Sat. Nov. 27. 8.30 p.m.

[added later in LP's handwriting: 1937]

Dearest sweetheart:

You are an awful boy to try to work all night. Your Wednesday (really Thursday) letter came today and I'm mad - hopping mad as Peter says. I told Mrs. Crellin that you worked until 4.10 a.m. (She took us all riding in her electric car this morning for an hour) She said you were shortening your life and that you owned it to your family to take care of yourself. It is wonderful that you were able to get so much done but I do worry about you.

Oh! I'm sorry the letter arrived Wednesday, I thought it wouldn't arrive until Thursday and would be a Thanksgiving present. It must have reached you in something less than 36 hours. That is really extraordindary isn't it? You would have received it on Wednesday without the special delivery stamp, wouldn't you?

Peter said that he was mad that Christmas was on Saturday - because on Sunday they would be busy with their toys and forget to get the "funnies" - Then he said "Oh well! We can send Daddy!"

Mrs. Palmer called on me on Friday. She is a funny person but rather sweet.

How strange about your wrist. What were you doing in Maury's office?

My luncheon on Wednesday now includes twelve - enought chemists' wives to satisfy

Mrs. Gates Mrs. Gates-Crellin - but enough others so that I won't be accused of

Mrs. Crellin having a chemistry party - but I'll remember those I've left out this

Miss Hutchinson time and have them next time. I'll have the private dining room and

Mrs. Bell take over some extras so that it will be a nice luncheon. I'm going to

Mrs. Yost tell Mrs. Gates that she had to pay a lot to get a building named after

Mrs. Lacey her and if she'll endow me to a like extent I'll have a baby and name it

Mrs. Swift after her - Ha Ha ! Say if you have so much extra velvet your little

Mrs. Badger chicken will buy herself some velvet flowers - she's been molting for

Mrs. Bennett for a long time now and looks bare. Besides some velvet feathers Mrs. Laing would be just the thing. I think you are much sweeter ans better and Mrs. Porter smarter than Chester Stock [?]- than anyone for that matter. We Mrs. Pauling purchased some hamburger for Tye and some ground round steak for us and then couldn't tell the difference! $.15 as opposed to $.35. I think we gave the right stuff to Tye! Tomorrow is Sunday so I'll catch up on all your old letters! My Sunday reading! If you work so late you don't need to think I'd stay up with you I'd go to bed. I'll wager its cold in that building too! Goodnight little love. The radio is a tune called is playing a tune called "Smarty" and thats you!

Ava Helen

Friday, 11 ²⁰ AM.

[November 27, 1937]

Dearest little sweetheart:

Three fine letters came from you today — Sunday's, Tuesday's, and Wednesday's — and I'm starting to answer them now. After writing you last night I read that old M. Dole M5. (The one Coolidge had refereed - do you remember it?) and wrote to Lamb saying that it should be rejected, so it was 2 AM after all before I got started home. Then I slept soundly until 11 this morning ( I hadn't slept much the night before).

You are wrong about my using a different pen. I use only the nice one which you gave me, but I am troubled with writer's cramp and hold it in different positions.

You are on the way to Keep Springs now. I hope that you are careful.

Landsteiner still has one more year at the Rock. Inst. He may come to Pasadena then.

Now I've read your Wednesday letter and learned that you have decided not to go to Deep Springs. You mustn't think that I would object for any silly reason, little love; but the boys at the Tul. House say that it would probably be too cold for

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camping. I don't worry about anybody's getting in your bed — I know that even without four helpers you could hold the fort for Paddy. I hope you don't worry about Paddy. I'm not interested in any girl but you.

2 ⁰⁰ AM

After correcting proof of my chapter of the organic book this noon I walked down to professor Karapetoff's house at 1 for dinner — he had invited me to come to see his atom models — although he is Professor of Electrical Engineering he comes to all my lectures and spends time on atomic structure as well as many other things. Do you remember him — a pudgy broad smiling face with white curly hair above? We had a fine dinner. A woman — about 35 or 40 — was there who knew some chemistry — Miss Cobb. She buzzed for the maid and played hostess + called old Karap. "Kara" and seemed

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to know all about his affairs, and I was interested in their relationship, but then she said that he lived in this big house all alone + she would go back to some place ( Mass., I think.). I looked at his models. Then he played for me — three pieces, including "Forgotten" (do you remember it) — with phonograph accompaniment, on his five-stringed cello — his own invention. He had an immense structure in his living room, with many vacuum tubes and several phonograph turntables, and the Telluride boys said that he used it with three records (separate) of himself playing piano, violin, and viola, and accompanied it on his cello, so that he could be his own quartet. He said that he thought the Chem. Dept. would never get over the impetus it has got from my visit. At 4 ³⁰ I left, and came to the Lab. again, and read a magazine, called "The

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Stocking Parade", which I bought when the store I went in did not have "House Beautiful." Hers' a joke from it.

A. "What's the difference between a swell young doll and an old maid?"

B. "You've got me there." A. "The doll has a lot of handsome men in her wake + the old maid has them in her sleep." Also "I'm a bad, wicked girl. Will you marry me and reform me?" "No, but I'll marry you." I'll show you the magazine if you come back with me in January.

At 6 I went to the house for dinner (only about 10 boys here now). At 7 ³⁰ I returned and got to work. I've done 43 pages on Chapter V tonight, but about 30 I had written while giving the corresponding lectures; they needed only to be polished a bit.

I'm glad that another day has gone by. Soon I'll be coming home to you. Be happy, sweet little wife. Don't worry, but do whatever you think is best. You are my sweet little love, whom I adore. Hugs and loves and kissed and tongue touches and uzzes and uzzer kisses from your own Paddy

Linus