The Real Dope | Page 7

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. Well Al when she said that she hit the nail on
the head and I always knew you was the one pal who I could depend on
and I am depending on you now and I know that if I am laying down at
the bottom of the ocean tonight you will see that my wishs in this letter
is carried out to the letter.
What I want to say is about Florrie and little Al. Now don't think Al
that I am going to ask you for financial assistants because I would
know better then that and besides we don't need it on acct. of me
having $10000 dollars soldier insurence in Florrie's name as the
benefitter and the way she is coining money in that beauty parlor she
won't need to touch my insurence but save it for little Al for a rainy day
only I suppose that the minute she gets her hands on it she will blow it
for widows weeds and I bet they will be some weeds Al and everybody
will think they are flowers instead of weeds.
But what I am getting at is that she won't need no money because with

what I leave her and what she can make she has got enough and more
then enough but I often say that money isn't the only thing in this world
and they's a whole lot of things pretty near as good and one of them is
kindness and what I am asking from you and Bertha is to drop in on her
once in a while up in Chi and pay her a visit and I have all ready wrote
her a letter telling her to ask you but even if she don't ask you go and
see her any way and see how she is getting along and if she is takeing
good care of