[Letter with no date but LP has marked in envelope as 1931]

Thursday 7 pm

Dear darling:

Your sweet letter came this afternoon. You are keeping busy aren't you? I keep busy. Jeff is 24 inches long: his head is 16 inches and I haven't measured his shoulders.. He is a fine, dear boy who seems to like his Mamma.

Mary and Ilene called this afternoon. I can't understand Mary. I try and try. She says the meanest things and with no reason--rather pointless sarcasm. Perhaps I'm hostile and inspire her. I don't know.

Linus is really trying. He hasn't had his lunch at school this whole week. Moreover, he goes off without telling me. This afternoon to Nancy Martels. I think he will be better. I hate being a tyrant.

You dear boy! I'm menstruating. This makes me provoked and also weary. I don't know why I should be doing this--probably because you're not very nice to me.

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Dear Daddy:

I threw you a kiss when you left and then when you left just before I saw the end of the train I started to wave to you but I didn't know you were so far away from me. Daddy, I am going to give you a surprise when you come back. I am going to give you an Easter egg when you come back. I am going to be nice when you come back. (I hope so!) I am going to love you. My Easter basket is beautiful. Dear Daddy, I am going to love you. I love you very much. Dear Daddy! Love and kisses and hugs, Linus Pauling.

I haven't done or read or seen anything exciting. I'll be glad when you are here again. Miss Clark said Linus had made the best Apron. He had to sew it. I feel weary although I haven't done anything. Well, I'm going to stop. This letter is getting too terrible.

Goodnight dear Linus.

Your girl.

P.S. Linus asked Grandma if she had anything to say. She says she hopes you are having a nice time: that you must soon come home; and that we miss you terribly.

Love & kisses

[One of a bundle of letters. Date determined from the dates of two surrounding letters, events in the letters and the perpetual calendar]

[Letterhead:]

Faculty Club

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

Thursday, 1 PM

Dearest Sweetheart:

I'm sorry to hear that you are being so bad to Linus. If you and he can't get along I'll have to come right back to Pasadena. Tell Jeff I think of him often (but not half so often as of you) and that he must take good care of his lovely mamma-in order to insure a satisfactory milk supply.

Yesterday evening, after buying three pairs of socks and a new red tie, I went with Rich to his house, and had a nice dinner and met a couple of good looking young fellows. Then we went to see Aunt Beth. She looks just the same as ever. The boys are bigger and still lively. Danny looks to me as though he had adenoids. [?] is not changed at all. We stayed till 9 ³⁰ and are going back Sunday. We drove in a car lent to Rich by a girl friend named Partia. She is a Jewess + not good-looking like Sylvia. She is about 22 and a graduate student in social science or something. She lives with

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his mother (also a Jewess etc) who works for the Assoc. Charities or something. I bought a box of candy which Rich gave them when we took the car back (Patria wasn't home yet from a date, so we left the box with the mother). Unless Rich can find something better he won't be able to get me into trouble. On coming home I read a while + then slept till 10. Then I went to Kramer's lecture + had lunch at the club with Kramers, Lawrence, and Gibson, and afterwards talked with Latimer about his clever idea on nuclear structure (which Oscar Rice Claims is his!). Brade + Mrs B. Are still on tenter hooks. I told Robert + B. when I saw him last [?] mg yesterday afternoon to give her castor oval [?]. Everyone is much interested in the coming event. Next year you must come up, even if we have to put the children in cold storage.

Yours Paddy

[One of a bundle of letters. Date determined from the dates of two surrounding letters, events in the letters and the perpetual calendar]

[Letterhead:]

Faculty Club

university of california

Thursday, 5 PM

Dearest Ava Helen:

I was tickled pink to find two letters from you on getting back... I love you with all my heart, darling, and I'm getting so excited about seeing you that I don't know what to do. I'm not able to do a bit of work — I just fool around, doing first one thing and then another, all the time.

I went to Stanford on the train, and gave one lecture at 4 and one at 8, with a dinner in between. Everyone said the lectures were good. Maury and Dorothy and Webster send you their greetings. I stayed over night at Maury's, and had breakfast and lunch with them. In the Stanford paper it said I was "one of the youngest and most prominent physical chemists;"

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wouldn't you call Jeff one of the youngest?

Two days ago Mrs. Franklin died, after a cancer operation. The funeral was held yesterday. Maury said Franklin wanted to see me, so I went over this morning, and told him how sorry I felt for him. He said he was glad to see someone who made a success of his work and was at the same time a regular gye [sic]. Then he told me about the book he is writing and asked my advice about some questions, and then took me over to Maury's. I came back on the bus, and bought my tickets to Glendale. I'm very anxious to see you + make love to you. One the bus there was a man who had had his gall bladder removed just two weeks ago, at the veteran's

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hospital. He had an eye for all the girls — he told the bus driver that he liked them very short and very plump. He is a "fancy spotter" in a dry cleaners, specializing on silks. He would say as we passed through a town "There are two cleaners in this town," or "I worked there for six months," etc. Apparently he saw no scenery but the cleaners.

I love you very much. I'm going to dinner at Bray's tonight. I send [sic] some red roses

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to Bernice Brode, and she wrote a note back.

I love you, darling, and will see you Saturday.

Your own

Paddy