K. and Doran says if this ship ever does get hit it will sink quick
because its so big and heavy and of course the heavier a ship is it will
sink all the sooner and Doran says he knows they are laying for us because
he has made five trips over and back on this ship and he never was on a
trip when a sub didn't get after them.
Well I will close for this time because I am not feeling very good Al and
it isn't nothing I eat or like that but its just I feel kind of faint like
I use to sometimes when I would pitch a tough game in St. Louis when it was
hot or something.
Your pal, JACK.
* * * * *
_On the Ship Board, Jan. 23._
FRIEND AL: Well I all ready wrote you one letter today but I kind of feel
like I better write to you again because any minute we are libel to hear
a bang against the side of the boat and you know what that means and I
have got a hunch that I won't never get off of the ship alive but will go
down with her because I wouldn't never leave the ship as long as they was
anybody left on her rules or no rules but I would stay and help out till
every man was off and then of course it would be to late but any way I
would go down feeling like I had done my duty. Well Al when a man has got a
hunch like that he would be a sucker to not pay no tension to it and that
is why I am writeing to you again because I got some things I want to say
before the end.
Now old pal I know that Florrie hasn't never warmed up towards you and
Bertha and wouldn't never go down to Bedford with me and pay you a visit
and every time I ever give her a hint that I would like to have you and
Bertha come up and see us she always had some excuse that she was going
to be busy or this and that and of course I knew she was trying to alibi
herself and the truth was she always felt like Bertha and her wouldn't have
nothing in common you might say because Florrie has always been a swell
dresser and cared a whole lot about how she looked and some way she felt
like Bertha wouldn't feel comfortable around where she was at and maybe she
was right but we can forget all that now Al and I can say one thing Al she
never said nothing reflecting on you yourself in any way because I wouldn't
of stood for it but instead of that when I showed her that picture of you
and Bertha in your wedding suit she made the remark that you looked like
one of the honest homely kind of people that their friends could always
depend on them.
Pages:
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27