Postmarked Sept 14, 1933 – Berkley
Thursday
George dear,
Yesterday in my note I promised that I would write a long
letter last night but, darling, when I got home last night I was so exhausted
and I had such a headache that I just couldn’t so I have a long story to tell.
This is the last letter I will send to Portland, dear, because one I would
write tomorrow wouldn’t be delivered until Monday morning and I imagine by that
time you will be in Eugene. I got your card from Colorado today. I am so glad that
you are getting back to the Pacific coast where the weather is more agreeable
and where you are closer to me. Chicago is too darn far away.
Monday night was the last real letter I have written you,
that is I mean Tuesday morning. A lot of things have happened since then. That
noon I went to Betty Ruggles to luncheon. Hauela and Mrs. Thomas came after me.
They had picked up Kay Craig, too. We were the only guests besides Betty
Zeutuer. The Ruggles live in North Berkeley in an old fashioned house. I don’t know
whether you met Mrs. Ruggles or not when she was up at school. She is a very
darling woman but she is older than most of the mothers. Betty is the youngest.
Mrs. Thomas is very young and nice. We had a lovely luncheon and then a swell
talk. Did I tell you about Jimmy’s hair? It is a wild orange from all reports.
You will have to tell me about it. It is true that Bill isn’t coming back to
school? Betty was all excited about an adorable apartment that she had just
moved into that she was sharing with two other girls. One of them is Jean
Downing (do you remember her? She was a Kappa at school). The other two girls
hadn’t moved in yet but Betty had right away so the apartment wouldn’t be
taken. She said it was re-let so it wasn’t ordinary furnished apartment
furniture. Since she was alone she invited me to stay all night with her. That
was Tuesday. Mrs. Thomas brought us back here to the Cresaps so that I could
get my PJ’s and toothbrush and then we took the ferry street car down at the
corner. Betty had never tried to get to the apartment from the ferry building
and she had some difficulty remembering directions so we had an exciting time
until we got put right. Finally we got put on the right streetcar. We went thru
the Pago section proper and of all the different kinds of people that were
packed into that streetcar. It was interesting while it lasted but I wouldn’t
want it as a steady diet. When we got
off to transfer we stopped in at a grocery store and got our supper then went
on home. The apartment is on Russian Hill which is notorious as a center for artists
and such. We got out of the streetcar and went up a terribly steep hill and
when we got half way up we turned into a lane. That’s all it is, just a path.
After you turn in you have to use a lot of imagination to remember that you are
in the center of San Francisco!
There is a hillside on one side that is covered with shrubs
and flowers and then these funny crooked old little apartment houses are on the
other side. We went down to the center of the block about and then went down
some steps and around some turns before you come to the door of the apartment.
You go inside and there is one main room, two closets, a bathroom and a
kitchen. The place had been furnished by someone with a great deal of taste. At
one end of the room is a little low fireplace, white washed. On the mantel is a
pewter tea set and try. There is a bookcase on one side with a choice library
and unusual candlestick on it and a wood box with wild oats skins on it on the
other side. The furniture is all old fashioned picked up at bargains. There are
four of the loveliest old mirrors with old frames. There are two hard wood
chest of drawers. And four old chairs with high backs. There is an old
camphorwood chest that suits the old room. There are three old Persian rugs on
the floor and one on the wall. In one end is a studio couch that they sleep on.
It is lighted by four lamps and there are several candle sticks that can be
used to add atmosphere. The kitchen and bathroom aren’t much but they match the
rest of it. The dishes are all added pieces but all expensive china. I just
loved it! You may not get much from my description but I just think it is
darling. It was so quiet the night I spent there that it was hard to imagine
myself in the center of San Francisco. Betty says that they are going to have
an open house and tea every Sunday from four to five-thirty so if they are
still living there when you come down we will have to go and see them.
After we had started dinner Mazie (the other one of the
trio) came in and spent the evening with us. During the evening the people that
had sublet the apartment came in to take the curtains out to be cleaned. They
are just darling and we could see right away why the apartment was so
tastefully furnished. Betty has met the girl across the hall and she says that
she is just darling and looks very much like an artist. Betty is just thrilled
to death about it and says she has always wanted to live on Russian Hill in
just such a place.
The bed was heavenly so we didn’t get up the next morning
until about ten o’clock and we ambled downtown and window shopped for awhile.
We were supposed to meet Mazie at twelve but she was stuck with a customer so
we didn’t wait. We had a bite to eat and then I started home. The other two
work and Betty as you know is going to business college. I just barely got home
and there was a message here to call Pop. He wanted me to go back to the city
with him and meet this old friend of ours. A man whose pet I have been ever
since I was so high. You know the kind but he is really a swell guy. Sort of
like Will Rogers. We went over and saw him and we talked while Pop did some
business with some other men. We discovered that Will Rogers in “Dr. Bull” was
on over there so we decided to stop in and see it, Pop being an ardent Will Rogers
fan. We went at 5:30 and to our astonishment it was nine o’clock when we got
out. There were about five short subjects and a French and Marko besides and
Peggy Hopkins Joyce in person!! We tore down to the ferry but found that the
next boat didn’t leave for half an hour so we phoned Mom and had dinner and got
home about ten thirty, me a total wreck so I piled into bed as fast as I could.
This morning I went over to Sears and Roebuck with Pop while he went in and got
all togged up to be a gentleman farmer. You should see the jazzy striped
overall that he has! When we got home he could hardly wait to get them on! From
Sears and Roebuck we went over to the City Hall. Pop got his license and I got
a little book to read so that when I took my quiz I would know all the answers.
Well, darling, now you have the story of my last two busy
days! Do you still love me? I love you more than I used to so there. I hope
everything goes beautifully for you this rush week, lover, and I know you will
pledge the best class.
I love you, Annie
P.S. If you are home Saturday night and if we are still in
Berkeley (which is doubtful) I may call you up after mid-night but don’t stay
up.
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