've just five minutes left to get this in the mail. Darn him.
I think I'll go out to Colfax Sunday and get the rest of my things. It's awful to have more belongings than your luggage will hold.
Dear, you are going to school the second semester aren't you. If your daddy wants you to stay out let me write him, will you. You should at least finish the year.
Good night, sweetheart. Your Bob loves you dearly.
Always and always
Bob"