A Bad Haircut

Thursday, September 11

Dear Andrew and John,

I sent for fifty of these back before we moved and, they've just come. They were very cheap, a dollar and something, and you could have had your name printed, also which I omitted. We plan to send them only to people who are far away, like Peg and Mitch and Jerry, and Len so you can send those I send you to any relatives you may think of because we've shown them to no one, not even the girls last Thursday. They're rather bulky so I'll get out a few more to you under separate mailing.

Had a long talk with Mrs. Bellis over the 'phone. It just flashed into my mind to give her a call as I remembered she and Ruth and Aunty Edith go out at least once a week and usually look for a new spot; so I thought it would be a good idea to surprise Mommie. She said probably next Tuesday would be the day. She also said we had no doubt heard about her daughter and I asked how they were coming along. He went into the Navy 4 days after they were married as scheduled and Mary won't see him for eight weeks while he is in boot training. Mary went right back to work at the Blue Cross and is living at hone. Our last Argus was forwarded to us and right beneath the huge write-up on Will Emerson and Virginia Reymann was a couple inches devoted to Bellis-King and I think they did it very nicely. They mentioned the double ring ceremony before Reverend somebody at Arlington (which could have been Maryland, Virginia or West Virginia) and said the bride was residing at the home of her parents until the groon came out of the Navy, not saying he was stuck for 3 years.

No settlement yet. We were sure we wouldn't have to wait this long but that's how it goes. Tomorrow is supposed to be the last day they have under the agreement to close the deal so it just shows the agreement doesn't mean a darn think unless you try to get out of it.

I just spent ten long minutes yelling at J. Norman Geipe. Got a registered letter here at the office the day before yesterday containing your inventory list coupled with their contract and insurance agreement and showing the storage is at Rolling Road and Edmondson Highway, Catonsville. They got me riled up by enclosing a bill for $15 for hauling for 1 1/2 hours at $10 per hour and 46¢ for insurance. Ann and I went over the thing carefully and she said she talked to two different people on two different days before we left home (I think she also talked to everyone in the city for our last 'phone bill was $26); one Geipe representative was a woman and one a man. She said they each stated the charge would be $4.50 each month and that she particularly asked them if there was anything else and they said only a $10 down payment. Furthermore the bill goes on to say that storage will be $6.00 a month and not $4.50. This person I spoke with could only say that all this should have been explained at the time of one of our calls and didn't know why it was not. I'm going to write them a nasty letter today; think I'll make it to J. Norman personally as he was in my class at St. Joe. I paid the thing and we'll straighten it out someday so don't worry but it just makes me madder and madder because all this wouldn't have had to be.

The same Argus had an obituary on Mr. Joyce, who died the first of September. Maybe the mother will come live with Jean now and take care of the kids, for when we left Jean was working and Glyn Bailey is away all week in New York while the poor kids were locked out and all over the place.

Your allotment came yesterday John, forwarded OK from Catonsville and Andrew, you got a nice bill for the $6 not paid on your income tax which we filed in March, plus interest of 19¢ or maybe it was 49¢, as I left it home in the desk. Do you want me to keep it here or do you want to pay it from Korea with a bunch of yen or whatever that stuff is. They must have made some adjustment or other, I because as I remember it, I believe I wrote you in February that you owed the Government $14 but why worry about it. Let them try and collect.

Ann won't talk to me this morning; I cut Michael's hair last night. I honestly don't believe I did as bad a job as I did on yours but there are spots.... So it's my plan to add the clippers to the Polaroid and offer it as a package unit.

The Girls said you were anxious to see the old house at 25 again when you returned and maybe the Seicke's would let you walk through. I think at your age I would have felt the same way but now my only thoughts would be to look for this hole or that crack and think of the condition of the roof and the cellar and watch more paint chip off on the sunny side. But with a little time and effort this fellow Seicke should be able to put it in fair shape again except for the darn basement.

I have school again tonight and had a talk with B. Herbert on Monday evening about giving it up. I have agreed to go through September but will probably stop then so if you can think of any text book I can try and corral, let me know.

Figuring from October 23, and sixteen days on the long water trip, if they hurry the rest through you still might make it by Thanksgiving.


END OF LETTER

Editor's Notes:
The family has recently moved from 25 Bloomsbury Avenue in Catonsville and are living in Long Green Valley.
The Argus is the old name for the Catonsville Times Newspaper.
Mrs. Bellis was the next door neighbor in Catonsville
B. Herbert Brown ran the business school that Charles taught at night.

Next Posting: September 15, 1952

Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner