Letter 9, from Joan aka "Dusty"

[5 of 5. Written on March 19]

Saturday

Howdle de do,

Guess what!!! We had another snow storm. How do you like that? Here is the first day of spring (so called) around the corner, Monday to be exact, and we have another snowstorm. It makes me so mad.~

Went to the show last night ~ “The Wake of the Red Witch” was playing. It was okey but nothing to really brag about ~ Naturally I got scared stiff when they showed the octopus ~ In fact I was practically underneath the

II

seat ~

Just +5 more days till we graduate ~ My how time flies~ It seems it was only yesterday we started school, then it was Christmas, and, after Christmas, the time certainly flew by~

Seeing that we haven't met officially, I shouldn't even be writing to you now should I? ~ I thought Jack introduced us, but I guess he must have overlooked that little article~

Woody was home again last Sunday, and naturally Vivian was in her glory ~ He must be stationed right around here huh ~

Before I forget, I'm sorry for calling you Mr. But gee whiz snooky you never put S.N. on your letters. How's I supposed to know?~ I put Mr. cause I didn't want to be impolite. I'm sorry, sorry, sorry ~ Forgive me?

Now about your rubbers, I'm still looking~ are you positive you left 'em here? ~ Maybe it was over to Gloria's house you left em huh? ~

You know what you can do for me? ~ You can send me some snapshots of you, if you have any handy.~

Too bad you can't be home for Easter, but if you're taking a leave a little later on maybe it would be silly. ~ Are you by any chance coming home in May to take a certain person to the prom?

Well Sally oops scuse me Sal Guess that's olly for now ~

[shorthand writing]

As Ever

Joany

  alias

  Dusty

    alias

    “The Girl with the Green Hair.”

Well, I finally decided to look up when "rubber" started to be used as a slang term, and wouldn't you know, it began in the 1930s. In this letter we realize that neither one of them could have left their rubber boots at the other's house (seeing as we learn here that Sal and Joan haven't officially met in person), so therefore this back and forth about the rubbers, well I'm sure you can agree that it's good old teenage humor at work! We think of kids from the 40s as so wholesome, but I think we can safely say that kids throughout history are up to mischief. But I do wonder what leaving one's rubbers or losing one's rubbers is supposed to be a euphemism for...

Wake of the Red Witch came out in 1948, and featured John Wayne and Gail Russell:  "Captain Ralls fights Dutch shipping magnate Mayrant Didneye for the woman he loves, Angelique Desaix, and for a fortune in gold aboard the Red Witch."

  Click here to see a clip of the movie (spoiler alert!).

I was interested to read that WHS seniors in 1949 would be graduating in late March. That's awfully early, isn't it? I assume that the rest of the school went on until summer, wouldn't they?

Is it me or does our friend Joan seem a little more interested in this letter? After all, she does ask for a photo of Sal. And is that a hint there for him to take her to the prom? 

The end of this letter features short hand. Since I transcribed the letters and don't have scans, I am not able to get the short hand symbols translated. Perhaps in a later post!