Grace

(Lyndon 17)
Life went on....  On afternoon when we lived on Beaumont Avenue in Milwaukee [in 1930s] he drove up with a pretty nice tall dark haired girl, Grace [Egan].  Did he introduce her as his wife?  Maybe.  I could see they cared for each other.

Disappearance

(Dogs26)
By this time we had moved to the West Side and Vica had more country freedom to run.  Sometimes she was gone over night.  We were anxious and did what we could.  [Polly does not explain that just before Thanksgiving Vica failed to come home; she just disappeared.]

Cabin fever

(Dogs 25)
Alas, it couldn't last forever, and Vica had to go back home with us.  The same apathy all over again.  She took to walking around and around the kitchen, feeling the four walls with her shoulder as she went, blindly.  We called the vet to come and we all watched her going round and around, never stopping.  It was marked.  He said he had never seen such a thing before.  And there was nothing to be done.

Investigation

(Dog(Dogs 9)
Scotties frequently get an itch, especially in warm weather.  this is similar to an eczyma and frequently requires a trip to the vet for treatment.  So it waswith Jeannie.  Now it was evening, the time to get our dog back home again; so after dinner Lorin went after her.  "Well, here's your dog," he said as they both came in.  My dog, far from being glad to see me, walked right past me, trotted around the living room on a tour of investigation.  I watched, amazed.

Bump in the night

(1931?)
The bedroom windows, like the others [in the Beaumont Avenue house], were casements that opened out.  One night a thump on my bed woke me and, startled, I called Lorin softly.  He found a shoe in the dark, ready to defend himself, before turning on his bedside light.  The monster proved to be a large grey and white house cat who came in from the cold.  I believe we had this cat for some time before taking it to the zoo, where we put it in with many other unwanted cats.

Robbery

(1930)
Lorin always left a few dollars for grocery shopping, and one afternoon I went out to a grocery store in the block to shop.  When I came up the stairs, I noticed our door slightly open.  It flashed thru my mind, this must be the janitor showing the apartment, as I had heard similar tales.  Carrying the tall bag of groceries, I stood in the doorway, expectantly looking at a young man in a soft gray suit.  "Get in here!" he said.  "Get in here!"  I was dumbfounded and did walk in.  As he walked out, I saw the top dresser drawer open and realized finally he was a thief and I had been robbed.

Thrift

(1930 June)
We hung up our fine wedding clothes and prepared for bed.  "For Heaven's sake!" I said, "why in the world do you have winter flannel pajamas on in June?" I asked thoughtlessly.  "Because," Lorin said, a bit edgy, "I was saving up for this trip."  I said no more, for I was beginning to understand the Kay family more as time went on.

All in the vice

(1980 memoirs)
That [Frosh Party] is how I met Sammy Meyers, a very cute boy, I always thot.  He talked in rather a husky voice and said cute things in a confiding manner.  He smoked a short black pipe and it gave him rather an air,  you know.  He told me about when he first went home (Racine) and his father (a lawyer, I think) asked him where he got the pipe.  "I just told him, 'I acquired it,'" he said in that soft voice.

Mice

(1980 memoirs)
Eleanor Coreth and I lived in one part of the town and Irma Warns and a girl they long knew, Margaret Brewster, lived in another end.  So when we met to go to see Mary Pickford or Mary Miles Minter or Rudolph Valentino in The Shiek we had someone to walk home with.  One day one of us, probably Irma, was struck with a brilliant Idea.  Writing down our names -- Margaret, Irma, Carolyn, Eleanor -- she found, as you can plainly see yourself, they spelled MICE.  So until this day we often sign our Xmas cards by the one letter.

Trap door

(1980 memoirs)
The floor [of Frankie's dining room] was of wide painted boards, that shade of tan with a dash of orange in it so often seen.  To the left there was a large square cut as for a trap door, with an iron ring to lift it up.  Underneath was sort of a cistern to store rainwater, and I saw it once or twice -- rather spooky.

Mormans

(1980 memoirs)
Now for the last wall [of Frankie's living room], opposite the organ.  Here was the built-in bookcase, and next to it near the couch hung the striking clock.  The bookcase held very few books, some dreary ones of religious tracts; and the one most frequently taken down was the one about the Mormons, about which she often discoursed; it reveals their wickedness.  The leaders often went out at night and murdered the men who were against them and buried them too; so no one ever knew what had become of them!  And then they had so many wives and of course children.  This single conduct would set dear cousin Frankie all a quiver with righteous wrath and her glasses all a tremble on her pious nose.  Dear dear cousin, I am glad you never knew how wicked the world really is.  It would break your heart.

Velvet couch

(1980 memoirs)
Next to the desk [in Frankie's living room] was a very old green velvet tufted couch the likes of which I have never seen since.  It would seat two when the arms at each end were pulled up.  It was not very well padded and you could always feel the springs.

Owl's nest

Near the street on the side of her house was a tree with a hollow trunk, and one year Frankie had an owl's nest in it.  Oh the happiness!  She spent much time there going as close as she dared.  She kept counting them and trying to photograph them.

Florence

(1980 memoirs)
The Clapps only daughter was a dark haired girl, Florence, a smaller, nicer replica of her mother.  When I knew her, she had married twice, so I am writing hearsay, which no doubt is the truth after all.

Location, location

(1967 March 7)
Since you first mentioned the possibility of Lawrence, I have been trying to lay my hands on a map to find out where it is located, but only found it yesterday.  The maps of Kansas we had did not give it.  But now I found my old black atlas book and located it.  Seems to be near Topeka, Kansas City and Leavenworth.  Also the Missouri River near there.  As map is so small, cannot tell whether river goes thru Kansas at that point or whether lines are railroads.  You will have to expand on it or get Chamber of Commerce of Kansas to fill me in.  Looks to me like a good location - better than center of state, for instance.

Ngaio

(1996 March 29)
What are you reading that can be talked about?  I am still on "Grave Mistake" by Ngaio Marsh.  When you find out how to pronounce "Ngaio," let me know.

No maid service

(1993 April 19)
Are the maids on strike?  No beds made today.  ...  Writing this off and on took two days.  I know why the beds aren't made - the snow - schools closed etc.  Maids couldn't get in!  Well, mine is done.

Bellringer's ghost

(1993 October 1)
My bell was peeping and a maid came to shut it off.  I have no idea what set it off and thot it was someone else's - she said neither did she, and some times one got going when there was no one in the room, and they thot it was a ghost in that case.

Lost & found

(1993 April 28)

Sherry, I lost the tam, just found it under my desk in a big bag. Now soon I'll send it and if not perfect, you must ship 'er back and say what's wrong, and I'll remodel it - a pleasure.

Sleeper

(1993 July)

The maid who got me water and took my dirty clothes asked, "Do you have to read before you go to sleep?" - "Is there another way?" - "I just touch my head to the pillow and I'm asleep." - "You're lucky."