TLS signed “Margaret,” two pages, 7.25 x 11, personal letterhead, April 17, 1940. Letter to “Edwing,” possibly Dr. Edwin Pain Lochridge, a longtime family friend. In full: “As soon as I receive your letter I leap frenziedly to answer it to vindicate the fair name of our mutual acquaintance who you thought had disrupted the happy home of a mutual friend. I imagine it was the juxtaposition of the two names in my last letter which led you to this error. But, upon my honor, I do not believe she had anything to do with the separation and divorce. I do not believe she had seen him, until the last month, in two years. We’ve seen him twice since last fall, both times for long periods, and I’m sure that if your suspicions had been true we’d have heard something about the matter. As far as I could learn, there was nothing dramatic and nothing scandalous about the break. It was just the same old situation which had lasted too long for endurance. There was probably some last straw, but I don’t know what it was. Like you, I was profoundly sorry. When a marriage has lasted that long there certainly must be ties of deep affection and shared happy memories. Evidently the ties frayed out and snapped—a very quiet, undramatic snapping—but I wouldn’t want you to get the idea that our friend had been lured from home, because that isn’t the case. Dear me, what a torment letters are and how we would like to be with you and Mabel so we could learn in detail the things you hint! I hope we can manage it and I think you two are sweet to want us to come down to Longboat.
Good Heavens, don’t tell me the Orlando newspapers are still interested enough in me to search your house! They should move their operations to Miami, for I have just learned that I have an island estate and a yacht there but, alas, I am not enjoying either due to the leukemia. I gathered these choice bits of information from the gent who wrote The Macmillan Company about the fresh entrail cure for this disease. Tell Mabel not to think of writing me now. I have some idea about what she (and you) have undergone since Doctor Burton’s death. Of course you must know how I love to hear from you but I don’t want either of you to write when you are tired and it’s a chore. I was afraid you had given up writing…I knew something of your circumstances. I won’t even try to write about it but I hope we can talk about it sometime if you feel like a discussion. I can’t believe your decision is final. I hope it isn’t, even if circumstances appear to be against you.” In fine condition, with slight foxing to the first page. Pre-certified PSA/DNA.
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