Viewing page 420 of 547

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Walt can trace his trouble back to the days when he made no effort to get along with Maybelle and after the damage was done and it was too late to mend his broken fences he tried to play a better game. But it was  too late and now he finds himself alone, approaching middle age, his personal life lying broken around him - even his professional life not too happy I judge from what he says. He indicated to me he rather wishes he were back in Transportation - the Foundry job had the glamour of a lot of travelling and independence but I suspect that is now wearing off and Walt begins to feel out of place and out of touch with the crowd he really belongs to. Walt promised to have a great future once - favorite of Andrews, pushed ahead fast - but somehow it all blew up. As I see it, Walt should wipe the slate clean now and start again - maybe marry again and not make the same mistakes he made before. He feels he will stick out the foundry job for another six months and then will go into the army for a year or so - after that he'll start again in his professional career. But somehow it all is tragic. I drove him down to the hotel and on the way he inquired if I ever see Maybelle. I was so taken a back I'm ashamed to say I could think of nothing but a lie to stay safe. I said "no" - I didn't fancy getting involved in their affairs as I well might if I revealed anything about Maybelle's activities. Walt remarked that he didn't even know if she was in Erie and knowing it was a feeler to see if I would reveal her whereabouts I said nothing. I dropped him at the Ford and he went in and I knew how lucky I am to have a happy home and children to drive back to while he took the elevator up to his lonely room and to bed perhaps inwardly disheartened and disillusioned. As one