Art's Jealous Nature

Tuesday, February 28, 1950

20 Cooper Street

Southampton, NY

Dear June,

It was wonderful to hear from you tonight.  I’m sorry about your cold.  Take good care of yourself now, my precious.  I’m glad your teacher took pity on you and let you go home.

Are you and Shirl going to see “The Devil’s Disciple” tonight?  I hope it’s good.  I see it got good notices in the papers.  I didn’t realize it was a comedy.  I thought it was a drama.

If you really want to go out with Shirl’s friend I guess maybe it’s okay but I will be jealous.  I think I have a very jealous nature, darling.  You know I love you very very much.

Now I’ve thought it over again and maybe I don’t want you to go out, after all.  (I can be possessive, too.)  By the way, tell Shirl I don’t think there can be such a thing as a cousin by marriage.

Well guess what I did?  I went to the movies with my folks and saw Battleground again.  They thought it was very good, too.

I think I’m going to leave this envelope open so if there’s anything important in your letter tomorrow I can answer it.  (Like if you’re coming home.)  I guess I’ll go to bed early.  What’s there to stay up for when you’re not here, my darling?

Lots of love,

Art

P.S.  It’s Wednesday morning and I just got your letter.  Sorry you’re not coming home this weekend.  I love you and miss you, darling.  I’ll mail this now.

Love,

Art

(Later today – The Devil's Disciple.)

© 2011 Lee Price

Invitation to a Double Date

June Anderson, circa 1950.

Monday, February 27, 1950

46 West 83rd Street, Apt. 7B

New York City, NY

Dear Art,

This won’t be too long.  My eyes are sore.  It’s this cold, you know, that’s making me miserable.

I stayed in school all morning and answered roll call in the afternoon – however, my cold was getting worse and I was so sleepy that I made a decision to leave about 2:00, go back to the apartment, and take a nap.  About 1:30, though, my teacher came over and said, “Honey, why don’t you go home?” 

I must have looked pretty bad sitting there, blowing my nose.  I think she thinks I’m delicate since my operation.  Anyway, I wasn’t going to argue with her.  I left.  I came here and slept till Shirl returned at four.

Well, darling, I’ve been talking to Shirl and it looks as if I’ll have to stay here this weekend.  And I miss you so!  I think Shirl’s going out Sunday or Saturday with some kind of a cousin by marriage.  She asked if I would like to go out with a friend of his that she met this weekend.  But, I guess I’ll stay home and miss you by myself.  That’s the trouble with being in love – you get homesick.  I’ll write tomorrow, darling – until then,

All my love,

June

(I’m going to bed now – take care of yourself.)

(Tomorrow – No double dates for June.)

© 2011 Lee Price

Dozing All Evening

Monday, February 27, 1950

20 Cooper Street

Southampton, NY

Dear June,

Here I am writing to you again, my darling.  I love you sweetheart.  Nothing much to tell you.  I had a busy day and didn’t go out tonight.  I’ve been dozing all evening and listening to the radio.

Art's De Soto, his first car.

Well, here’s some news. Bruno’s finally getting himself another car.  He got tired of walking.  It’s a 1941 De Soto convertible, the same make as my old car but a couple of years newer.  Now he can really go out and kill himself.

If you should come home this weekend I hope you can let me know ahead of time.  I’m supposed to go to a Men’s Club meeting at the Methodist Church on Friday night at 6:30, so if you’re coming, I’ll need to know.  If you should call Friday and not get anyone here, try the other number to get my mother (I hope you still have it – I’ve forgotten that number already myself).

I think I’ll make this a short letter.  Be careful of yourself, my precious darling.  I miss you and love you very, very much.  Be good sweetheart and I hope to see you soon.

Lots of love,

Art

(Later today – an invitation to a double date – but not with Art!)

© 2011 Lee Price

Life's That Way

Art sent this comic strip to June on February 26, 1950.  There was no accompanying letter.  Was there a precipitating incident?  Is there an implied threat?

UPDATE:  Mystery partially solved.  This clipping was not from Art!  Since it was included with all the other Art-penned letters, I assumed it was from him, too.  But the envelope above is postmarked "Lakewood, NJ," which is where Shirley Stahl's family lived.  I have no idea why Shirley's family sent this to June.

This explanation also accounts for another mystery that I didn't share.  The reverse side of the newsprint is entirely classified ads in Hebrew.  Since Shirl's family was Jewish, this isn't near as unusual as it first struck me.  So some of the pieces of this puzzle come together -- except for the pieces that would explain why it was sent to June and what precipitated sending it at all!

(Starting tomorrow – it'll be two letters a day for awhile as the correspondence heats up!)

© 2011 Lee Price

"As You Like It" with Kate Hepburn

Saturday, February 25, 1950

46 West 83rd Street, Apt. 7B

New York City, NY

Dear Art,

I just got in about midnight.  It was a wonderful night (except for one thing missing, of course).  The play was a merry little love story, and many a time as I watched them I thought about you and felt homesick.  But enough of that.  I’ll tell you about my night.

We all (seven of us) met in school at 4:00.  Since we had time to waste, we went to see the apartment where June and Betty live.  It’s very nice – not so nice as our old one but still nice.  At 6:00, we left to eat at the Brass Rail.  For dessert I had chocolate cream pie a la mode (my own invention).  It’s delicious.  Dinner broke me though!  I’ve decided it’s hopeless.  I’ll never catch up on my finances.

Seating at the
Cort Theatre.

From there we went to the Cort Theatre to see Kate Hepburn in Shakespeare’s “As You Like It.”  Art, I was really scared.  No one knows how close I came to leaving.  We were so high up – and I swear the stairs were the steepest I have ever seen.  I almost cried I was so frightened.  But I stayed – mind over matter.  My hands were just about cramped when the play was over from gripping the chair to keep from falling.  In spite of all this, the play was wonderful.  Katharine Hepburn is certainly a great actress.  As I told you before though, I was jealous when she could hold her love in her arms while mine was so far away.

I ate lunch at a different place yesterday – the Magpie instead of Jacks.  I certainly won’t make it a habit.  It took them 45 minutes to make a grilled cheese sandwich.  June, Joan Hart, Irving and I went there together.  It’s mostly a place to drink, which everyone did except me.  I sampled everyone’s drinks but I think I’ll stick to Rye and

ginger at night – preferably with you.

But Art, darling, all this and I haven’t told you the brightest spot of my day.  It was at midnight when I walked in the room to see your letter sparkling on the bureau.  I didn’t even take time off my coat before I opened your letter.  I can’t tell you how much I loved it.

Remember, just because I’m not coming home this weekend doesn’t give you leave to run around wild and pick up dates off the streets or calling women at their homes.  I have my brand on you in spirit and if that’s not enough, I’ll have to personally mark you

physically.  Please be careful, my darling, and behave yourself.

Love,

June

 (Tomorrow – a 1950 comic strip.)

© 2011 Lee Price

Home by the Phone

A duck, color pencil sketch by Art Price.

Friday, February 24, 1950

20 Cooper Street

Southampton, NY

Dear June,

I stayed home tonight and hoped for a phone call, but none came.  I’m not sure if I was really expecting one.  I can hope though.

I’ll talk to you on the phone before you get this so it won’t be very long.  I hope you enjoy Shakespeare and Katharine Hepburn.  I’m sure you will.

As to your questions in the letter:  I don’t know where Jane Hastings is.  I’ll try and remember to ask Bruno.  I worked on my course last night.  Tonight I didn’t do anything.  My folks went to the movies tonight but I’m waiting till tomorrow.  I’ll be thinking of you as always, and missing you so much.

My folks are fine.  My sister, also.  I hope yours are the same (and have you written to them lately?).  I thought we figured that you save more money by coming home.  Oh well, I suppose you really have to stay in the city once in awhile, much as I hate it.  This will be an awfully lonesome weekend without you, darling.

Don’t worry, I’ll take it easy over the weekend.  (I always do.)  Be good and take care of yourself, my precious sweetheart.

Lots of love,

Art

(Tomorrow – As You Like It.)

© 2011 Lee Price

June's Guiding and Calming Influence

Thursday, February 23, 1950

46 West 83rd Street, Apt. 7B

New York City, NY

Dear Art,

About seven of us girls are going to see Katie Hepburn in “As You Like It” on Broadway tomorrow night.  We’ll all eat together (at some nice place for a change) before going.  I’ll tell you in tomorrow’s letter how it was.  I still have to iron a dress tonight for tomorrow.  Honestly, Art, this room (and Shirl lying here reading a magazine) makes me feel so lazy.  Even getting up is an effort.  I keep reminding myself how energetic I am when I’m with you.  But it doesn’t help now.

I’m reclining here on the couch with wet hair streaming down my back.  Yes, I finally washed it.  I began to worry that maybe the girls wouldn’t let me come along with them tomorrow if I didn’t do something about it.

Since Shirl’s been going to the other school I’ve been getting to school on time.  That’s a phenomenon that never happened much before, I can tell you!  I think it’s mainly because I don’t bother having breakfast when I’m by myself.  I still say it’s lonesome going and coming back from school all by myself.  Eventually I suppose I’ll get used to it.

I don’t think Shirl likes the clothing course much.  Out of the eight days she’s supposed to have been there so far she’s only been there four days.

Something about it

Pencil sketch by June Anderson.

being boring, she says. Oh well, maybe when she gets deeper into the course she’ll enjoy it more.

I’m not coming home this weekend, much as I’d like to.  So don’t run around wild just because your guiding and calming influence (me) isn’t there.

All my love,

June

(Tomorrow – a lonesome weekend ahead.)

© 2011 Lee Price