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10

took him to see "Hell Divers" and I enjoyed it more than the first time on the mysterious Sunday of "wine and seduction." Also I was delighted to have "discovered" Wallace Beery who, I concluded, was a great actor--and as I look back upon him even now, I still think so. After the show, Bob and I sat for a long time in Pulakos talking, and I found him interesting as usual. The trouble with Bob was that at heart he was a bon vivant and not an engineer although a good engineer when he put his mind to it. Over the years ahead, I was to sympathize with Bob over his hard luck, admire him for his charm and engineering ability, and also become extremely provoked with him for his occasional lassitute and utter disinterest in our mutual problems as well as an exhibit now and then of just plain British arrogance and snobbery--he was a complex character.

I threw a final bachelor poker party at our house on Saturday night, the 20th, glad to be able to spend the day out there getting ready for it and the following day cleaning up after it. Perk got back from Philadelphia in time to attend. But I was learning to look forward to the weekends because things were continuing to slow down at the office and it was sometimes tough to conjure up enough work to keep even half way busy. I knew it was a bad situation and a bad way to feel but there it was. However, I tried to be philosophical about it by telling myself that in the past, when I'd get most dissatisfied I'd get a good break and perhaps it would be so this time. Moreover, the bachelor life was becoming increasingly empty and aimless as far as I was concerned. Fortunately, I had only one more week to endure it.

After cleaning up the house Sunday morning, I went to Lenore and Bill Anderson's for dinner. Later I took them for a ride on the Peninsula and stopped at our house en route back, to have a drink. Presently Lenore walked over to our piano, seated herself, and began to play "I Love You Truly." It startled me, carrying me back to evenings at her home when I first came to Erie--and also years beyond that to my college days now seemingly so far away--all of eight years! Bill was still out of work and had been for two years. I guess they were having quite a struggle but Lenore had some income which made it possible for them to keep going. But their little house was shabbily furnished and I wondered just how Lenore felt about the whole situation because she had long been used to the good things prior to this cataclysm. But they weren't complaining and I decided they were a couple of very fine characters. Moreover, they had produced two very fine children, the baby particularly being adorable.

I then entered my final week of bachelorhood, Willie and Bab being due the following Sunday according to a letter from Willie. Willie wrote of an incident with Bab that really shook me. Bab was sitting cheek on chubby fist, and when asked what she was thinking about, she answered, "Gaga." That was of great help to me as I looked ahead.